Craft Site Directory Newsletter: December 2004
http://www.CraftSiteDirectory.com
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SECTION 1):*~*: What's New at CraftSiteDirectory.com?
Our 'Christmas' category has been expanded, plus much more!
SECTION 2):*~*: New Year's Resolutions:
Arts and Crafts Goals for 2005.
SECTION 3):*~*: How to Sell Your Products Without Competition
SECTION 4):*~*: The Thoughtful Tinkerer: Make Homemade Devices For The Fun Of It
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SECTION 1):*~*: What's New at CraftSiteDirectory.com?
December 9th, 2004: Our Christmas category has been updated and now contains 2 full pages of links. You can find our Christmas category as a sub-category under Seasonal Crafts. Find last minute gift ideas and much more!
In our General Crafts category, you can now find sub-categories for Victorian, Primitive, and Country crafts.
Over 600 new listings have been added since October 2004. Our search engine database now contains over 4600 listings.
December 1st, 2004: We've added a sub-category for Wood Carving. You can find this new section under Woodworking.
We've added a new program that invites individual websites to maintain/moderate categories. The following categories have been thoroughly reviewed and updated by our new maintainers: Angels, Art and
its sub-categories, Bath & Body, Beadwork, Bridal, Candles, Card Making, Charities, Cross Stitch, Florals, Paper Crafts, Rubber Stamping, and Scrapbooking.
To read more past updates, visit our main page at http://www.craftsitedirectory.com.
SECTION 2):*~*: New Year's Resolutions:
Arts and Crafts Goals for 2005
When making your New Year's resolutions this year, don't leave out your arts and crafts goals!
As a goal for 2005, consider completing some of those unfinished craft projects you've started over the years. Making a list of the projects you would like to finish, and pulling them out of the closet, is the first step. Tack the list to your refrigerator and keep the supplies accessible as a constant reminder. If the project was never finished because of lack of materials, also make a list of the supplies you need to complete the project and the estimated cost. You may want to start putting a few dollars aside in an envelope until you have enough to go shopping. I always find that I am more
motivated to work on my craft projects when I have new supplies or a new crafting tool to work with, even if it's just something small, like a new embellishment or fancy buttons, for my finished project.
A great place to find inexpensive supplies and tools is Ebay, since so many crafters tend to over-buy when purchasing
materials (I'm quite guilty of this myself). I've used Ebay
to purchase patterns, fabric scraps, and tools for paper crafting, my latest endeavor. For the best deals, I look for auctions posted by actual crafters looking to unload their extra supplies and tools. Don't overbid, just bid the price you'd be willing to pay. And, don't worry about being outbid.... each day, thousands of new listings are posted on Ebay. Trust me, you will come across plenty more must-have items. If you have CraftSiteDirectory.com bookmarked, just click on the Ebay link to view that day's arts and crafts auctions.
Or, perhaps you've always wanted to learn a new craft or new skills and techniques. My 2005 resolutions include re-learning how to crochet. I crocheted years ago and found it so relaxing, but I gave up on the craft before I ever was very good at it. Recently, I was looking through the crocheting category at CraftSiteDirectory.com and was inspired by the large number of resources; instructions, tips, free patterns... If I don't accomplish anything else in 2005, I at least plan to crochet an afghan for charity.
A crocheted afghan is heavy and warm, even if it doesn't turn out perfectly!
The Craft Site Directory contains links to many resources if you are interested in learning a new craft yourself in 2005. At http://www.craftsitedirectory.com/instructions/, you can find links to a huge variety of craft instructions. Look over the page to see if anything interests you!
Happy crafting in 2005!!
BobbiLynn Provan
Owner
CraftSiteDirectory.com
SECTION 3):*~*: How to Sell Your Products Without Competition
Selling your products at shows can be difficult when you have a lot of
competition. Although some show organizers are careful to have a good mix of
vendors, it's not uncommon for other shows to have 20% or more of the booths
filled with vendors in the same niche - which is a buyer's market and a
seller's disappointing show.
Before signing up for any show, ask the promoter how many other vendors in
your niche will have booths. And if possible, find out what kinds of these
items will be represented at the show. Even if you have to dig a little for
this information, it's worthwhile to find out in advance whether the show is
likely to be profitable for you.
For example, my medium is jewelry, which is usually the most competitive
field at any show. And because of the overcrowding in this niche, many
jewelry artists price the jewelry in their booth so low that it's hard for
them (or any of the other jewelers at that show) to make any sales at a
worthwhile profit. No one benefits from that kind of venue.
But I've found out how I can easily get my fair share of the jewelry market
by finding less competitive shows for selling my work. Here are some
suggestions for shows where you can find eager buyers for your products and
likely no other competing vendors:
Local Expos and Events
Many organized events in your area involve wholesale or retail vendors
selling their products in booths. These events are usually well promoted and
attended, and may be unlikely to have other vendors in your niche. Examples
of this type of event include a women's career expo, a home improvement
show, a health fair, a business expo, and virtually any trade show.
Other unusual events that can be great prospects for selling your products
without competition include historic re-enactments, car club shows, gun and
knife shows, garden shows, spring or fall fashion shows, motorcycle rallies
(motorcyclists are among the best and biggest-spending jewelry customers
you'll find!), and music competitions (like a battle of the bands or a
bluegrass festival).
Club or other organization meetings are also a possibility if your product
is interesting - you will likely be welcomed to give a talk about your goods
and then sell them afterward. Examples of organizations include a Rotary
club chapter, a garden club, an alumni association, or a local newcomers'
club.
To find out about events like these well in advance, or to locate clubs or
groups that would welcome an interesting product presentation and show, call
your local tourism commission and chamber of commerce. Ask for their
recommendations, and most importantly, request to be put on their mailing
lists of upcoming events. When you receive the listings, carefully consider
each event for its potential as a show for selling your goods without
competition.
Your Own Shows
With a little more work, you can organize your own shows where you can be
certain you'll be the only vendor in your niche. Examples of these are home
parties, open studio sales at your studio or home, and fundraiser shows
where you donate a portion of the proceeds to a designated charity. You can
also cooperate with other vendors to set up bigger shows, and profit from
each other's customer lists.
You might do very well at an event with a ready-made huge crowd, such as a
high school football game. Secure permission ahead of time to set up a
booth presenting your product, and donate a percentage of sales to the
school.
The key to success when doing your own shows is to be sure the event is well
publicized if it's open to the public, or that you personally phone and
remind each invitee if it's a private sale or party. The higher the
attendance, the higher your sales.
So you see there's no need to sell your products in overly competitive
venues. Instead, consider your targeted customers and think creatively
about opportunities to present your products to them.
About the Author:
Rena Klingenberg is a jewelry artist with expertise in displaying and
marketing products creatively on a small budget. She publishes two
websites, http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com and
http://www.trade-show-booth-display.com , to assist other entrepreneurs in
marketing their work successfully.
SECTION 4):*~*: The Thoughtful Tinkerer
Make Homemade Devices For The Fun Of It
I've always liked to make gadgets and gizmos that have some function, either useful or not so useful. It started with the simple things that many kids make - slingshots, a simple bow and arrow, a toy boat. Occasionally I made more involved items such as a canoe and a dune buggy. Then there was the grass hut - 12 feet across,
octagonal in shape, and thatched top to bottom with a thick layer of grass. I built it in a remote location, near a
strip-mine filled with water. Hauled the cut grass in a 1972 Volkswagen convertible with the top down. Piled the grass high in the back seat. It must have taken a dozen trips back and forth from a nearby hay field.
Simple things appeal to me more than costly homemade items. A small project lets me pursue an interest without interfering with other goals. A project with a small amount of time invested seems more like entertainment.
So now when I don't feel motivated to do more practical things, I often turn to an idea about some device or other that I've wanted to try making but never got around to.
I can recall many such improvised devices that gave me satisfaction and enjoyment. Each project gives me something to be proud of and relief from the tedium that often must be endured with more practical endeavors.
Ideas for things to make come from many places. Most often the idea comes from some need. I do a lot of keying of text using a computer keyboard. I tend to keep the room temperature a bit cool, cool enough that my hands become uncomfortable. I ended up rigging a length of electrical heating tape wound in a large coil-shape to surround the keyboard. Tying the heat tape to a large piece of cardboard keeps it in place. It does a nice job of keeping my hands warm. I can leave the room temperature set where I want it. As far as I know, you can't buy anything like that.
As we build and invent, we become more able to manipulate the physical things that are around us. We gain pride in our ability to do so.
The thoughtful tinkerer comes to understand that even simple things are complex. And what is complex can be summarized in simple terms. This understanding inspires appreciation and enjoyment of the physical world.
Both intuition and logic are used to make a homemade gizmo. The more the two abilities are used together, the more powerful the combination becomes. A strong partnership of reason and creativity helps a person to produce and enjoy life.
It is fun and satisfying to conjure up and build simple devices. Those created items command more appreciation than more casually acquired, purchased items. And it feels good proving that imagination and ingenuity can make life better. Having witnessed first-hand the process of invention, we wonder what other things we can achieve.
My interest in making my own devices could lead to a new career. I've written a couple of books based on this topic. I've written articles about it and have a couple of web sites based on making improvised and homemade gadgets and gizmos. It's too soon to say whether sales of the books will create a significant income. But at least I've followed a dream. Hopefully, what I have done so far has given something of value to other people who share an interest in my particular type of creativity. Certainly, I have gotten a great deal of satisfaction.
About the Author:
Alan Detwiler is the author of the ebook Homemade Devices For Inventive Teens available at Amazon.com. He has a web site about homemade items at www.MakeGizmos.com
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Happy Crafting from CraftSiteDirectory.com!
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