And a humorous story about an audition with three creative ideas. More...

[Read the rest of this article...]

I’ve been working on spookifying my house for Halloween, and my favorite look has to be the vintage Halloween style. It’s somehow creepier if it’s old, right? Here’s how you can take ordinary household items and create vintage “potion” bottles for creepy ingredients like eye of newt and arsenic. And with a simple coat of [...]

[Read the rest of this article...]

With a single touch to shells, rocks, and shards of glass strewn about my desk I can be transported back in time. For a little while. More...

[Read the rest of this article...]

Who doesn’t love a good auction? Especially one for craft projects! This is going to be fun, and for such a good cause. Below you’ll learn a little more about Swap a Smile and this craft auction. I’m happy to be part of it, raising money to help someone smile. Thanks to Amy and Heather [...]

[Read the rest of this article...]

Do you use a blog to promote your business?  You definitely should!  A blog is one of the most effective ways to attract visitors to your online store and increase your sales.Blogs enable you to create dialogue with your audience and a forum for people to connect and engage with you as well as with one another, through comments and responses.Here are 3 ways blogging can boost your business and get you on the path to long-term success:1. Balance your time between product creation and blogging about your products. Customers buy from handmade sellers because of the story behind the product and the artisan so share your story!2. Link to fellow creatives in your blog posts...referring to someone's creative work, spotlighting their blog posts or even interviewing them on your blog will increase your chances of someone featuring and finding you too!3. Publish your product listings and blog posts on a consistent schedule.  This will keep your audience engaged and have people talking about you again and again.What's your story?Main image courtesy of Marco Raaphorst

[Read the rest of this article...]

Halloween is approaching. It’s been fun to see all the pumpkins and giant spider webs around our neighborhood. If you’re looking for a few fun projects to create, look no further. Here are 6 spooky crafts and recipes that are sure to bring on the Halloween fun from over at the M&T Spotlight. **Next week [...]

[Read the rest of this article...]

I have to say that when I received this package of Sharpies below, my mind started churning with all the fun crafty ideas I would create. Sharpie, an M&T Sponsor, is one of my favorites for markers/pens/writing utensils. I love they are permanent, bright, and colorful. And little did I know when I received this [...]

[Read the rest of this article...]

What is base income you ask? Great question! It’s income you know you will be collecting in the future even if you didn’t sell one more thing starting today. Base income is like an insurance policy for your business. How is that possible? Also a great question!This is a common practice in client based service industries. You would place your clients or customers into a package where instead of collecting lump sums one month with no idea how you will do next month, you would just collect a smaller amount for both months. Wouldn’t it feel great if you knew today you are already making money next month?Since you are most likely not a client based service business let's look at how you can build in your own base income. Here are some ideas to get the wheels turning:Monthly subscription to your blog with DIY projects, free eBooks, webinars, and even deals on new lines. This model is great with an artist collective of at least 5. Bring more to the table!eCourses that span 3, 6, even 12 months. Instead of collecting $150 for that class all up front, charge it over the duration of the course. If your eCourse runs 6 months, that's $25 additional dollars each month. Enroll 100 students and now you have $2,500 dollars guaranteed in your pocket for the next 6 months.Create a master coaching program for your industry. You have learned an exceptional skill--why not teach it? Create a master coaching program for a specific portion of having a creative business or the craft itself and coach a small group of up and coming artists for 12 months. Invite members to apply and create a cohort of 10-20 students that have monthly tele-seminar meetings, their own forum, and a blog full of great insight.Talk down a big ticket item with installments. Ever think about building in $500 or more product but are afraid it just won’t sell? What if your customers could pay in 12 installments of $41? This way you get to sell more big ticket items with less risk to the customer. Don’t worry, you won’t be chasing down folks for payment. Use Intuit or PayPal recurring payment plans and watch your base income automatically drop into your account once per month for a year.These are just a few ideas...and all of them do something pretty cool for your brand, they share a unique quality you bring to the table others might miss. What other ways can you build in a creative base income? Bring customers into your world and keep them around for longer-the return can do wonders for the longevity of your business!Main image courtesy of *pascal*.

[Read the rest of this article...]

I am beyond thrilled to share that I’m coming out with a book! A book!! I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally share the news with all of you, it’s for sale in just a few weeks. Over the last year I’ve been writing and crafting 50 all new kid’s craft projects [...]

[Read the rest of this article...]

All too often what we perceive as our personal reality is only the remnants or shadows of another’s dream; yes, even the dreams that we dream are not our own. More...

[Read the rest of this article...]