Want to party with someone that had the awesome idea to convert a delivery truck into a mobile letterpress studio and has been touring the country in said studio for a good chunk of 2011? Yes? Us, too!

Hello Craft is excited to welcome Kyle Durrie and her mobile letterpress studio to the District of Columbia next week! Please join us Thursday, November 3rd for a Make Something Awesome party we’re throwing in her honor. You can RSVP via Facebook here.

Stop by American Ice Company (near the 9:30 Club) next Thursday between 5:30pm-8pm to check-out Kyle’s awesome studio, try your hand at letterpress and dive into other craft projects available at the Make Something Awesome area. In addition to our button maker, we’ll have everything you’ll need to knit a beer koozie, decorate a coaster or make envelopes from old 6-packs.

What: Make Something Awesome Party with Kyle Durrie & her mobile letterpress studio

When: Thursday, November 3rd 5:30pm-8pm

Where: American Ice Company, 917 V Street NW, Washington, D.C. (google map)

Cost: Free!

Want to know more about Kyle and her Movable Type project? Follow the links and educate yourself.

• Media
  The Truck
  Tour Dates
  Kyle’s Kickstarter Project
  Kyle’s Etsy Shop

10 Awesome Videos On Idea Execution & The Creative Process
The 99 Percent
Looking for the best ways to take an idea from conception to fruition? This post has compiled 10 inspiring videos from creative folks such as Ira Glass, J.K. Rowling, John Kelly and more.

Listening in: 15 Essential Small Business Podcasts
Open Forum
This post on Open Forum has compiled a great list of business-minded podcasts. Whether you’ve just started selling your crafts or you’re a full fledged crafting factory, exploring the world of business podcasts is an economic way to get business advice and inspiration.

Washington, DC Craft Show
Crafts on the Hill
Eastern Market has always been a favorite art stop for both locals and tourists alike. On Saturday, April 2nd, Crafts on the Hill in the North Hall will give everyone an extra reason to stop by this historic market for some handmade shopping fun.

Crafting into Spring
JBF Farms
Now that spring is finally here, crafters everywhere are getting their green thumbs ready. Several organic farms on Etsy and Cosa Verde, such as JBF Farms in Pennsylvania, sell everything you need to get your garden going.

Learn the Basics of Photoshop in Under 25 Minutes
Life Hacker
No matter what type of craft you do, knowing your way around Photoshop can be extremely useful. Life Hacker has put together a great tutorial that explains the shortcuts, layers and what all those nifty tools do.

Vintage Finds. Indie Crafts. Baked Goods.
retroindiemarket.com
If you live in or near Boynton Beach Florida,  you must check out the Retro Indie Market this coming Saturday, February 12th at the Boynton Beach Womans’ Club. While we rarely hear about the goings-on in the expansive Sunshine State,  judging by this market’s 70+ vendor list, the indie craft community is alive and well in Florida. With a bunch of vintage shops and flea market vendors in the mix, this fair promises a good time for anyone looking for a bargain or hunting for one-of-a-kind finds.  Best of all –  shoppers who arrive via bicycle get a free goodie, and the first 100 people through the door get a free baked good. Yum!

Eliminate Theft at Art & Craft Shows
Meylah Article by Lucy Clasen
Theft is always a possibility at craft fairs. Hello Craft has even been at craft shows where thievery was reported, and one instance where the culprit was actually apprehended. But many times, especially for folks who sell small objects, theft isn’t even noticed until the fair is over. So what are the best steps to reduce the chance of a five-finger discount at your craft booth at the next fair? Lucy Clasen, of LuDesigns Jewelry and Greeting Cards, has complied a fantastic, short list of tips on Meylah, which covers everything from displays options to insurance, to the simplest of all – talking to your customers. We recommend this article for everyone, from veteran sellers to the craft fair newbie.

What to do when you really screw up
How to Turn Disaster into Gold, by Jason Fried
Whether you sell your goods online, at fairs, in stores, or a combination of all three, you’re bound to make a mistake here or there with clients. Sometimes it’s as small as misspelling a name in an email, but other times it’s an ugly problem like overcharging a credit card. Mistakes are bound to happen, but it’s how you handle them that can make or break your business. In this Inc. article, Jason Fried breaks down his personal experience about how an apology to his clients turned into golden promotional opportunity, which is applicable to any type of business.

Turning Old into Awesome
Project ReStyle
We’ve all found items at thrift stores and yard sales that we bought with the intention of upcycling them into fabulous-other-things one day. Whether it’s the winter coat that could be turned into mittens, or that placemat set that you wanted to turn into a mobile, the possibilities of upcycling are endless. The gals at A Beautiful Mess have turned the idea of upcycling into a project for the masses. Project Restyle asks crafty folks to create weekly projects that will give life to used items; everything from furniture to clothing is game. You can check out before and after projects on their Flickr page, which provide a hefty serving of crafty inspiration to last a long, long time.

D.I.Y. Candy, Cards and Chocolate
How to have a “green” valentines day, by Erin Mapes
Whether you loathe Valentines Day or mark little hearts on your calendar on the days leading up to it, there is no escaping February 14th. For both the lovers and the haters, Erin Mapes has put together a great list of green D.I.Y. projects for her Make It! column on Cosa Verde. The projects will totally amaze your sweetie on Valentine’s Day and can be converted into everyday projects as well. With links to video tutorials and step-by-step instructions, these projects are totally easy to make. Mapes includes instructions for cards, flowers, candy, decorations and even class valentines for the kiddies.

Thank you to all who entered! To learn more about Keri Smith, please visit her Web site.

If you did not win, you can still use the discount for 20% off to purchase the book. Just click on this link and enter the code SLB.

Also make sure to read our exclusive interview with Amy here.

With only a few days left in 2010, Hello Craft would like celebrate all that this year
has brought by way of crafts, crafting and crafters. We’d also like to thank all of our friends,
family, members and readers for supporting our efforts to help promote, educate
and encourage the handmade community.

As Hello Craft gears up for our 3rd annual Summit of Awesome, the 8th annual Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair, as well as a host of partnerships, educational and retail endeavors,
we invite you to join us for a trip down 2010’s memory lane…

We partnered with Washington Project for the Arts for Craft Week DC…

Partied it up crafty-style with Pabst Blue Ribbon…

Produced the 2nd annual Summit of Awesome in Portland, Oregon…

Hosted super cool online giveaways…

Brought our Make Something Awesome Area to Crafty Wonderland…

And co-produced the 7th annual Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair!

We hope that this year has been a prosperous one for all those in the indie craft community.
In the upcoming year we look forward to seeing all the new and exciting work from our crafty friends, as well as new shows, new blogs and other crafty opportunities.

So here’s our toast to everyone who supported Hello Craft throughout our sophomore year and cheers to a happy and crafty new year!

xoxo,
Kimberly, Sara, Kelly & Christine
Hello Craft Directors

This weeks picks:

Pop-Up Shop
Crafty Wonderland Pop-Up Shop
Portland, Oregon is a hub for awesomeness and the Crafty Wonderland Pop-Shop is no exception. The amazing ladies of CW have put together the cutest, temporary store selling handmade goodness from more than 80 vendors. The store has been in full swing since mid-November with special happenings every weekend including art shows and tastings. We recommend stopping by this  Thursday, from 5-7pm, for the Crafty Holiday Happy Hour! The Crafty Wonderland Pop-Up Shop is located at 802 SW 10th Ave. in Portland, OR.

Get Skills
Discount classes at the 3rd Ward
If you live in NYC and have any sort of creative inkling or you need help getting your hands dirty, the 3rd Ward is where you should be. This member-based art and design center in Brooklyn houses multiple photo studios, a professional wood & metal shop, a fully loaded digital media lab, a jewelry studio and lots of shared & private work space. To help you get to making, the 3rd Ward is offering 10% off a bunch of their classes starting in early January. Whether it’s learning serious stuff like HTML or Final Cut Pro, hands-on classes from sewing to oil painting, or the cool workshops that will get you instant street cred like jailbreaking your iphone, you can learn it all for very reasonable prices.

In the News
Handmade-goods movement goes corporate, by David A. Keeps
Chain stores like Urban Outfitters and Target have been preying on the street trends of young hipsters for years (think cupcakes and Shawn White). So it should be no surprise that more and more corporate companies are trying to tap into the insanely successful independent handmade community, to increase their hip factor along with sales. Writer David A. Keeps puts this all into perspective in his L.A. Times article that pits the independent craft fairs of L.A.  against the box stores like West Elm and CB2.  Keeps’ article is a good read that shows just how far our community has come, but also begs the question- Is outsourcing one inevitable part of indie success?

The Cutest Mail Ever
World’s Smallest Post Service
Although holiday mailings can get tedious with all the back and forth to the post office, waiting in line, buying envelopes, remembering addresses, etc., there is no denying that receiving mail (the good kind), in this digital age, is still exciting and joyful. So once the craze of the holidays is over, don’t give up on the snail mail world! The World’s Smallest Post Service is here to serve your itty bitty letter needs in the tiniest, cutest way possible. Postmaster Lea Redmond sets up her little roaming office in cafes and shops in the San Francisco bay area and beyond, and offers her teeny tiny letter transcription service to passers-by. You can also order services via her website and check out all her other cool tiny projects. Viva la petite snail mail!

Government Money
New small business loans approved in ‘minutes’, by Catherine Clifford
For those trying to pave their way to be their own boss, start-up funds are important, yet sadly not always accessible. But help is on the way, as explained by Catherine Clifford in this CNN Money post. The SBA has recognized the funding issues that many have with the big banks, and is working on 2 initiatives to help serve start-ups. One cuts the paperwork burden, bringing the approval time for small business loans down to minutes or one business day, and the other initiative aims to get SBA-backed loans to under-served communities. Aside from explaining these initiatives which will start on March 15th, this article also comes with a short video that should be inspiring for those looking to start their own business with little funding but lots of big ideas.

Call for Crafts
Indie Fixx Galleria
The Indie Fixx Winter Galleria is now accepting accepting applications. This seasonally curated/juried online gallery showcases handmade and vintage goods from individual makers and boutiques. You can check out the current selection of items in the the Holiday Galleria, which will be up until January 6th. The Winter Galleria is set to run from January 15 – March 15, which is a great time to promote your craft online, since it’s during the down-time from craft shows. The small cost of $40 to have your wares featured for 2 months on this indie craft powerhouse site makes this an awesome and accessible promotional outlet.

Last Minute Poster Gifts
Poster Cabaret
No matter how old you are, you can still bank on Aunt Edna or Grandma Betty to send you a holdiay check for $10 that you’re never sure what to do with.  Well, combine those awkward family checks together and get yourself some truly amazing wall art at the Poster Caberet this year. This online gallery is a great place to check out a variety of intriguing handscreened posters and prints from more than 75  top designers and artists from across the globe. With great prices and a huge selection, you can support super talented poster artists such as past Crafty Bastards vendors, Brainstorm Print + Design and Nate Duval.  And best of all, this website is simple and void of clutter so that the focus of the site remains the posters, prints and artists.

This weeks picks:

Coffee Table Book
Indie Craft by Jo Waterhouse
This beautiful book showcases the makers who blur the line between art and craft. Indie Craft shows off the creative talents of those in the D.I.Y. movement, from those who work with textiles and wool, to the artists who make plush toys and humorous gadgets.  Hello Craft blogger and embroidery extraordinaire, Joetta Maue, is just one of amazing artists featured in this book. With a lovely cover designed by Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching, and under $20, Indie Craft is a perfect present for anyone looking for some creative inspiration.

Tax Talk
OPEN Forum
While making stuff is fun, for those who have made it into a business there is noting more dreaded than having to talk about or deal with taxes. While some folks just wait around doomsday on April 15th , there are still several things you can do before the end of the year to claim deductions or take advantage of tax rules that are ending this year. Some may require spending a little money, while others are more a matter of timing. On the American Express OPEN Forum, Scott Allen of NFN8 Media answers tax questions that are useful to everyone from freelancers, to the person just looking for a little extra deduction boost.

Project Submissions
ReadyMade 100
Calling all Makers. Here’s your chance to get featured in Readymade! The lovable design mag has been on the lookout for the craftiest of the crafty DIY project submissions for their ReadyMade 100 Contest. To enter, just go to their website and submit your project for a chance to win $500 and a three-night stay in New York City (which will include one night at a ReadyMade 100 party in your honor), as well as your winning project featured on the cover of the April/May issue! Hurry, the deadline is December 15th so get to making!

Success Stories
SCORE Small Business Success Blog
We love hearing success stories from within the handmade community, as they inject a sense of inspiration to those looking for a bit of guidance with their own crafty start-ups. Which is why Hello Craft was excited to read Jeanne Rossomme’s post on the SCORE about Laurie Gonyea, the creator of Knit Outta the Box. This post is a great read on how Laurie’s knit-kit business started out as one idea that blossomed with careful research into the knitting market and a desire to support the local economy.

Holiday Craft Show
Renegade Craft San Francisco
The 2nd annual Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale is headed to Concourse Exhibition Center’s East Hall in San Francisco this coming Saturday and Sunday, December 18/19, from 11am – 7pm. Check out their 200+ artists and crafters selling all the handmade goods you know and love, just in time for the holidays. This West Coast handmade shopping feast also features hand-on workshops, free 7×7 Magazines, yummy drinks and photobooth-ops. Visit their website for all the details.

Getting Unfriendly
The Business of Unfriending People
Think small to get big is the idea behind this INC. Magazine article by John Gerzema, which encourages businesses to descale their social networking endeavors in an effort to give customers more intimate experiences. While the prevailing trend online has previously been to rack up as many “friends” as possible into your web of social networks, the new idea in business is to cut back on your so called “friends” and give your true fanbase the attention, deals and connections that contain real value. While every business has difference needs, if you’re in the business of retaining customers, this article provides some interesting insight into how to use social networking to make it happen.

This weeks picks:

Online Magazine
UK Handmade Winter Issue
If you’re curious about what’s going on in the handmade community across the pond, this lovely online  magazine is worth a read. Their winter issue is a great place to get crafty ideas for yourself as well as your digs. Check out their latest winter issue for holiday crafting ideas.

Craft Show
Craftland Shop
This annual holiday shop is a favorite stop for many Rhode Islanders during the holiday season. At this month-long store, shoppers can get their mittens on super cool handmade goods from 170 artists. If you’re in the area be sure to register for their Farm Fresh RI Arts + Eats event, only $20 and includes yummy food and booze. Craftland Shop is located at 235 Westminster Street, Providence RI 02903.

Buy This
Boxsal
I love when functionality meets cute in a nice, neat way. Which is why I’m in love with Boxsal. This Texas-based company creates eco-friendly picnic boxes made from post-consumer waste. Their boxes are not only printed with stylish, clean designs, but they contain everything you need to have a a picnic wherever, whenever. And best of all- the utensils that come with the boxes are all compostable, making this a cute and environmentally-sound holiday gift.

Book Event
Pitch for Chairity
Ever dreamed about writing your own book? The folks at Chronicle Books might be able to help you out. This Wednesday, December 8th, from 3-5 p.m., go to their San Francisco office to pitch your book idea. You’ll receive in-person feedback from a Chronicle Books editor, and if they like what they hear and the project is a match, you might have a new career as a Chronicle author. This is an exciting offer from a great publishing company, so take a chance and get out there! A suggested donation of $10 will go to Habitat for Humanity.

PR for Hire
Miss Modish
One of our favorite Summit of Awesome speakers and blogger of all things kitch has a PR Firm geared toward us independent makers. Modish creator Jenna Coray has started Miss Modish- her own firm that can help those in the indie biz with all of their social networking and marketing needs, as well as general consulting and banner ad design. Coray is a true blogging force in the handmade community, so check Miss Modish out.

Secrets of Success
Keri Smith
As we all bounce around from one project to another, and from craft show to craft show, it’s easy to get lost in the stress fray and lose sight of the joys that got you started making stuff in the first place. In her 11/27 blog post, illustrator Keri Smith dishes on the mental tools that creative folks need to be successful and keep their success. This post is crazy peaceful, and although it was originally geared towards students in her Illustration class, her words of wisdom should ring true for every type of crafter.

The Future of Social Networking
TechCrunch
We all know that Facebook will take over the world even after the zombie apocalypse has come and gone, but who will it share its throne with? This and other questions (for the pre-zombie apocalyptic future), are discussed in the last installment of this TechCrunch series by Mark Suster.  As a majority of folks in the handmade community need to be on one networking platform or another to stay in business, it’s important to know where this information highway is headed. Suster points out some possible prospects that you can bet we’ll start to see within the next few years.

One lucky Hello Craft Member will win a free, custom skirt made from your own T-shirts, by our friends at the Sardine Clothing Company!

Sardine Clothing Company creates a line of sustainable apparel and accessories for men, women and children, grounded by the responsible concepts of Eco-friendly design. Using only re-purposed fabrics to manufacture its products, they generate little to no other environmental impacts commonly associated with the garment manufacturing process. And their products are pretty darn cute.

Wanna win?

• Current Members: You’re automatically entered (yay!)
• Not a member yet? Sign up for a Hello Craft membership before December 20th at 10pm for your chance to win

Being a Hello Craft Member demonstrates your commitment to independent craft, and helps us in our efforts to bring the crafting community together through education and participation. Check out all the benefits and sign up on our Members Page.

Contest ends December 20th at 10pm. The winner will be picked at random on December 21st. Questions? Email info [at] hellocraft.com.