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Craft Site Directory Newsletter July 16th 2004: Martha Stewart Sentenced Today!
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SECTION 1):*~*: What's New at CraftSiteDirectory.com?

SECTION 2):*~*: In The News: Martha Stewart Sentenced Today!
Find out what happened to America's domestic goddess in court today.

SECTION 3):*~*: Holyoke-based Online Artists' Market Celebrates 1st Anniversary

SECTION 4):*~*: Beading for Fun and Profit: Bracelet Beading Birthday Parties
A birthday bracelet beading party for girls age 5 and up is guaranteed to be a big hit!

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SECTION 1):*~*: What's New at CraftSiteDirectory.com?

We've added a new & improved super-fast search engine! You can also access our search engine at http://www.CraftSiteDirectory.com or http://www.CraftSearchEngine.com.

We have also been busy scouring the Internet for the best freebie sites out there!
Visit http://www.FreeCraftStuff.com to see what we found!


Save 10% on Plasti-Dip, Felt Fabrics and Spray and Fix products. Use code CSD10.
Visit http://www.quiltershusband.com.


 SECTION 2):*~*: In The News: Martha Stewart Sentenced Today!

Martha arrived at 9:20 this morning for her 10 AM sentencing. Her lawyer asked the judge to consider her contributions to society and Martha Stewart spoke. She wore a plain black suit as she addressed the court, shakily. She did not admit guilt, but instead seemed to ask for sympathy for her own sufferings and the sufferings of her family and her company. She stated later, outside the court room, that nearly 200 employees had lost their jobs.

The judge, Honorable Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum, said she could not go outside the Federal guidelines of 10 to 16 months. She sentenced Martha to 10 months; 5 months in federal prison plus 2 years of supervised release, including another 5 months of home detention. But, the sentence will be stayed until her appeal. It is very rare for a judge to stay their own sentence, pending appeal.

Outside the court room, Martha Stewart gave another similiar speech that started out(summarized), today is a shameful day for me and my family, my beloved company, and all of our employees. She referred to her ordeal as a personal matter that became, over the past 2 years, a circus event of unprecedented proportions. She thanked her supporters and asked for their continued support. She stated, "I'll be back. I will be back."

Martha Stewart was originally charged with insider trading regarding her sale of ImClone Systems stock. She was not found guilty in a Federal court. But, she was later charged with impeding the government investigation by lying to Federal investigators. These are the charges she faced today. She was found guilty of telling a lie.

Ironically, in a 60 Minutes interview, 5 years ago, when asked what she considered to be the top one or 2 sins, Martha Stewart stated, "dishonesty".

If Martha Stewart wins her appeal, this does not mean she is off the hook. She will simply "win" the right to be tried again. If her appeal is not successful, she will begin her sentence by spending 5 months in a low security prison in Danbury, CT.

To find out more about the Martha Stewart trial, visit the links below:

CourtTV.com: Full coverage of the Martha Stewart trial.
http://www.courttv.com/trials/stewart/071604_sentencing_ap.html


 SECTION 3):*~*: Holyoke-based Online Artists' Market Celebrates 1st Anniversary!

artsEfest.com close to gaining 100th artist member

HOLYOKE, Mass. - artsEfest.com this week will celebrate two landmarks in it's short life. First, yesterday marked it's one year to the day that it went online as an arts and crafts marketplace. artsEfest.com also is closing in on becoming a marketplace for its 100th artist.

"I started artsEfest.com last year because I wanted artists and crafters to have a place where they could, at a low cost, market the works they are so passionate about 24 hours a day, without solely relying on weekend sales," artsEfest.com founder Brian Appell said. "And consumers like to go to craft shows and arts festivals because they have the opportunity to view all types of creations in one location. Now they don't have to wait for the weekend. They don't even have to leave their homes."

artsEfest.com, which launched July 15, 2003, features exhibitors in a multitude of mediums, from apparel and food to painting and sculpture. Appell said he looks forward to soon granting membership to the company's 100th paid exhibitor. Packages range from $50 to $120 per year.

Exhibitors from across the United States and Canada have reached eager patrons through artsEfest.com. Multimedia artist Pat Osmundsen says her business, PoKo Designs, has improved its search engine rankings constantly, and that orders are up dramatically.

"I've been with artsEfest just under a year now, and I can't recommend the site highly enough," Osmundsen said. "I'm filling more custom orders as well, due to the increased visibility artsEfest has brought me."

But besides being a place where artists can connect with potential buyers, artsEfest.com has an important social mission.

Appell said: "In the age of mass-produced machine and sweatshop-made products, artsEfest aims to foster public appreciation for hand-made creations."

Artists can glean support in the nurturing environment artsEfest.com provides. Artists and crafters reach to each other for help through online forums, and they can receive pointers through a newsletter.

The mom and two teenagers who make up Always Crafty 2 joined artsEfest.com last fall and have thrived.

artsEfest.com "is always a place for us as artists to come and grow ourselves," said the mom, Sandi Ramirez. "I did not know anything about websites or photo sizing when I began this adventure, but now, with Brian's help, I learn something new every day. Our site has grown from a small, 2-page business to many categories and pages of unique, hand-crafted items."

For additional information, please contact Brian Appell or visit http://www.artsEfest.com.


 SECTION 4):*~*: Beading for Fun and Profit: Bracelet Beading Birthday Parties

by Rena Klingenberg
http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com

A birthday bracelet beading party for girls age 5 and up is guaranteed to be a big hit. Most girls are thrilled with the opportunity to make jewelry, and parents appreciate that you're providing both the party favors (the bracelets the girls make to take home) and the party activity (making the bracelets).

I discovered this profitable home beading party niche by accident a few years ago when I was asked if I could do a jewelry make-and-take craft at a 9-year-old girl's birthday party. The girl's mom and I decided on gemstone bead bracelets because necklaces would be too expensive, and not everyone has pierced ears for earrings.

So I came to the birthday party with my bead boxes, bead boards for everyone, a tape measure, accuflex beading wire, little sterling silver toggle clasps, velvet pouches for everyone, and a couple of example bracelets.

I couldn't believe what a huge hit it was! The girls absolutely devoured the project and were thrilled to have real pearls and gemstones on their bracelets.

Now I get calls regularly asking me to come do a bracelet birthday bead party for another girl, and every time I do one, more parties get scheduled from it because the girls enjoy it so much.

Bracelet birthday parties are very easy to do, and they can also earn you a nice profit. I charge $15 per girl for parties of 9 or fewer girls, and $14 per girl for parties of 10 or more. I include a small velvet pouch for each girl to store her bracelet in.

I bring bead boxes that are organized by bead color - and as you might guess, pink and purple are DEFINITELY the most popular beads every time! Fortunately, rose quartz is very inexpensive! :o) Blue beads are the next most popular color. My birthday party beads all cost me $6 or less per 16" strand, and my average profit is around $10 to $12 per girl.

It usually takes me about an hour to get things ready to go to the birthday beading party, drive there, and set up; about another hour to do the bracelet activity with the girls; and another hour to put everything away, chat, eat a piece of birthday cake, give out bracelet birthday party flyers and business cards, and then drive home. So for 3 hours total, I usually net anywhere from $70 to $200 and have a lot of fun with the girls.

Birthday party activities are a very hot market niche, I've discovered, and I recommend trying it out if it sounds at all interesting to you. For successful birthday bracelet beading parties, the keys are to:

- enjoy kids,
- have a sense of fun,
- bring a lot of pink and purple beads (along with other colors), and
- wear comfortable clothes because you'll be sitting on the floor.

While I'm helping the girls make their bracelets at the party, they always want to know how I got into making jewelry. So I tell them about how doing something I love turned me into an entrepreneur, that I build my own websites, and that I invent my own job for myself every day by following opportunities that come up and thinking creatively about things. I can tell they're inspired by that, and I'm glad to plant seeds for future entrepreneurs!

To reach the bracelet beading party niche, I recommend making a nice flyer with a few enticing bracelet photos, a photo of a selection of beads, a brief party description, and your contact info.

Include a flyer for each birthday party guest to take home (most of the girls who are guests at one of my birthday beading parties want to have their own parties). Also inquire at your local elementary schools about including one of your flyers in students' weekly take-home folders. Many schools are happy to do this if you provide the flyer copies.

Other likely places to distribute birthday bracelet beading party flyers (with permission) include ballet / dance / gymnastics studios where girls take lessons; soccer / softball games; craft stores; and pottery painting stores.

Rena Klingenberg is a jewelry artist and the publisher of http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com , a collection of thousands of tips on marketing handcrafted jewelry. She also publishes http://www.trade-show-booth-display.com , tips for trade show success on a small budget.


Happy Crafting from CraftSiteDirectory.com!

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