Judy Wise is a mixed media artist who also does a ton of art journaling. Art journaling is a really fun way to explore your creativity, to be focused on your process and NOT the outcome. It's a great way to play with creative ideas, intuition, and creating for the pleasure of creating. Sometimes that's the very stuff that keeps us away from art.
I know many of you who read this blog and are either artists yourself, or you may be one of those folks who secretly wants to do art, or do more art, but you've got the fear monster on your back who talks you out of doing art, trying art, or even thinking about art. Or, maybe you are an artist or crafter, but there's still fear lurking. I think it pops up every now and then even if you've fought it off before.
This video from Judy is really inspiring to me. Her simple words about art, fear and "just doing it" are oh so powerful. My favorite quote from the video (when she's talking about being committed to doing art everyday): "You'll step out...you'll do the thing you've been wanting to do all your life that you've put off and it'll feel so good. You'll be so glad you did it."
YES!
Biz Tuesday: Starting your Business!
We're thrilled to have guest blogger, Amy Kalinchuk, from Craft e-Revolution write on how to start your own craft business! We know many of you are artists, handmakers, or collect vintage/antiques. You probably want to push it to the next level, but have no idea how to start. Amy's no-nonsense tips below are awesome and inspiring...feels like business bootcamp for creatives and crafters! Make this YOUR year to do it!
Starting a craft business: 5 Tips for Success
It’s a new year, and you have resolved to start your craft business. That is fantastic! Starting a business is one of the best things you can do to change your life. The lessons I have learned from being in business for myself are immeasurable.
Some of those lessons were hard-learned. Not everyone is cut out for business, but I am not here to talk you out of it. I am a firm believer in experiential learning. If you aren’t meant to be an entrepreneur, the only way to learn that is to try it, wholeheartedly. I have owned my craft business for over six years and my publishing business for over five, and have learned more than I could have imagined about business and crafting during that time. If you are considering turning your favorite craft into a business, you might find the following list of tips and advice helpful.
1. Don’t wait for “the right time.” The right time is now. Do not wait for the money to come in--find a way to make it work. I don’t recommend going into debt to start a craft business. Start selling your stuff to friends and family, and use that money to purchase equipment or supplies. You will need to re-invest this money for quite a while, until you see a profit. If you want to use credit cards, do so knowing what you can pay off quickly, and stick with a budget. Pay them off as fast as you can, using the profits from sales. Whatever you do, just jump in. If you are the kind of person who waits for the “right time” to do things, then push yourself out of that comfort zone.
2. Use free or low-cost online outlets to your advantage. Had I known about Etsy when I was first starting out, I would have started selling there immediately. It is a low-cost way of starting your online presence--and you must have one. Even if you think you will sell mostly at craft fairs and through networking, you must still have some sort of website. A shop on Etsy is free to own, and very low-cost to start selling there as their fees are based on sales: if you have no sales, the only fee you pay is the listing fee of 20 cents (which is good for 4 months).
Artfire is another low-cost option online. They have a flat-rate, monthly fee for their “Pro” members, which is very reasonable (currently $9.95/month). If you are unsure that you will be able to cover that cost, Artfire does have a free “Basic” option as well, which has limited options. It’s still a great free service, if you have only a few items to list.
3. Don’t let the details overwhelm you. There are eight million and three of them, so it’s easy to let this happen. You must register your business with the city, county, state, and your grandmother. You must pay a fee for all this. You must open a bank account, find the best suppliers, go thrift shopping, and clean out your garage.
Listen to me. Write it all down on one list. All of it! Then, choose one thing (one thing!), and do it from start to finish. Then cross it off your list, and the next day/week/weekend/time, choose the next thing on the list. It will all get done, but you must not let the details prevent you from starting.
For an easy online way to keep track of all this, sign up for Teux Deux. It’s free and fabulous.
4. Start your blog now. There is absolutely no reason for you to wait on this. If you are going to have an Artfire or Etsy shop to start with, because you want to save money, then start a free blog through Blogger. Or, you can have a Wordpress blog. If you are scared of this process, start with Blogger and roll with it. It’s very easy, and it’s absolutely necessary. This is part of your branding, and it’s the first way you can start to create a following. Once people are following your blog, they will want to read more and more from you, and are easier to turn into customers.
The same advice is true of Facebook and Twitter. Just do it. All of this is free. Put these to-do items on your Details list from #3 above. Don’t know what to say? Tell people you are starting a craft business, and then respond to their comments. Ask your readers direct questions. Do they prefer floral or woody scents? Which colors are in their living rooms? The key is to respond as often as possible, and start an online conversation.
5. Focus your efforts. Focus on one area of crafting, not a bunch. Make things that “go together.” For example, I make and sell soap. A natural progression for my product line was to make lip balm, since it uses the same oils that I use to make soap, and it’s also a skin product. After that, I started making sugar scrub, bath salts, and bath fizzies--all things that are good for the skin.
My customers would have been confused if I had made soap, then moved to makeup bags, and also offered carved wooden cutting boards and huge, welded garden sculpture. While I do make a beautiful and practical makeup bag, and my garden sculptures would surely be the talk of the garden tour, none of it makes sense together. Furthermore, I wouldn’t be able to grow my business that way--my customers would not come back, because they wouldn’t know what I was making next. What is your chosen craft? What naturally goes with that? Plan to grow in this way--by adding to your product line. Start with your favorite craft, and then branch out sensibly.
It is an exciting time for you right now. Make a promise to yourself that this year will be a year of action. Which of the five items above will you focus on today?
Amy Kalinchuk publishes photographed craft tutorials in ebook format at Craft e-Revolution, which launched in 2010. She is rewriting her three books, and is currently publishing two other authors. She is working on a craft business book, right now, and has a wicked pain between her shoulders from the hunching over.
Starting a craft business: 5 Tips for Success
It’s a new year, and you have resolved to start your craft business. That is fantastic! Starting a business is one of the best things you can do to change your life. The lessons I have learned from being in business for myself are immeasurable.
Some of those lessons were hard-learned. Not everyone is cut out for business, but I am not here to talk you out of it. I am a firm believer in experiential learning. If you aren’t meant to be an entrepreneur, the only way to learn that is to try it, wholeheartedly. I have owned my craft business for over six years and my publishing business for over five, and have learned more than I could have imagined about business and crafting during that time. If you are considering turning your favorite craft into a business, you might find the following list of tips and advice helpful.
1. Don’t wait for “the right time.” The right time is now. Do not wait for the money to come in--find a way to make it work. I don’t recommend going into debt to start a craft business. Start selling your stuff to friends and family, and use that money to purchase equipment or supplies. You will need to re-invest this money for quite a while, until you see a profit. If you want to use credit cards, do so knowing what you can pay off quickly, and stick with a budget. Pay them off as fast as you can, using the profits from sales. Whatever you do, just jump in. If you are the kind of person who waits for the “right time” to do things, then push yourself out of that comfort zone.
2. Use free or low-cost online outlets to your advantage. Had I known about Etsy when I was first starting out, I would have started selling there immediately. It is a low-cost way of starting your online presence--and you must have one. Even if you think you will sell mostly at craft fairs and through networking, you must still have some sort of website. A shop on Etsy is free to own, and very low-cost to start selling there as their fees are based on sales: if you have no sales, the only fee you pay is the listing fee of 20 cents (which is good for 4 months).
Artfire is another low-cost option online. They have a flat-rate, monthly fee for their “Pro” members, which is very reasonable (currently $9.95/month). If you are unsure that you will be able to cover that cost, Artfire does have a free “Basic” option as well, which has limited options. It’s still a great free service, if you have only a few items to list.
3. Don’t let the details overwhelm you. There are eight million and three of them, so it’s easy to let this happen. You must register your business with the city, county, state, and your grandmother. You must pay a fee for all this. You must open a bank account, find the best suppliers, go thrift shopping, and clean out your garage.
Listen to me. Write it all down on one list. All of it! Then, choose one thing (one thing!), and do it from start to finish. Then cross it off your list, and the next day/week/weekend/time, choose the next thing on the list. It will all get done, but you must not let the details prevent you from starting.
For an easy online way to keep track of all this, sign up for Teux Deux. It’s free and fabulous.
4. Start your blog now. There is absolutely no reason for you to wait on this. If you are going to have an Artfire or Etsy shop to start with, because you want to save money, then start a free blog through Blogger. Or, you can have a Wordpress blog. If you are scared of this process, start with Blogger and roll with it. It’s very easy, and it’s absolutely necessary. This is part of your branding, and it’s the first way you can start to create a following. Once people are following your blog, they will want to read more and more from you, and are easier to turn into customers.
The same advice is true of Facebook and Twitter. Just do it. All of this is free. Put these to-do items on your Details list from #3 above. Don’t know what to say? Tell people you are starting a craft business, and then respond to their comments. Ask your readers direct questions. Do they prefer floral or woody scents? Which colors are in their living rooms? The key is to respond as often as possible, and start an online conversation.
5. Focus your efforts. Focus on one area of crafting, not a bunch. Make things that “go together.” For example, I make and sell soap. A natural progression for my product line was to make lip balm, since it uses the same oils that I use to make soap, and it’s also a skin product. After that, I started making sugar scrub, bath salts, and bath fizzies--all things that are good for the skin.
My customers would have been confused if I had made soap, then moved to makeup bags, and also offered carved wooden cutting boards and huge, welded garden sculpture. While I do make a beautiful and practical makeup bag, and my garden sculptures would surely be the talk of the garden tour, none of it makes sense together. Furthermore, I wouldn’t be able to grow my business that way--my customers would not come back, because they wouldn’t know what I was making next. What is your chosen craft? What naturally goes with that? Plan to grow in this way--by adding to your product line. Start with your favorite craft, and then branch out sensibly.
It is an exciting time for you right now. Make a promise to yourself that this year will be a year of action. Which of the five items above will you focus on today?
Amy Kalinchuk publishes photographed craft tutorials in ebook format at Craft e-Revolution, which launched in 2010. She is rewriting her three books, and is currently publishing two other authors. She is working on a craft business book, right now, and has a wicked pain between her shoulders from the hunching over.
Call for Vendors and Blog Sponsors!
Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you had a fun, restful weekend. The weekend was a blur for us. We were pleasantly inundated with Horseshoe Market applications after our launch on Friday! We are seriously thrilled with the quality and quantity of applications! Amazing. There are so many talented and creative people in Colorado. It's truly awesome!For all of you who are pondering applying--apply soon! If you apply before February 14th and get into the market (we are juried), your booth price will be $75 per market. A pretty great deal! We take applications on a first come, first served basis and we could very well sell out of spaces like we did last year for our first market. So apply now!!!
Blog Sponsorship
Also, we wanted to use this blog post to tell you a little bit about our blogging plan for the 2011 market season. We will be blogging 3-5 times per week from now through mid October. We will have business blogs, guest bloggers, inspirational blog posts, Q & A's with sponsors and artists, and in general, lots of fun stuff going on here!
Additionally, we have some great news! We're offering space for YOU to be a sponsor on our blog! On our right side bar, you can post your business ad for just over $1 a day per month. No contract is involved--you can sign up for one month or six months! It's a low risk way to get your name out there! Here are the details:
Horseshoe Blog Sponsor
We will be blogging 3-5 times per week from January 2011-October 2011, and all blog posts are advertised on Facebook and Twitter! For just over one dollar per day ($35.00 per month), you will receive the following benefits and highlights:
· Your company ad on right sidebar of blog
· Profile feature on blog!
· No contract involved—you may sponsor one month or as many months as you wish, but sponsorship is on a first come, first served basis
· Ability to potentially sponsor a giveaway
· Potential to reach thousands of customers!
Pretty cool, huh? If you're interested in this great opportunity, please email horseshoemarket@gmail.com for more information. Have a great day!New website and applications are open!
It's an exciting day over here! We are just launching our new and improved website courtesy of the ever-amazing Lisa Rundall Creative, and we've just opened our 2011 vendor applications! We thought we'd give you a run down of the website changes, and also talk about our 2011 vendor applications.The new website now has a "main" homepage, and then each market has its own page--Spring Market (May 7), Summer Market (August 6) and Fall Market (October 1). However, you can apply for one, two or all three markets on any vendor application.
In terms of vendor applications, we are having early bird discount prices from today until February 14th. If you apply to any market between now and Feb. 14th, and get accepted into the market (we are juried), your booth price will be $75 for one 10X10 booth ($60 for DHA members) per market. If you apply after February 14th, booth prices will be $100 for one 10X10 booth space ($80 for DHA members) per market.
Please note--you can apply to one, two or all three markets! If you apply to all three, we cannot guarantee that you will be accepted into all three. This is due to the high volume of applications we get, and that we want a great variety of products and vendors at each market. In terms of sharing booths, you may--but both parties must apply. No more than two can share a booth!
Additionally, we want to encourage lots of folks to apply! Are you an artist, crafter or estate sale junkie? Do you dream about selling your wares and having your own business? Maybe you have an Etsy shop, and you've always wanted to do a "live" market. Well, why not give it a go? Check out this page for detailed information on what kinds of vendors we are seeking.
We are so excited about this upcoming market season. Our seasonal markets will each be unique, collaborative, and super fun community events! We will feature kids activities, local food and a few local non profits at each of our markets. Additionally, we are seeking sponsors! Please email horseshoemarket@gmail.com for information on sponsorship opportunities.
Let the fun begin! Go to our website, check things out, and fill out an application! Also, leave a comment below for any feedback or suggestions you may have about our website. See you all soon!
Happy New Year!
2010 was a fantastic first year for the Horseshoe. We had a rockin' market and tons of awesome support. 2011 is set to be fantastic, too! Customer and vendor surveys indicated that you all wanted seasonal markets--so we've got three set so far! Mark your calendars for May 7th, August 6th and October 1st! We will have over 100 art, craft and vintage vendors at each market--and some awesome local food as well.For all of you vendors out there--we will open up our applications on January 14th and have early bird pricing from then until February 14th. Don't miss out on the early bird pricing! We'll also have discounts for Denver Handmade Alliance members again. Our market is juried but we encourage both emerging and established artists, designers, crafters and vintage collectors to apply.
Also, look for our new and improved website on January 14th, too! 2011, here we come!
Vintage Thanksgiving
Good morning! We are happy to have Horseshoe vintage vendor Photographic Amy as a guest blogger today. She has a bunch of fun ideas about incorporating vintage into your Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy!
I am going to share with you some ideas of how you can incorporate great vintage items into your Thanksgiving celebrations, whether you are traveling far or having Thanksgiving at your house. You can bring visual and emotional interest to the event with vintage items.
Luggage
* * *
Hello all you wonderful Horseshoe Market fans! My name is Amy and I have a shop on Etsy, called Photographic Amy. I had planned on selling photographs when I chose this name, but, you know, things evolve! So I sell vintage and I had a booth at the first fabulous Horseshoe Market (the one with the record player, globes and type writer among other things, if you happened to stop by)! I love the hunt for treasures, the patina and warmth of things with a history! I am going to share with you some ideas of how you can incorporate great vintage items into your Thanksgiving celebrations, whether you are traveling far or having Thanksgiving at your house. You can bring visual and emotional interest to the event with vintage items.
Luggage
You can travel in time just by packing in vintage luggage or use open in the guest room with rolled towels, travel size toiletries and a special chocolate treat! Stacked, luggage makes great storage and fits perfectly under a sofa table or angled in a corner of a room for a side table with a lamp on top!
Wherever you are, a fabulous vintage dress, cloak, statement jewelry piece, Fedora or vintage plaid shirt will always draw attention and stand out from the crowd! Mad Men is influencing fashion, why not have your own bit of fashion history!
Games
Having some fun vintage games for the adults and children alike! The make great conversation pieces as well as a ice breakers. Entertain the masses! Setting them out on a coffee table will create an inviting atmosphere and jog memories!
2. Lincoln Logs by Playskool 1974 - Frontiersman Set by: RutabegaSix
Serving
A retro cheese tray goes fabulous with faux wood grain cheese servers! Wrap warm rolls in a vintage tea towel placed in a wonderful wood box. It is so visually interesting to use a mix and match of flatware, serving ware and china on a buffet table!
2.Vintage Faux Staghorn hostess knife set by: Luncheonette Vintage
3. Antler and Sterling Silver Carving Fork by: Treasure Isle4. Wooden Caddy by: Pull Over The Car
5. Vintage Mixed Restaurant, Hotel Silver, Horn and Hardart, Yorketowne by: Falcon and Finch6. Vintage Dinnerware Set by: le Vintage Maison
Relaxation
Create a comfortable atmosphere for the post turkey tryptophan nap. Turn on the football game and relax on a roomy couch, automans for feet propping and plenty of blankets and pillows for stretching out. A solid color sofa makes a great backdrop for vintage blankets in bold geometric designs that are all the rage. Have plenty available for everyone to wrap up with!
Create a comfortable atmosphere for the post turkey tryptophan nap. Turn on the football game and relax on a roomy couch, automans for feet propping and plenty of blankets and pillows for stretching out. A solid color sofa makes a great backdrop for vintage blankets in bold geometric designs that are all the rage. Have plenty available for everyone to wrap up with!
3. Vintage Crochet Square Pillow in 70s Colors by:Fun Retro
4. Vintage Stacking Pillow Ottoman Footstool Rolling Stool Autumn Fall Colors by:That 70s Shoppe
4. Vintage Stacking Pillow Ottoman Footstool Rolling Stool Autumn Fall Colors by:That 70s Shoppe
Vintage items have a feeling of history and depth that bring interest and excitement to your wardrobe and decor! Feel free to mix and match vintage eras, just stick to a similar color or tone. Be adventurous! Most importantly may you have a lovely Thanksgiving gathering with loved ones!
We Love Denver
some Colorado-based artists we love. 1. vital industries 2. butterworth and bee 3. rl walker3 4. two little fruits art studio 5. samuel schimek t-shirt 6. vintage renewal 7. january jones 8. cyanide stitches 9. maranonIs it just us, or is Denver art + craft totally showing its awesomeness lately on a national level?! For example, two weeks in a row, two Denver hand-making businesses were interviewed for Etsy's Quit Your Day Job feature. Check out Cyanide Stitches story here, and Vital Industries story here. Both businesses were also Horseshoe vendors!
Additionally, we've seen Denver folks pop up in cool national magazines. Jeanne Connolly of Vintage Renewal has been featured in ReadyMade a few times, and we saw that Denver Handmade Alliance's Art by Craft got a shout out in ReadyMade, too. Cool stuff. As we are finalizing plans for our 2011 markets, we continue to be inspired by people and organizations in Colorado who are doing extraordinary things (Another great one? The YesPleaseMore pop-up store that sells 100% Colorado goods).
We're proud to be part of a culture of creativity, authenticity and people going after their dreams! Speaking of dreams, we saw that Fashion Denver's Brandi Shigley is putting on another one of her dreamer/doer workshops on November 10th. Check it out! If you know of other extraordinary things going on in the Denver art, craft or vintage world, leave a comment below and spread the word!
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