Make It: Beach Blanket Tote Bag
Craft: Magazine
With the sweltering heat of  Summer consuming our days, it’s hard not to want to head out to the beach at least once this season. Often times, finding the perfect beach bag for all your stuff can be a chore. Craft: Magazine has posted fantastic (and totally simple), how-to instruction for making a beach bag out of an old towel and scrap fabric. This project can be any size, takes about 20 minutes to make, and can be made with any old, threadbare beach towels you may have packed away in the closet after last summer.

Shutters and windows and frames, oh my!
Cosa Verde
In the last Green Your Biz blog post on Cosa Verde, Abbey Hambright, showcases a variety of creative ways to use old shutters and frames in your craft fair displays. From jewelry designers to tea towel makers, anyone who would benefit from having their items hung, instead of laid-out on a table, should take note. Upcycling these household items is easily done with a can of spray paint or just a few squirts of cleaning solvent. These displays are versatile for in-store or craft fair displays, and add a thoughtful, vintage-chic touch to your collection.

Pile of Craft
Charm City Craft Mafia Fair
As anyone in the Baltimore craft scene will tell you, Charm City Craft Mafia’s shows are the bee’s knees. Every summer, CCCM brings together more than 65 vendors to sell their handmade clothing, prints, zines, paper goods, jewelry, art and more at the St. John’s Church for Pile of Craft.  Their next show is this Saturday, June 25th, from 10am-5pm.  Hello Craft will be there with our Make Something Awesome Area, the Curbside Cafe food truck will be parked outside, and Anneka Photo Booth will provide good times for all. We recommend getting there early to get dibs on all the hot items, as their shows tend to get packed.

Crossbred Threads: Ego & Memory
Young Blood Gallery & Boutique
If you’re in Atlanta this week, you’ll want to check out the latest exhibit of subversive embroidery at Young Blood Gallery & Boutique. Crossbred Threads, which is up through this Saturday, features the work of cross stitch artists, Stephanie Blair and Stacey Page, who are both amazingly talented in their needle works. Expect a lot of daring and bold imagery created from hand sewn, painted and silk screened works that Creative Loafing Atlanta describes as “both angry and adorable”.

The Business of Craft: Intro to Web Analytics
Queen City Craft
There are many tools out there to measure and analyze web stats. While the more advanced tech-friendly folks can take advantage of all of these tools and use them to their business advantage, those just starting out with their own websites need to begin with the basics. Queen City Craft has laid out a fantastic tutorial of Google Analytics for newbies. If you don’t know and want to understand the difference between visits and page views, direct and referred traffic, we recommend using this post as a starting point. Become an informed seller by being able to analyze your web traffic.

15 Tips to Increase Your Craft Fair Sales
Indie Fixx
With the summer craft fair season in full swing, crafters everywhere are packing up their handmade wares, promo items, table decorations, booth accents, banners, chairs, water coolers and more into their cars, to set up at festivals across the country. While it’s easy to remember what to bring, and OK to forget to pack the duct tape, scissors or apron, it’s not OK to forget that you are setting up a small business for a day and need to have your customer service manners in order. Jen Wallace of Indie Fixx has put together a helpful list of tips that all crafters should follow for a successful day at any fair.

Square Starts Its Bid to Kill The Credit Card
Business Insider
The world of mobile credit card processing is getting much bigger, more efficient, and may be on its way to changing the way we look at and use credit cards in the future. This week, Square launched a new application called Card Case; this new app allows a buyer to make a one-time payment via Square to a particular merchant. The buyer can then download Card Case, and from that point on, pay that specific merchant directly through the app – no more card needed. This new world of payment processing also includes the launch of Goggle Wallet, which may prove to be a strong contender in this field and provide a 2nd option for non iphone users.

Craft-O-Matic
St. Louis Craft Mafia Fair
As far as cute craft fairs go, St. Louis Craft Mafia’s Craft-O-Matic is up there with the best. This Saturday, more than 60 crafters will have their wares sold in a department store style set-up at Craft-O-Matic. With a bevy of neat-o plush goods, accessories, home goods,  pottery and more, all laid-out in organized sections, Craft-O-Matic should be a dreamy, indie craft shopping experience. While you’re there, be sure to check out the Robot vs. Kitties art competition and the kitty cat peep show, which  benefit the Tenth Life Cat Rescue.

Great Design + Functional = Awesome
Design Milk
Over the last 7 years, Umbra has been sponsoring a mega student design competition at the Pratt Institute. Winners of this competition may be given the opportunity to work with Umbra’s team to develop a prototype of their design and have it manufactured by the company; royalties would go to both the winner and Pratt. This year, the winning design came from Jeff Rubio, who created a simple clip handle with a bold design, that can be placed on paper bags or other like items. If/when Rubio’s “Clutch Clip” will be produced is not known, but his innovative design with simple roots is an inspiring nod to more of what the newest class of designers are bringing to the creative table.

Etsy Sellers Claim Urban Outfitters has Ripped Them Off. Again and Again and Again.
Huffington Post
Since last week, crafters, bloggers and reporters have been lighting up the online news outlets and twittersphere with the story about how a global chain store has, once again, ripped off the designs of an independent crafter.  Urban Outfitters was accused of design thievery after their series of USA State necklaces were deemed too eerily similar to those of jewelry designer and Etsy seller, Stevie Koerner. While the basic storyline is sadly one of many, this particular story has gained a wide range of support from the likes of Miley Cyrus, a call for a boycott of the retail giant, and (thankfully), many sales for Koerner. Highly recommended is the link to the Regretsy post from Helen Killer, whose interesting notes on this story provide a good lesson in why all those who sell online should know and understand trademark and copyright laws.

Jon Wye: “Making Awesome” in America
American Manufacturing
Hello Craft was super excited to see belt, shirt and wallet-maker extraordinaire, Jon Wye, in the spotlight on the Manufacturethis blog. Wye’s dedication to buying and making local has earned him an whole host of fans and shoppers who support this DC-based crafter who definitely practices what he preaches.

Profit and Loss Statement Template
Inc.
Starting up a business has a lot of fun perks, but having to think about and manage a business budget is not one of them. Inc. magazine has provided a free, downloadable, Profit & Loss Excel spreadsheet that should come in handy for anyone running any type of business. The sheet is a simple way to keep track of your gross and net profits, track your spending and show areas of success and loss.

Silver Spring, Maryland’s Favorite Indie Craft Happening
Handmade Mart
Hello Craft Executive Director, Kimberly Dorn, and fellow Board Member, Debbie Lee, are hosting their 3rd annual Handmade Mart in Downtown Silver Spring, Maryland this Sunday. With an all-star line up of 75+ crafters including Red Prairie Press, El Jefe Design, Fuzzy Ink, Sardine Clothing Company and more, this highly anticipated fair has something for handmade enthusiasts of all ages. If you’re in or near the DC Metro area this Sunday, make it a full day at the fair with papermaking and screenprinting workshops, and lot’s of surrounding places to eat and imbibe.

New Editor-In-Chief at CRAFT
CRAFT:
Over the last few weeks, the handmade community has been a buzz about the big change at CRAFT Magazine. Long-time Editor-in-Chief, Natalie Zee Drieu, who was there during the transformation of CRAFT from publication to online magazine, is stepping down. Her replacement is Diane Gilleland (Sister Diane), of Crafty Pod. Gilleland’s expereince and passionate drive to teach and promote crafting to all, means that we can expect more fabulousness from one of our favorite crafting resources. Hello Craft wishes both Natalie and Diane the best!

Michaels Has Been Hacked
Security News Daily
Two weeks ago, the mega arts and craft store chain, Michaels, had notified its customers in the Chicago area that some of their Point-of-Sale terminals had been tampered with. They are now looking at a nation nationwide problem, as the thief (or thieves) had helped themselves to several pin codes and credit card info from at least 70 in-store POS terminals from the East Coast to the West Coast. As the estimated losses are in the millions of dollars, the U.S. Secret Service is now involved in the investigation. If you had made a purchase at Michaels recently, the company urges you to monitor your bank statements. Customers are also urged to visit michaels.com or to call 1-800-MICHAELS (642-4235) for more information.

What American Pickers Can Teach You About Buying Handmade
Papernstitch
The importance of buying handmade is all about establishing a connection between the maker and the buyer, as well as  the story behind each piece.  On her blog Papernstitch, Brittni shares how this relationship between us and what we buy and make, is often exemplified on the TV show, American Pickers. Although the show focuses on antiques and not necessarily handmade goods, there is a lot to learn from people who understand not only the monetary value of items, but their intrinsic value as well.

DIY Lighting Hacks for Digital Photographers
Digital Photography School
As any one who sells goods online will tell you, good photos can make all the difference in what sells and what doesn’t – and  proper lighting plays in a huge role in any good photo shoot.  In this fantastic photography post, Darren Rowse shares 11 DIY projects to help you get the perfect lighting for any type of shot with an manual or SLR camera. You need not go out and spend a fortune on flash tools, as most of the projects Rowse lists are super easy and can be made with items you already have around the home.

Philly’s Art Star Craft Bazaar
Art Star Craft Bazaar
In the world of East Coast craft shows, few have the celebrated distinction of Art Star. Started by the gals behind Philadelphia’s Art Star Gallery & Boutique, this fair has become a favorite of many crafters and shoppers who appreciate the unique and quirky spirit as much as the fun shopping experience. Art Star Craft Bazaar runs from May 14th – May 15th, at the Penn’s Landing Great Plaza.

Good Outdoor Goods
Andrew’s Reclaimed
As spring weather encourages everyone to spend more time in their outdoor spaces, finding items to furnish and create your perfect garden of eden, no matter how big or small, can be a challenge. If you’re looking for items that are affordable, upcycled and functional, we suggest you check out Andrew’s Reclaimed Etsy shop. This Seattle, Washington duo creates everything from bee boxes to planters and seed trays – all out of reclaimed wood.

Social Media Has Little Impact on Online Retail Purchases
Mashable
If you’re spending a good chuck of your day tweeting just to help your business sales, you may want to take a step back. Mashable has shared the results from a 2010 collaborative study between Forrester Research and GSI Commerce. The research shows that social media rarely leads to direct purchases online; specifically, less than 2% of orders placed during the study were the result of shoppers coming from a social network; email and search advertising fared much better. If you sell online, this article is definitely worth checking out.

Acute How-To: Faux Milk Glasses
ScoutieGirl
Looking for a fun crafting project that’s easy, cheap and great for gift-giving? Check out Regina Morrison’s super awesome, faux milk glass crafting project on Scoutie Girl. This why-didn’t-I-think-of this-before project shows you how to create housewares that go with any type of decor from vintage to modern, and look like they cost a pretty penny. Definitely a must-make for anyone looking for add a touch of pretty to their living quarters.

Craft Product Review: Amazing Mold Putty
Craft Test Dummies
Having been amazed and inspired by crafting all-stars such as Art School Dropout and the Naughty Secretary Club, I’ve always wanted to make my own cute jewelry pieces, but have never really dipped into that type of craft. So I was excited to read this review on the easy to get, Amazing Mold Putty, that allows you to make a massive amount of objects from one simple mold. This review is fantastic, as it shows the process and also the versatility for the putty itself. For all mold-making beginners, I highly recommend you check out this post.

Artist’s Village: Cherry Blossom Festival
Artist Village + Bazaar Bizarre
Our friends at Bazaar Bizaare have teamed up with NEW PEOPLE for a collaborative, curated shopping event that is part of the nationally renowned, Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. Hosted at the NEW PEOPLE building in Japantown, this all-floor vertical art village will take place on April 9th, 10th, 16th & 17th.  This show will feature a great line up of indie crafters as well as a gallery opening.

Etsy Featured Seller: Playing Grown Up
Etsy
Chalkboards are making a great comeback through of the indie crafting community. What was once an object mostly synonymous with schools and all the memories of teachers past, has now become a growing medium in the crafting world. As the featured seller on Etsy, Brooke Premo of Playing Grown Up shares insights into her chalkboard crafting/event photo booth world that sounds like tons of fun. Her chalkboard creations totally rock… and knowing that Premo is also a teacher, make her craft that much sweeter.

Everything You Need to Know About Podcasting
Fortuitious
Podcasting is a great way to enhance your relationship with your audience. Whether you’re a crafter who wants to show your customers how you make your goods, a shop owner who wants to promote your sellers, or a blogger who needs the most effective way to express your thoughts, podcasting is an interesting and fascinating tool. This article highlights everything you need to know about this medium including the tools, formats and timing.

Calling all Crocheters for a Super Awesome Contest
Craftster
Craftster.org has teamed up with Crochet Today! magazine for a crochet contest with an exciting prize. Craftster wants you to submit an original piece of crochet jewelry, and if your item is selected as the favorite, your work will be featured in an upcoming issue of Crochet Today!

How to Start a Small Business
Inc.
Starting out in the business world can be kinda scary. While there are lots of tools, people and books to help you navigate this world, Inc. magazine has put together a great list of do’s for business beginners. From starting a website to registering your business, hiring employees and setting prices, this list is a must-read for anyone jumping into the business of craft.

South Carolina Craft Show at Indie Grits
Crafty Feast
The Indie Grits Film Festival in Columbia, South Carolina (April 13-17), seems like it will be a whole lot of fun. With a focus on films and lots of music and food events, there is something for anyone who supports independent making in all its forms. As part of Indie Grits, the Crafty Feast indie craft fair will take place on April 16th, and will host a wide range of designers, artists and crafters. Support the independent spirit of the Southeast, and make this entire festival a stop in your spring vacation plans.

Bathing Suit Season
Fables by Barrie
The mere mention of bathing suit season sends many into a tizzy, but the designers at Fables by Barrie make it a lot more bareable with their well-made and totally cute, vintage-style bathing suits and rompers. Made by hand in San Diego, CA and sold on Etsy, FbB creates bathing suits that would definitely make Esther Williams smile.

Is Mobile Marketing Ready for Small Business?
Open Forum
With a slew of new mobile marketing options popping up every day, it’s not easy trying to figure out which ones are best suited to fulfill your specific crafting business needs. This Open Forum articles lays out the questions that all small business owners should ask themselves before diving into the new technology.

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.

Toy Predictions
Toy Marketers to Promote Social and Performance Play in 2011
Ad-ology has posted this year’s marketing forecast for toys. If you’re one of the thousands of independent toy makers in the US, you’ll want to pay attention to the current trends that will dominate this year’s market. The good news is that parents will be looking for toys that promote real life social skills, and have educational aspects to them that relate to the sciences. Included in the trends are toys that work with apps and gadgets that will get kids moving on their feet instead of sinking into a couch.  If you’re one of the thousands of independent toy makers in this country, and want the jump on new ideas for your line, this forecast is worth a read.

Raising a Crafty, Business-Minded Kid
Five Tips for Raising a Young Entrepreneur
As we’ve see our crafty friends having kids throughout the years, we’ve watched a handful of them grow up on the craft fair circuit, and go from being their parents little helpers to actively designing shirt prints and selling their own works of art at their parents’ booths. While it’s great to see kids being crafty, selling at craft fairs is also a great way to teach kids about how the economy works on a basic level, and provides a nice backdrop for future financial aspirations. In this Intuit article by Kathryn Hawkins, 5 sensible tips are laid out for how to raise a young entrepreneur. This simple list is great for those crafty moms and dads raising young makers, and not just the Alex P. Keatons of the world.

Selling Your Wares on Facebook
Facebook ‘pop up’ stores latest social media trend
We’re always on the lookout for the latest and greatest selling platforms. When we heard that Facebook had launched its own Store app, we were instantly intrigued. As most of us use Facebook as a means to promote our store(s), it seems like a natural fit to also sell there as well, creating one less step on the shopping chain. However, knowing all the privacy issues and limitations from using Facebook on a daily social basis, this store app might not be the best selling platform for everyone. As we are always looking for ways to enhance and simplify our customers’ shopping experiences, so this type of app is on the right path. The jury is still out on this app, but is intriguing none the less.

Decoding QR Codes for your Business
How QR Codes Can Grow Your Business
It’s always best to stay ahead of the curve when using web-based tools to enhance your sales. Using QR Codes is a great way to seem tech savvy without being so. A QR Code is a tiny 2-D image that anyone can scan using any smartphone, to pull up your shop, blog, coupons etc.  In this Social Examiner article, Jeff Korhan spells out in layman’s terms, what open source QR Codes are, how they differ from MS tags and when and why you should use them for your business.  QR Codes are great for crafters to post at their booths at craft shows, to provide shoppers a way to immediately connect with their business. Check out the photo examples in this article of where and how the QR Codes are being used. While these codes have been used in Japan (where they were created), over the last decade, this is still an upward trend in the US. Hop on it!

Promotion 101
Etsy Success Reading List
While Etsy is busy revising their internal advertising platform, daniellexo, has put together a great list of sites that contain a plethora of promotional tips to help anyone in indie biz. From building and marketing a Facebook page to creating a marketing calendar, promoting products via social networking and more, this is a great list to take note of of in the Etsy Forums.

Knit Fix
Martha Stewart Living Blog Tour: Mending Knits
CRAFT: Magazine was the first stop on the Martha Stewart Blog Tour with an article excerpt from Martha Stewart Living’s January issue about how to mend knits. Included is a free PDF download that highlights handy tidbits about how to repair tears in your favorite sweaters and fix ripped button holes. There’s even great must-have tool list that anyone who works with yarn should keep around.

Daily Handmade Picks
Created Treats
Being busy bodies at Hello Craft means that we don’t often have as much time as we’d like to scour the online craft community for the coolest goods… so we love it when folks like Christy Petterson do the leg work for us.  In her newest project, Created Treats, Petterson highlights her handmade picks of the day in this online portfolio. As a blogger, jewelry maker, organizer of the Indie Craft Experience and PR person by day, Petterson has a good eye for design as well as great taste for a variety of crafts. We recommend adding Created Treats to your RSS Feed for a daily dose of awesome.

Coolest, Teeny-Tiny Stop-Motion Animation
Dot
In this latest short, stop-motion film titled after it’s tiny heroine Dot, Aardman Animations has created one heck of a cute world that mixes adventure with craft notions. Shot entirely on a Nokia N8 with a CellScope, Dot is the winner of Guinness World Record for “Smallest stop-motion animation character in a film”. Hello Craft highly recommends watching this for inspiration during crafting sessions or at anytime you want to smile hard.

When To Work For Peanuts
Should I Work for Free?
Sometimes working on projects for free has it’s perks… and sometimes shelling out your skills for no dough will end up being the most dreadful, never-ending experience of your life. Anyone working in the world of freelance knows this fine line all too well, and should use this Should I Work for Free info graphic as a reminder of why and how to value your work.

This weeks picks:

Best Not-Yet-Invented Craft Fair Display
Traveller’s Clost by Psychic Factory
We hope that the Psychic Factory starts production on their fabulous Traveller’s Closet suitcase, as highlighted on Trendland. While only a concept at the moment, the Traveller’s Closet would make an ideal addition to any craft fair booth. A three-drawer base functions beautifully as a compact storage device that will fit easily into a small car, and the wheels make it portable for the trip from the car to your booth space. The extending handle is a perfect clothing rack, and you can add some display items on top of the shelves.  We like.

Good Promotional Design
Kaleena Porter
When it comes to promotion, designing an effective logo is never simple. The ideal logo for any self promoter should be easy to to recognize, eye-catching, and easily transfer from large print items, to tiny promotional tools, to the web…  and if it’s that good, be a stand alone piece of art in itself. Washington, DC based graphic designer, Kaleena Porter, has the right idea with her own promo items featured on her blog. Her minimal and bold logo is a hand making a peace sign, which is also the sign for the letter K, as well as the letter P when flipped upside down. Her promo kit is just as clever as her logo and is a great example of simple, effective design.

Go Online or Go Home
Content is King, by Anne Meyer in the Chicago Tribune
For most crafters who have turned their love of making into a business, selling goods online is a no-brainer. However, many crafters still do not take advantage of the continuous stream of new technology that could put their products in front of a new audience, gain a a larger customer base and enhance their customers’ shopping experience. In this Chicago Tribune article,  Anne Meyer lays out some general ideas and arguments for why online sellers can and should take advantage of technology like iphone apps and search engine options to promote themselves.  As more and more consumers buy online and are looking to technology to simplify their search and shopping needs, those small businesses that are internet savvy will be able to easily captivate and earn the attention new customers who are truly informed shoppers.

Cool Hairy Dudes
Magnificent Specimens show at the Land Gallery
Get ready to be amazed. The Land Gallery in Portland, OR is currently hosting a truly must-see photography show from the work of David Mead. Magnificent Specimens showcases Mead’s amazing World Championship Beard and Mustache portraits, and will run through February 13th. Whether seeing a hairy upper lip makes you cringe or cheer, there is no denying that the exaggerated facial hair of men has captivated the indie craft community for years.  The trend of using beards and mustaches on hats, drinking glasses, bags, masks and other ephemera has become quite profitable for many.  But the fascination with this trend has nothing on the real thing or the men who’s facial hair is part of their core — which evident in the up close and personal photographs in Magnificent Specimens.  The Land Gallery is located just above the Land retail store, which alone is a great place to check out the latest and greatest from the handmade community.

Craft Bloggers’  Film Club
piebird design
Hello Craft is excited by the latest idea from knitter extraordinaire, Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark of piebird design, who is creating a new film club for creative types. Crafters, writers, movie buffs, etc. can join this club that will allow folks to share in the online movie-watching experience, and then create projects based on the films watched. As Tarasovich-Clark states, “this would be the equivalent of having a book group meet at your place for the monthly meet-up, but you wouldn’t have to dust or vacuum.” Anyone with a blog can participate and as well as volunteer to be a monthly host… and who doesn’t like to craft while settling in with a good movie on the tube?