As 2011 came to a close, Hello Craft had a lot of awesome crafts, new friends and events to reminisce over. 2011 was one of Hello Craft’s busiest years, not only for our organization, but for the ever-evolving handmade community that continues to lead the way in creative innovation, as well as an economic powerhouse.

Between the Summit of Awesome, Crafty Bastards and partnerships with innovative projects and new creative-minded companies, there was never a dull moment with Hello Craft. And while we are already gearing up for a fun and crafty 2012, we wanted to take a step back in time to check out all the fun happenings that made up 2011…

We wrote a (super awesome!) business-of-craft book that will be out in July of this year…

Partnered with Mt. Pleasant Mainstreet to produce D.C.’s favorite handmade pop-up shop, The Temporium…

Added new blog content and more contests and giveaways than ever…

Got a DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Grant to bring our Make Something Awesome Area to events around the Nation’s Capitol…

Co-Produced the 8th annual Crafty Bastards Arts &  Crafts Fair with Washington City Paper and 0ur new friends at Roadside Food Projects…

Brought the 3rd annual Summit of Awesome with our Craftnote Speakers, Debbie Stroller + Laurie Henzel (Bust Magazine), and Jay McCarroll (Season 1 Project Runway winner), to Baltimore, Maryland…

Hosted a super fun night of printmaking and booze with the awesome Kyle Durrie and her Moveable Type truck.

So while 2011 is behind us, we look forward to a fabulous year of new partners, new crafts and new events in 2012. If you haven’t joined Hello Craft already, we welcome you to become a member or join our email list.

Don’t worry. We’re here to help. This post includes suggested sessions that focus on one of the following areas:

Business Operations and Management
Sales, Revenue Streams and Profitability
Branding, Marketing and Promoting Your Business
Craft Shows
Handmade Community
Publishing for Handmade Businesses

First, consider where you could use improvement or what areas of focus might have the most impact on your business. Are your business operations in order or could they use some brushing up? Do you enjoy the creative side of your business, but cringe when it comes to sales? Or maybe you’re interested in connecting with and growing your local handmade community. Keep reading- we’ve got you covered.

More after the jump.

Want to focus on the nuts and bolts of your business and how it operates? Try these sessions:

>—— Thursday ——<
10:45am–Making the Not-So-Fun Stuff Easier So You Can Save Time and Sell More with Willo O’Brien

1:45pm–Crafting Green with Becky Striepe and Shannon Mulkey OR Licensing 101 with Jeffery Everett and Jon Wye

3:15pm–Nerdy Tech: Understanding SEO and Analytics with Tara Gentile OR The Press: How to Get and Deal with Coverage with Kelly Rand and Christine Ernest

4:45pm–Legalities of Starting your business with Diane Leigh Davison OR Show Me the Money! with Caitlin Phillips

>—— Friday ——<
10:15am Goals and Intentions with Kari Chapin OR Pricing your Work with Megan Auman and Tara Gentile

11:45am–Storytelling in Marketing and Business Creation with Tina Seamonster OR Wholesaling 101 with Kasey and Kelly Evick and Rhonda and Elijah Wyman

1:45pm–How and When to Hire Help with Jon Wye, Rhonda and Elijah Wyman and WIllo O’Brien OR Best of Etsy Success with Danielle Maveal

3:15pm–Copyright vs. Trademark with Diane Leigh Davison

4:45pm–The Importance of Photography with Miranda Lievers OR What the Creative Business Owner Can Learn from Improv with Amanda Hirsch

>—— Saturday ——<
9:30am–The Language of Successful Sales with Caitlin Phillips

11am–Leveling up Your Site with Video with Willo O’Brien OR Dress up your Products with Packaging with Shauna Alterio and Stephen Loidolt

Looking to improve your sales or just want to understand and enjoy the process more? Check out these talks from speakers with a passion for sales that lead to profit.

>—— Thursday ——<
10:45am–Making the Not-So-Fun Stuff Easier So You Can Save Time and Sell More with Willo O’Brien

1:45pm– Shameless Self-Promotion with Debbie Stoller and Laurie Henzel OR Etsy Shop Critique One-on-ones with Danielle Maveal (pre-registration required, additional fee)

3:15pm–How to use Light in your Product Shots with Miranda Lievers OR Nerdy Tech: Understanding SEO and Analytics with Tara Gentile

4:45pm–Show Me the Money! with Caitlin Phillips OR Etsy Shop Critique One-on-ones with Danielle Maveal (pre-registration required, additional fee)

>—— Friday ——<
10:15am –Pricing your Work with Megan Auman and Tara Gentile

11:45am–Wholesaling 101 with Kasey and Kelly Evick and Rhonda and Elijah Wyman

1:45pm–Best of Etsy Success with Danielle Maveal OR Your Craft in Galleries with Jaime Zollars and Diane Koss

3:15pm–Email Marketing with Amy Ellis and Sharon Teng OR Etsy Shop Critique One-on-ones with Danielle Maveal (pre-registration required, additional fee)

4:45pm–The Importance of Photography with Miranda Lievers OR What the Creative Business Owner Can Learn from Improv with Amanda Hirsch OR Etsy Shop Critique One-on-ones with Danielle Maveal (pre-registration required, additional fee)

>—— Saturday ——<
9:30am–Popup Shops and Temporary Shows with Kim Dorn and Christy Petterson OR The Language of Successful Sales with Caitlin Phillips OR Etsy Shop Critique One-on-ones with Danielle Maveal (pre-registration required, additional fee)

11am–Dress up your Products with Packaging with Shauna Alterio and Stephen Loidolt

Make awesome stuff and need help getting the word out? Need to be more consistent and efficient in your marketing? The experts leading these sessions will surely impress you with their depth of knowledge, inspire you with their creativity, and challenge you with their brazenness.

>—— Thursday ——<
10:45am–Branding and Identity with Jeffery Everett

1:45pm–Shameless Self-Promotion with Debbie Stoller and Laurie Henzel

3:15pm–The Press: How to Get and Deal with Coverage with Kelly Rand and Christine Ernest OR Nerdy Tech: Understanding SEO and Analytics with Tara Gentile

4:45pm–Blogs, Books and Magazines, Oh my! with Kate McKean, Lish Dorset and Kari Chapin

>—— Friday ——<
10:15–Booth Set up and Display with Shauna Alterio and Stephen Loidolt

11:45am–Storytelling in Marketing and Business Creation with Tina Seamonster

1:45pm–Your Craft in Galleries with Jaime Zollars and Diane Koss OR Best of Etsy Success with Danielle Maveal

3:15pm–Email Marketing with Amy Ellis and Sharon Teng

4:45pm–Social Media 101 with Lish Dorset and Willo O’Brien

>—— Saturday ——<
9:30am–Podcasting 101 with Tina Seamonster and Jason Nelson

11am–Leveling up Your Site with Video with Willo O’Brien OR Dress up your Products with Packaging with Shauna Alterio and Stephen Loidolt

Intimidated by craft show applications or the idea of setting up a booth? Maybe you want to organize your own.These sessions are for you:

>—— Thursday ——<
1:45pm–Craft fair Organizing with Rachel Bone, Andrea and Robert Tucker

4:45pm–Show Me the Money! with Caitlin Phillips

>—— Friday ——<
10:15–Booth Set up and Display with Shauna Alterio and Stephen Loidolt

11:45am–Craft Fair Applications with Rachel Bone and Andrea and Robert Tucker

3:15pm–Event Sponsorship with Kim Dorn and Christy Petterson

4:45pm–What the Creative Business Owner Can Learn from Improv with Amanda Hirsch

>—— Saturday ——<
9:30am–Popup Shops and Temporary Shows with Kim Dorn and Christy Petterson

These sessions will help you make connections and learn about ways to grow the handmade community.

>—— Thursday ——<
10:45am–Community, Mafias, and Street Teams with Rachel Bone, Jen Menkhaus and Isaac Watson

1:45pm–Craft fair Organizing with Rachel Bone, Andrea and Robert Tucker

>—— Friday ——<
4:45pm–Social Media 101 with Lish Dorset and Willo O’Brien

>—— Saturday ——<
11am–Connecting to Your Community with Isaac Watson

Think publishing is the right avenue for your business? Explore the different platforms available or even pitch your craft book in one of the following sessions.

>—— Thursday ——<
3:15pm–Pitch Your Craft Book One-on-ones with Kate McKean (pre-registration required, additional fee)

4:45pm–Blogs, Books and Magazines, Oh my! with Kate McKean, Lish Dorset and Kari Chapin

>—— Friday ——<
11:45am–Storytelling in Marketing and Business Creation with Tina Seamonster OR Pitch Your Craft Book One-on-ones with Kate McKean (pre-registration required, additional fee)

3:15pm–Brainstorming and Recording Stories with Tina Seamonster

>—— Saturday ——<
9:30am–Podcasting 101 with Tina Seamonster and Jason Nelson

11am–Leveling up Your Site with Video with Willo O’Brien OR Pitch Your Craft Book One-on-ones with Kate McKean (pre-registration required, additional fee)

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Need a break from the business side and looking for some creative inspiration? Try any of the workshops, participate in the Crafty Throwdown and experiment with the projects and supplies in the Make Something Awesome area. More details about these hands-on, creative options at the summit will be posted next week.

So, who’s going to what? Still stuck deciding between two sessions? Tell us in the comments.

Katie Wagner is a bookbinding and book-saving super hero. As the head of Moonlight Bindery, she makes the most lovely books from fun and interesting materials. In her job as a trained conservator, she recently rent to Haiti to help save a library. Listen as I sit down to talk to Katie about all things making.

Click the little arrow below to listen to the episode, right here on page:

Click here to download the episode (right-click and choose “save as” on PC, or control-click and choose “save as” on Mac)

Below are some photos that Katie took during her trip to Haiti.

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.

This Saturday! 2/26, 1-3pm
Mt.  Pleasant Temporium
3068 Mt. Pleasant Street NW DC

Join Hello Craft at the Mt. Pleasant Temporium this Saturday, as we host 3 hours of free button making at our Make Something Awesome Area. Learn how to make buttons out of newspaper and magazine pages or your own designs, and take home your buttons in a limited edition Hello Craft bag! The MSA Area is produced as part of a grant project funded by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

While you’re at the Temporium, be sure to check out all of the handmade goods for sale made by some of DC’s favorite crafters and artists. We also recommend that you make a day of it in the neighborhood, and visit some of the restaurants, bars and other independent shops that line Mt. Pleasant Street. Plan your visit by checking out Mt. Pleasant Main Street’s Business Directory.

Win Handmade Goods!
More than 2,000 shoppers attended the 3-day opening weekend of the Temporium! To celebrate, we’re giving away some super cute items donated by crafters selling at the shop!

This giveaway is for Hello Craft members only, so sign up to become a member today (see below of more info). Prizes include goodies from the following Temporium vendors:

Enter to Win

• Current Members: You’re automatically entered (yay!)
• Not a member yet? Sign up for a Hello Craft membership by March 13th

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 March 13th (the last day of the Temporium). The winner will be selected at random and announced on March 16. Questions? Email info [at] hellocraft.com.

I know it is a little early for my weekly post but wanted to give any of you NY readers the chance to plan on coming because I am so very excited to finally get this all started. So if you are in NY please come join us.

We invite you to be a part of a collective of fiber artists in New York City. Crystal and I have been so inspired by the artists connecting through the local fiber community. We are hoping to create a collective of fiber artists to share opportunities, benefit form regular critique, curate exhibits, and simply create community and get the word out about the awesome things being done in fiber.

You do not need to be an artist that only works in fiber but the collective itself will have a focus towards this.

Anyone and everyone is welcome so please forward to all your fiber artist friends or anyone you think might be interested.

The first meeting will focus on discussion of what members would like to see come out of the meetings and collective, brainstorming, etc, We will meet either monthly or bi-monthly. Next meeting will include critiques of up to 2 member artists. Location will rotate from members homes and studios. Please come with ideas and opportunities to share. As the collective grows we will create a website with gallery pages, links, and opportunities.

The first meeting will be held at:

28 St. Marks Ave #3

Brooklyn, NY 11217 (near Atlantic Center train station)

714.928.1922 Sunday, March 21st, 5:00

Please RSVP to Crystal Gregory crystalirenegregory(at) gmail com

We hope to see you all there!

Crystal Gregory and Joetta Maue

www.crystalgregory.org

www.joettamaue.com