Lily Haven @ her first show!!

Congrats to Lily Haven to a successful-looking FIRST SHOW!! She had the help of her mother-in-law, and their items look so cute together.
She makes a lot of cute items like dresses, hair accessories, purses, and other sewn goodies. The images of kids on her website look adorable!
See her BLOG here. and ETSY here.
and FLICKR here.

Sticky Pennies Craft Collective!! in Atlanta

UPCOMING SHOWS WITH STICKY PENNIES CRAFT COLLECTIVE:
---------------------------------------------

Kraftwork
Young Blood Gallery & Boutique
636 N. Highland Ave. Atlanta
November 6th from 7-10pm

Kraftwork is the first Thursday of every month from 7-10 p.m. And it will still feature Atlanta ’s finest indie crafters. Area artists and crafters set up tables to sell their goodies! Entrance is FREE for shoppers-

COME CHECK OUT YOUR LOCAL TALENT AND SUPPORT THEM!

* The Indie Craft Experience teamed up with Young Blood Gallery & Boutique to be a part of this great event!
* To participate as a vendor it costs $20. This is good news because it will provide us with a marketing budget and the means to get the word out. What does this mean for you as a vendor? More shoppers!
* Vendors must be approved. Gone are the days of just showing up, but this will allow vendors to get greater exposure. We will post the vendor list on the Indie Craft Experience website and on the Young Blood website prior to the event. This means more and more people will hear about you – lovely crafter!
We’re still working out some details on how our new application process will work. This will all be up and running prior to the October event.

Are you interested in participating as a vendor at Kraftwork:

Send an email to craft@ice-atlanta.com with KRAFTWORK in the subject line.

Indie Craft Experience (ICE) Already Happened!! Just wanted to inform you still!
Holiday Shopping Spectacular
Nov. 15th from 11 am - 6 pm
585 Wells St. SW, Unit A
Atlanta, GA 30312

Dress Me Up Orcanic Baby Goods and a Fun Craft Show

I found this woman on etsy and love her work. She uses organic materials, screen prints, sews baby items, takes nice pictures, and also attends cool craft shows. See her on etsy HERE.
From her, I also found out about a cool craft show. It is called the One of A Kind Show in Vancouver, BC. Seems to be really cool and very modern. Visit that site HERE. I can't wait to learn more about it.

The Wren @ The Designgoods Market

This woman seems ultra hip and cool. The Wren is located in Cape Town, South Africa. A place I just recently learned a lot about from my friend, Nadia.

See her on ETSY, and her WEBSITE, and her boyfriend's Sheep Skin Slipper site HERE.

Online Selling and Etsy Selling Tips

From this fun email sent by Etsy, I found some interesting selling tips that you may also find interesting...
TOPICS INCLUDE>>>
Holiday Gift Wrap and Cards
Why Starting a Blog is so Important!!!
Organizing for the Holidays
---------------------------
The Holiday sales seem to increase in mid November and take a sudden halt in Mid January. So, prepare NOW!!! If you have a few weeks to make make make, then list/sell your items when sales are up, that tends to work best for me.

Craft Shows also are far more worthwhile closer to the Holiday season as well. So, prepare and be well rewarded!!!

ok, ok, ok, back to craft fairs...

Hi folks, I am back to featuring some amazing craft vendors. Here is a lady who deserves a second spotlight. White Cottage Designs is a winner!!!
She is now making these cute fabric covered journals. She uses quite a lot of different fabrics, but she seems to have such a cohesive look to everything. I love the different visual levels and elements, and the variety of items is nice too. She is a busy woman!! Great work.
See her BLOG.
ETSY.
FLICKR.

Crafters and Designers- Here's an Opportunity to Get Paid For Your Ideas!!

Are you a fashion fanatic, decorating diva, passionate painter, savvy stitcher or super cool crafty chic? If so, join our community!

Over the past 30 years Plaid® Enterprises, Inc., a leading arts and crafts company, has worked with designers to bring some of the most innovative craft products to market. Our products are found at craft and hobby stores everywhere, featured on popular TV shows and in well-known publications and have garnered national and international recognition.

Want to keep up with Plaid news, promotions and more? Subscribe to our newsletter

Could your ideas be the next big thing?

We know your mind is always churning and coming up with neat ideas and ways to use existing products, as well as innovative twists for brand new ones. Plaid is currently accepting submissions for new product ideas and innovative crafting techniques-and looking to build on our network of freelance sample-maker designers in the following categories:

* Fashion
* Home Décor
* Painting
* Stitchery
* Other cool crafts

Submit Your Idea!
View this page HERE....

Unite to Fight Breast Cancer

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My boyfriend's aunt recently passed away from cancer. Although it was not from Breast Cancer, she had it in the past.

This poster caught my eye:

Thursday, October 30th from 4-5:30 pm, in the Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Health Center Auditorium there is a very cool event.

Bra! Bra! Bra! Unite to Fight is the theme of the second annual "Be My Bra" Competition at SIU. Students are putting together their creative prowess towards designing the most outrageous, thought-provoking brassiere to convey their stand against breast cancer. REfreshments will be served.

bra: [n] Slang 1. Support 2. strength 3. friend. You can be part of a circle of support, whether or not you have been touched by breast cancer. It's about being a friend, a "bra". Ask. Help. Know. Inspire. Learn. Remind. Listen. Tell. Encourage.

For more information, please contact Valerie Baker, Cancer Care Services.
Valerie.baker@sih.net. (618) 457-5200 x67128

10 Reasons Why You're Not Rich by Jeffrey Strain

aw this article on Yahoo! Finance today. It brings up some good points about spending and saving $$$.
"Many people assume they aren't rich because they don't earn enough money. If I only earned a little more, I could save and invest better, they say.

The problem with that theory is they were probably making exactly the same argument before their last several raises. Becoming a millionaire has less to do with how much you make, it's how you treat money in your daily life.

The list of reasons you may not be rich doesn't end at 10. Caring what your neighbors think, not being patient, having bad habits, not having goals, not being prepared, trying to make a quick buck, relying on others to handle your money, investing in things you don't understand, being financially afraid and ignoring your finances.

Here are 10 more possible reasons you aren't rich:

You care what your car looks like: (hee hee) A car is a means of transportation to get from one place to another, but many people don't view it that way. Instead, they consider it a reflection of themselves and spend money every two years or so to impress others instead of driving the car for its entire useful life and investing the money saved.

You feel entitlement: If you believe you deserve to live a certain lifestyle, have certain things and spend a certain amount before you have earned to live that way, you will have to borrow money. That large chunk of debt will keep you from building wealth.

You lack diversification: There is a reason one of the oldest pieces of financial advice is to not keep all your eggs in a single basket. Having a diversified investment portfolio makes it much less likely that wealth will suddenly disappear.

You started too late: The magic of compound interest works best over long periods of time. If you find you're always saying there will be time to save and invest in a couple more years, you'll wake up one day to find retirement is just around the corner and there is still nothing in your retirement account.

*****You don't do what you enjoy: While your job doesn't necessarily need to be your dream job, you need to enjoy it. If you choose a job you don't like just for the money, you'll likely spend all that extra cash trying to relieve the stress of doing work you hate.

You don't like to learn: You may have assumed that once you graduated from college, there was no need to study or learn. That attitude might be enough to get you your first job or keep you employed, but it will never make you rich. A willingness to learn to improve your career and finances are essential if you want to eventually become wealthy.

******You buy things you don't use: Take a look around your house, in the closets, basement, attic and garage and see if there are a lot of things you haven't used in the past year. If there are, chances are that all those things you purchased were wasted money that could have been used to increase your net worth.

You don't understand value: You buy things for any number of reasons besides the value that the purchase brings to you. This is not limited to those who feel the need to buy the most expensive items, but can also apply to those who always purchase the cheapest goods. Rarely are either the best value, and it's only when you learn to purchase good value that you have money left over to invest for your future.

Your house is too big: When you buy a house that is bigger than you can afford or need, you end up spending extra money on longer debt payments, increased taxes, higher upkeep and more things to fill it. Some people will try to argue that the increased value of the house makes it a good investment, but the truth is that unless you are willing to downgrade your living standards, which most people are not, it will never be a liquid asset or money that you can ever use and enjoy.

You fail to take advantage of opportunities: There has probably been more than one occasion where you heard about someone who has made it big and thought to yourself, "I could have thought of that." There are plenty of opportunities if you have the will and determination to keep your eyes open."

See this article and more HERE.

Renegade Chicago HOLIDAY Deadline Today!

The Renegade Craft Show in Chicago Dec 6 and 7 is fast approaching! The Deadline for the entry is today!!! So, if you haven't gotten it in yet, and plan on doing so, be sure to make this deadline.

Wisconsin Art and Craft Directory

There is an incredibly long list of Wisconsin Art Shows on this site. And this page I am linking to is only for the month of November. Check it out HERE.

Upcoming Craft Shows in the Midwest US

October 3-5
Louisville, KY
St. James Court Art Show
in the Historic St. James Court neighborhood
This is a big sprawling art fair that extends over many blocks featuring well over 500 exhibitors. Expect something for every pocketbook. It is a great place to spend a fall day.

October 4 & 5
St. Louis, MO
Historic Shaw Art Fair
130 Exhibitors

October 10 & 11
Branson, MO
Branson Festival of Arts
Hilton/Branson Convention Center
Sponsored by the Branson Arts Council
100 Exhibitors
For more info: www.bransonartscouncil.or

November 8 & 9
Des Moines, IA
Two Rivers Expo
Iowa Events Center, Hy-Vee Hall
presented by the Metro Arts Alliance
125 Exhibitors
For mre info: www.metroarts.org

November 13-16
Shakopee, MN
Autumn Festival, an Arts & Crafts Affair
Canterbury Park
Thursday/Friday 11 am - 9 pm; Saturday 9 am - 7 pm; Sunday 10 am - 5 pm
Admission charged. Free parking

November 22 & 23
Indianapolis, IN
Winterfair
State Fairgrounds
170 Exhibitors

Thanks to ArtFairCalendar.com!

Mary Jane's Attic (An Article on Etsy's Storque)

See MARY JANES ATTIC Here on etsy.
Today, I found an inspiring article on etsy about a couple who "quit their day jobs" as the title indicates, and began a brick and mortar shop after great success on etsy. It really does help to have a team member/s to help with some of your work load too.
Here are some excerpts from the article which you can find HERE.
"What are the most effective ways you have promoted and marketed your Etsy business? What's you're best marketing tip?
I think some of the best ways to promote our Etsy store was to start a customer newsletter, start a blog (or two or three!), submit your products for review by other popular blogs and magazines, participate in Etsy Street Teams (we belong to the SF Etsy Team, Etsy FAST and The Needlefelters Team) and vend at local craft fairs. It is the combination of all these things that make up our promotional strategy, and we believe it gives us a chance to get higher visibility among a wide variety of customers.

Our best marketing tip? Encourage feedback and word of mouth! We believe each of our customers is valuable and we tell them that each time they purchase from us. We acknowledge the value of their opinions and ask that they continue to keep us and other handmade artists in mind when shopping for products. We believe when your friend tells you about that “cool indie shop around the corner,” it’s worth loads more than any newspaper ad could communicate. A customer’s satisfaction is important, so always see that as your #1 marketing strategy.

What have you found to be unsuccessful promotion or something that's just not working for your shop?
We have found that print coupons and ads don’t always come back to us. We attached discount codes and vary rarely did they get used. We also found that doing regular sales in the Etsy shop were not very effective. Instead we price our items at what we believe to be fair price points and stick to them. Our customers have been loyal to us because of our affordability and consistency, not because of any fly by night sales.

If you could go back in time before you took the plunge, what advice would you give yourself knowing what you know now?
Prepare your press materials sooner. Make more efforts to promote your products and your business on a regular basis. Systematically collect and record customer suggestions and comments about products. Inventory! Inventory! Inventory! If you don’t know what sold and how many, you’ll never know exactly what the moneymakers are.

What advice would you give someone else thinking about taking the plunge to sell full time on Etsy?
Take it slowly, in stages. Don’t give up. You will make mistakes. We all make mistakes, and the best we can do is grow from them. Surround yourself (online and in person) with friends and colleagues who support what you do and share common goals. It’s important to have a support system. We would never have gotten this far if we did not have the support from lots of fellow crafters and business people.

SEE ALL OF THE QUIT YOUR DAY JOB STORQUE ARTICLES HERE

Vulture Festival in Makanda, IL Oct. 18-19, 2008

A fun event for the whole family :) I had to say it!
Come to Makanda, IL in Southern Illinois the third weekend of this month (October) to see my goods and lots of other cool one of a kind items. See my items in The Smelly Hippie on the boardwalk. There is live music, food vendors, craft vendors. There may even still be a spot to vend if you ask around there on the boardwalk.
So, hope you get a chance to check out Vulture Fest in 2 weeks!

Also, today I brought a bunch of *new items* to Smelly Hippie. So, excite your eyes there too.
Smelly Hippie Hours:
Tues- Sun 10:30-5:00 pm. Closed Mondays only!

Strange Folk Festival 2008 "A Glimpse into a Crafty Gathering"

YAY! I have finally edited about half of my Strange Folk Images!

Family Blues Festival in Carbondale, IL October 26, 2008

Hi Folks! There is a Family Blues Festival Starring the Ivas John Band in Carbondale, IL on Sunday October 26, 2008.
"Benefit to establish a fund for Southern Illinois Community Botanical Garden, Dedicated to SI's rare, threatened, and endangered genetic heritage.
Location: Town Square Pavillion in the Heart of Carbondale!
Music from 2-5 pm. Silent Auction ends at 5:30
Delicious, Healthy, Botanical refreshments available from Town Square Market (a cute little organic grocery store).
High Energy heritage music in a positive environment for a great cause.
Suggested minimum donation: $5 adults and teens; $1 for children 12 and under. 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
For more info and to make a tax-exempt donation:
Shawnee Conservation & Development Council, a 501 (C)3 organization.
(618) 993-5396 x6 or brenda.little@rcd.net."