Through the entry way of a Harry Potter-esque stone mansion you’ll find Second Storie, a boutique craft fair held annually the weekend after Thanksgiving in Rochester, New York. Forty crafters from the Northeast and beyond gather for two days under a canopy of bunting to celebrate the city’s creative community, and to hawk some killer handmade holiday wares. I was lucky enough to wrangle Rachael Hetzel, one of Second Storie’s five organizers, away from her booth (where she sells awesome prints!)  to chat about organizing a holiday craft fair, the power of online communities, and the post-Thanksgiving shopping rush.

Second Storie is an impressive five years old. It began when Rachael and her fellow organizers, who are all sellers themselves, noticed the growing popularity of Etsy.com and the movement towards buying handmade. They saw a potential market in their home city of Rochester, pounced on an enlightened idea, and Second Storie was born. Five years in, despite the economy, Second Storie is thriving and buyers are shelling out the bucks for handmade as much as ever. Rachael said, “What we’ve found is that people are still interested in shopping, they just buy smaller or less expensive items.” Buyers have tight purse strings right now, which means they’re extra picky about what they spend their money on. As such, they’re searching for special, one-of-a kind products, that will give them more bang for their buck. Second Storie and other craft fairs, with their trend conscious and unique items, are a perfect answer to this demand.

It is definitely the time for Holiday craft events (the online buzz is almost dizzying) but I was curious as to why the Second Storie organizers chose the weekend after Thanksgiving to throw one. Wouldn’t they be in steep competition with all the Black Friday, big-box holiday sales? Rachael assured me that this was not the case. Second Storie happens once a year, and she explained that this weekend always draws in the largest amount of shoppers, and therefore, the most sales. They’ve experimented with other dates, but turn out for those events never compared to the post-Thanksgiving weekend. People are in town to visit family, she speculated, and everyone’s in a celebratory mood, trypto-phaned out and anxious to knock off their holiday gift lists.

Second Storie may cater specifically to the holiday shopping rush, but preparations begin way back in the warmer months. Applications are received, and come fall the vendor list is whittled down to 40. This process is always really difficult for Rachael. She said that 70% of the sellers are returning vendors, and that they’ve all become very friendly over the years. It’s hard to tell anyone, let alone someone you know well, that they won’t be included in the lineup with everyone else. But Second Storie has very specific ideas about the products they showcase, and are dedicated to their vision of a carefully curated and well rounded vendor list. Their ideal vendor must share a similar, cohesive aesthetic with the other sellers, while offering different and fresh takes on varied products. In terms of the big picture, they’re looking for a selection of sellers that run the gamut — from jewelry to housewares to clothing —  so there’s something eye-catching for every potential buyer. So how to get on “the list” or keep from getting the boot?  Rachael tells me that selling a unique, unusual sort of item, or regularly switching up your product line, always helps a vendor stand out or keep their place in the lineup.

Rachael’s face lit up when I asked her about the online world, and the role it’s played in promoting and building a community around Second Storie. “The internet has helped us connect to potential vendors, meet new people…it’s just done so much,” she explains. She says most people hear about Second Storie via the web, and that it’s also played an important role in promoting her personal print shop, which she runs with her husband. “A website or online shop that includes pictures of your items does a lot when it comes to marketing or selling. With the web, your personal information and details about your products are in one easy place for buyers to see.”

Second Storie launches a full-on new media assault throughout the year. They have a website and a blog that is frequently updated with the organizer’s favorite items, and features profiles of Second Storie vendors leading up to the fair. There’s also a Twitter account, Facebook page, Myspace page, Flickr stream, and an Etsy store. Phew! In terms of old-fashioned PR, Rachael said they write press releases and post flyers around Rochester. This fully rounds out their promotional efforts, reaching a wider audience and drawing in those less tapped into the DIY web-osphere.

I really enjoyed chatting with Second Storie’s sellers — meeting people in person and partaking in their enthusiasm for their products reminds me why I love to write about/for them, and adds an entirely new facet to buying and selling. I think that really speaks to the unique necessity of craft fairs. While the online community is extremely important in terms of  networking, marketing, and selling, there’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned handshake and face-to-face conversation. In some ways, I think it’s one of the best promos your wares can have.

Please stay tuned for a Hello Craft holiday gift guide, featuring some Second Storie superstars!

I don’t know about you, but I tend to glaze over when reading about technology. So here’s a simplified breakdown of these two brilliant tools and what they can do for the craft and farmers market vendors, the Etsy, Ebay or Craigslist obsessed, and even babysitters.

What is the technology? An update on the PayPal App that allows users to deposit cash into their accounts by photographing checks with their camera phones. The software works on iPhones, Blackberrys and Androids.

How does it work? To get started, you need to download the application or update your older version here or through the iTunes store on your Smartphone.

Once signed in, select  “Money Tools” and then “Add Money from Checks”.

After reading and accepting a description of the feature, the camera on your phone will open. Text at the top of your screen instructs you to photograph the “front of check.”

Capture the image, and viola! It is sent to PayPal for routine bank clearance processing. The money should be in your account within six days.

And what happens to the paper check? It can be thrown away fifteen days after the process is cleared.

How much will this cost me? The app is completely free and no additional fees are charged for the service.

So…what’s the catch? The only hitch is that there is a $1,000 daily limit and $3,000 per month limit on the totals you can deposit via virtual check. But even if those restrictions allow you to cash only a fraction of your profit through this new app each month, the feature still provides a brainless and stress free way to manage money.

If your payment poison is plastic over paper, Smartphones have you covered there as well.

What is it? The Square, a ½ inch square plug with a slot for credit card swiping, allows card transactions to be deposited into your account via your Smartphone, iPad, or laptop. Attach the Square to your device’s earphone jack and start selling (or spending).

Photo courtesy of Square Up

How does it work? First and foremost, everything is free! To get started, users can download the Square software by visiting the website: www.squareup.com.

To receive the Square swiper, submit your address online and it will be sent to you via snail mail. Your bank routing and account numbers are required to hook the software up to your account.

After the card is swiped and charged for a transaction, buyers can sign off by touching or scribbling on the screen. Receipts are then emailed to both the seller and buyer, ensuring that transactions remain explicit and simple. The receipts include a basic statement listing the date, time, item, price, and merchant, as well as a map of transaction’s location.

The square was in full effect last Saturday at Crafty Bastards! Below are examples of receipts from Hello Craft’s Sara Dick who purchased goods from Bossa Nova Baby by charging her card via the Square.

What else can it do? The software also acts as a sort of digital accountant, tracking cash, tax, tips and payment methods. You can also take photographs of your products or purchases, and write notes and descriptions. If you’re using the Square on a laptop or iPad, you can create a “digital shelf” of all of your items.

How much will this cost me? The service charge is 2.75 percent of the total transaction, plus 15 cents. This is significantly cheaper than actual merchant accounts (in stores) in which a business pays 3-4 percent of the total and an additional 30 cents to charge a customer’s credit card.

Cards can also be charged over the phone, without the actual physical card being swiped. All that’s needed is the card number, expiration date, and security code-much like when ordering something offline. Fees are bumped up for this service-rates are charged at 3.5 percent of the total with the 15 cents tacked on.

So...what’s the catch? There is no maximum amount on the transactions, but only the first $1,000 of a week’s charges will show up in your account immediately. The rest needs to be approved by auditors, which could take up to 30 days.  Thankfully, that charge limit increases after repeated successful transactions.

It seems as if the technological stars are aligning for small business commerce. Now any individual can become a mobile business with the ability to set up shop or provide service anywhere.  Transactions are recorded and organized with the swipe of a finger. All business operations are contained in one small portable device, free of paperwork and trips to the bank. It’s exciting and fascinating to see how new ideas make things plausible! Please feel free to share any experiences with the Paypal check capture feature, or the Square device in our comments.

Happy buying and selling!

Sometimes I feel bad when my friends come out to see me at a show because I worry that they are bored seeing the same things over and over again. So I was interested when Jonah sorta brought this up. He mentioned to me that while he is really excited by the DIY spirit of the handmade movement, he is interested in buying more “useful” items. That he would like to be able to find handmade hub cabs or whatever he may actually need. That while he loves things like badges and t-shirts, he doesn’t feel like he needs anymore of those. I pressed him a little on what kinds of things he is looking for and we all sorta drew a blank.

So I decided to search for some useful things for Jonah. Here’s what I found.

1. Remodeling the bathroom? You may need this Wall Mount Pine Double Roll Toilet Paper Holder / Magazine Rack by ctmillwork for just $34.99. Screw you, Home Depot.

2. More remodeling to do? How about this Unicorns are People Too Switch Plate by nowvember for $8.

3. Replace the plastic bags forever with SIX PACK Paper or Plastic No Thank You upcycled t-shirt grocery bags by zJayne.

4. I don’t know anyone who wears a tie unless they have to. So if you have to wear a tie for that event, there’s no reason to just get one in a store. Check out Toybreaker for handmade ties that don’t suck like this one for $30.

5. Everyone needs deodorant, right? I love the soap products from New Jersey based Bunny Butt Apothecary. But it looks like they are now in the deodorant business, too.

6. Why pick up a boring thumb drive at Best Buy when you can get one made with a real stick like this 4gb flash drive from Woodtec ($62)?

7. Need a new dog collar? Totally get a handmade one for $15.50 from Retro Animals.

8. I never know that I need a clip board until the minute that I do, so I picked up one of these circuit board clip boards ($18.50) from Debby Arem Designs

Finding this list has made me think more about what handmade items I want vs. the ones that I actually need. Hopefully it will make me make my handmade shopping more “need-based” in the future. But when it comes to handmade stuffs, the “wants” are so awesome it is hard to say no!

Here, in ACC Baltimore Part 1, I’ll share some of our favorite shopper stories and images for the weekend.

Purchased: Stamped sterling silver earrings
Made by: Jennaca Leigh Davies

Reason: Bought them for her mother because she was ungrateful to her for a longtime.  She thought the earrings were very refreshing after lots to repetitive and expensive crafts.

Purchased: Feather Headband
Made by: GALVIN-ized Headwear

Reason: She’s an art teacher and likes to wear things that help her stand out from other teachers. Also, great example of colors and texture for students.

You may recognize this shopper (and her good taste) from Etsy, where she shares her handmade finds and seller tips as daniellexo.  Was nice to meet you, Danielle!

Purchased: Ceramic Bird Vase
Made by: Little Flower Designs

Reason: On her wedding day, she had a moment alone after walking the dog when she looked out the window and (being a city girl) saw her first blue jay ever.  She has been wanting something with a blue bird on it since.

Purchased: Plush ring
Made by: Raeburn Ink

Reason:  Because it is awesome, light weight & voluminous.

Purchased: Carnelian Earrings
Made by: imogene

Reason: Love the color and they match her pants!  She’s really loving the warm pumpkin rust color right now.

Purchased: Mug with butterflies
Made by: Justin Rothshank

Reason: She liked the unevenness and they way it feels in her hand.

Purchased: Wooden Flip-Car Toy with Ramp
Made by: Baldwin Toys

Reason: For grandson and his father who refuses to grow up. The toy is going to make them laugh and laugh.

Purchased: Purse
Made by: Laura Maclay

Reason: So darn cute! I love the look. Very simple but very professional.

Purchased: Puzzle piece hand cut glass necklace & earrings

Made by: Dena Pengas Glass

Reason: Love the color, way it felt, the idea, the fit.  Truly handcrafted & handmade.

Dena also makes really cool glass lego jewelry in a wide variety of colors. Above is a collection of her Lego earrings.  Visit her site to see the pendants, necklaces, cufflinks, rings and more.

I did some shopping of my own at Erica Gordon’s booth, aka Steele Toe Studios.  I’ve been a fan of her work for years and planned to pick up a recycled bike tube belt (the result of a collaboration between Erica and Alchemy Goods, makers of the famous Ad Bag).  While Erica helped other customers, I admired her recycled bike gear buckles and took the chance to hold her multifont buckle, an item I’d been eyeing online for sometime.  I couldn’t put it down.  I really enjoy the solid weight of the cast metal and different dimensions of the raised letters.

Also of note, was Erica’s clever use of a digital picture frame to showcase images of her at work with red-hot metal rods, which struck me as an extremely effective way to educate and engage shoppers not familiar with the creative process.

Like I said, the ACC Baltimore show is huge!  You can see more shopper photos in our Flickr pool.  In part 2, I’ll show you more work from the artists that caught my eye and offer some well-designed booth examples.

photo: Hella Jongerius

In 2000 I stumbled upon the work of Dutch artist Hella Jongerius in a magazine. At the time I had recently started teaching myself to work with clay and was stuck in a very commercial and static mindset. Her embroidered porcelain dishware definitely gave me a moment of “joyous jealousy”. Jongerius takes a historically functional craft and pushes the limits. She doesn’t stop at merely embroidering her dishes but continues her thread work from the dish directly onto the tablecloth.

photo: Diem Chau

Another amazing artist working with embroidered porcelain is Diem Chau who is originally from Viet Nam. Her work is especially appealing because of its figurative images. Each piece is like a snippet from a storybook.

photo: Claire Coles

Claire Coles is an incredible designer who makes these alarmingly sweet embroidered teacup and saucers. Be sure to check out her website for her amazing embroidered wallpaper too.

photo: Emily Jull

I bumped into this seller on Etsy, Nesting Emily, and fell in love with her “stitch porcelain”. I love the organic shapes of her vases and the simplicity of the embroidery.

I wouldn’t call embroidered ceramics an actual trend yet but I do think that with the explosion of hand embroidery and the resurgence of ceramics as fine art we are in the happy position to be seeing some fantastic innovations that combine these two mediums.

Perhaps this will become a new category of ceramic, Stitchware anyone?

Talk Shop is the series where we interview independent store owners from across the country, to get their inside take on running an independent business that supports the handmade community.

In this Talk Shop, Jamie Chan, one half of the husband and wife team who owns Urban Fauna Studio, talks about her one-of-a-kind green craft boutique in San Francisco.

In a refreshing twist on the typical craft shop, Chan, and her husband Blas Herrera, promote environmentally-friendly crafting through their how-to workshops, and by selling green craft supplies and tools, in addition to handmade goods from independent artists.  Many of the products sold at Urban Fauna are not only made from recycled materials or are biodegradable, but also come from companies that engage in ecologically and socially considerate manufacturing practices — A big hooray for both crafters and shoppers who support green living and crafting.

Tell us what Urban Fauna Studio is all about:
Urban Fauna Studio is the brick and mortar incarnation of our online fiber shop Mary Jane’s Attic. Our products focus on ecologically and socially considerate manufacturing practices (i.e. no-petrochemicals used, sustainable organic fibers and woods, biodegradable products, and recycled materials) and indie made goods.  Our craft studio focuses on spinning, weaving, knitting, felting and other fiber arts. We also offer a revolving series of arts and crafts workshops that help other people find their creativity using wool and other fluffy stuff!

Do you have any sort of background in crafting or the arts?
We have been crafting since we were young.  We’re self taught fiber artists who enjoy working with raw wool and experimental handspinning techniques. We have organized several west coast Bazaar Bizarre craft show for the last three years and we teach crafting to children
through our local community centers and public libraries.

How does your business support independent artists and crafters and/or the handmade community?
We carry items on consignment and wholesale from many indie artists. As the business has grown, we have found that we have less time to produce our own products, so UFS was created to carry handmade goods from trusted indie crafters. We have found wonderful products and
artists through local craft shows and online markets such as Etsy.

Who are your favorite local crafters/designers?
Well, we love so many of our local artist and crafters. Many of them are in our shop. Some favorites are handmade soaps and cosmetics from Bathing In Luxury, Girl On The Rocks – with her awesome mustache buttons and stamps,  handmade felt hats from Marie The Bee, fun plush hams from Sweet Meats. The list is endless! The SF Bay Area freaking rocks with indie talent, it never ceases to amaze us how many crafters there are here.

How can local designers and crafters get involved with UFS?
Send us an e-mail! We’re always looking to take on new consignors for our fiber shop! If you can teach a cool craft let us know. We love to meet people who like to share the crafty love with other people!

What’s the most unusual item for sale in your shop?
We’d have to say the Sheep Poo Paper! Made from 100% sheep poo into lovely scented air fresheners. Poo never smelled so good! And the knitware ceramic coasters made by Elyssa Enttinger.

Any advice for those interested in opening up their own boutique?
Make lots of plans, draft a plan A, B, C and a “shit, what do we do now!” plan for your business because you can never be too prepared. Look at your goals for the next 5-7 years and really map out where you want to be financially. Think big but plan conscientiously and sustainably. Our economy (globally and locally) is going through rough times. You have to make your shop into something you’ve dreamed about, but also be realistic about the market you’re getting into.

Where do you shop, besides UFS, of course.
We love to shop in the SF Bay Area because it’s filled with small business owners. The Curiosity Shoppe, Paxton Gate, Needles and Pens, and Wells Gallery in Oakland are some of our top rated indie shops!

There’s a street fight between a seamstress and a jewelry designer… who would win?
Oh my. Well from a craft show organizer’s POV we’ll tell you that jewelry designers will get down and dirty to secure their space in a show. We can’t blame them since there are such a large number of emerging jewelry designers in the market. So yes, the jewelry designer will clamp your ears with some needle nose pliers and probably solder a red hot jump ring to your bum if you don’t watch out!

Any upcoming events or sales going on at UFS?
UFS will be vending at Stitches West 2009. This is the fiber arts mecca for the west coast and will draw thousands of crazed fiber crafters. Visit us at booth 1036 and experience the largest yarn market on our coast! http://www.knittinguniverse.com/.

We’ll also be at the next Bazaar Bizarre in Maker Faire 2009. For the latest information about products and in store sales subscribe to our mailing list at http://www.maryjanesattic.net/lists/?p=subscribe&id=2, or check our blog maryjanesattic.net/blog.

Urban Fauna Studio is located at 1311 16th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122.

Check out their artists and latest happenings at urbanfaunastudio.com.

If you own a boutique, gallery or other place of business that supports the indie craft community, and want it featured in Talk Shop, email hellocraftinfo@gmail.com with Talk Shop in the subject line.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day:

Purchase: Plush from Plants & Animals

Reason: Fuzzy

Purchase: Cards (1 Gocco printed, 1 screen printed) by Levi

Reason: Awesomeness!

Purchase: Bag by Maluhia Designs

Reason: It’s really cute.

Purchase: Body care from MeMe Cosmetics. Already owned the hat from Knot Ugly.

Purchase: Clock made with bike parts from 1.by.liz

Why: Gift

Purchase: Necklace and earrings

Reason: 22nd wedding anniversary gift

More photos after the jump.

Purchases: Calendars and stationery from Cecily Ink

Reason: Teach design and have used her work as examples in class. Love her stuff.

Purchases: Bird Light switch plate from Bishop Lennon & buttons. Ornament made in DIY area at Crafty Wonderland

Purchase: Card from Suga Press

Reason: Unique, local and very beautiful

Purchase: Owl from Plants & Animals

Purchase: Poppy scarf from from Bella Sisters.

Reason: Favorite colors and matches 90% of my wardrobe.

Purchases: Octopus shirt from Flapper Girl and Herbivore shirt from Salmon Street Studios

Reason: Gifts for daughters. One is a marine biologist and one is a vegetarian.

Amazing jackets from Bella Sisters.

The day was rather overwhelming with the abundance of eye-catching, hand-crafted goodness, no doubt we missed something utterly amazing. Tell us about your Crafty Wonderland finds in the comments. You can check out the entire vendor list at CraftyWonderland.com. If you are in the Portland area, a smaller, more intimate Crafty Wonderland is takes place every month. Visit their site for details.

We often feature the work of crafters we meet at shows like Crafty Wonderland in our Etsy favorites. Click the SHOP tab at the top of this page to see what’s got our eye at the moment.

Last year, along with ten thousand other people, I happily signed the Buy Handmade pledge. Then came the stress and the guilt. Some of my family made following the rules easy. I gave my jewelry or jewelry made by friends to my mother, sister, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law. My brother Tim was easy – I had planned on getting him one of Tina Seamonster’s “sometimes I worry about zombies” t-shirts since I first saw them. More challenging were my 17-year-old, soccer obsessed brother, my dad, my father-in-law, and of course, my husband. I scoured Etsy for hours, worried about it at every craft show I was at last season, and in the end only bought handmade for one of the four. I felt like a horrible person. A horrible person who gave my family members gifts they really wanted and used.

I’ve never really liked Christmas much. I find the entire gift giving (and receiving) process stressful enough without imposing a vague but strict rule on the whole thing. So this year, I swung the other direction. Like someone on a restricted calorie diet who finally gives up and eats the entire chocolate cake in one sitting, I bought an assortment of mass-produced goods. The process was relatively easy and stress free. And once again I feel like a horrible person. A horrible person who is going to give my family members gifts they want and will actually use.

After a year of running a business making things by hand, I’m tired. I’m frustrated by this rosy facade the handmade community is hiding behind. Making stuff by hand is a hard way to make a living. Don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t. If it wasn’t hard, we never would have had the Industrial Revolution. I’m not exactly living the dream here – I work in a garage with no heat, I’m broke, and I’m stressed. And I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

I’m tired of the blatant copying. Artists work hard to develop a signature style or design, and if you’re lucky enough to be a successful Etsy seller, there are twenty people waiting in the wings to rip you off. And every blogger who showcases one of these copycats and every person who buys from them is just making the problem worse.

I’m tired of people looking to handmade as a place to score a bargain. Making things by hand isn’t cheap. If it was, we never would have had the Industrial Revolution. And I understand that everyone is feeling the pinch of the economy right now. But you shouldn’t expect to get things more cheaply because they are handmade. The next time you think of something as expensive, imagine how long it would take you to make that. And what you would want to get paid for your time while making it. Plus, what its going to cost you to pay the mortgage, heat, electric, and your student loans. Suddenly that item probably seems cheap. Perhaps you should offer to pay more for it. If money’s tight, but you still want to gift handmade, make something yourself.

“Handmade” is a slippery term to define anyway. In The Nature and Art of Workmanship, Dave Pye asks, “Is anything really made by hand?” All he comes up with are baskets and coil-built pots. Everything else requires a tool of some sort – whether that tool is a crochet hook or a power saw. Is my jewelry not really “handmade” because I use tools? And what about a computer and a laser cutter? Where do they fall on the handmade continuum? Today’s technology blurs the line between handmade and manufactured. And its getting fuzzier everyday.

Instead of handmade, I think small is a better criteria. Items produced in small numbers – by hand, tool, or machine. Items purchased from local sources. With original designs and quality materials. Where the artist receives a fair price for her work. And if you can’t afford any of that, than making things might just be the solution.

So for next year I’m thinking about starting my own pledge. The Buy Small/Local/ResponsiblySourced/OriginallyDesigned/FairPriced or Make it Yourself pledge. It doesn’t roll off the tongue like Buy Handmade, but perhaps I’ll get through Christmas without feeling like a horrible person.

Ready for another invasion from our friends on the other side of the Atlantic?  Not a hostile takeover like the Red Coats arriving on our shores, think more along the lines of the Beatles coming to America.  This is a cultural exchange that you don’t even have to leave your living room to be a part of.  Look no further than your monitor as our friends in the land of fish and chips have set up their very own craft commerce site.

Established in 2007, Folksy gives crafters across the pond a place to showcase their stitches and a way to sell them to those with a few pounds in their pockets.  It is much like Her Majesty’s Etsy.  Listers pay a few pence for Folksy to host their handmades and then a small percentage commission on their sales.  Sadly, right now the site is only ok for those in the UK, it isn’t set up yet for us in the US or around the world.  But soon, say the folks at Folksy.  They plan to open up an international platform in the coming months.

That is great news for those of us who are smitten with screen prints from Sunderland and taken by textiles along the Thames.  Folksy has a 100% handmade commitment and doesn’t even list vintage items unless they’ve been seriously reworked.  Check out the site and share some of your favorites (or should I say favourites).  I’ll be doing some of my own window shopping and will post my own Folksy Finds from time to time.

Ta-ta for now, tea and biscuit break…