Archive for July, 2011
We Heart Paper is making my letterpress lovin’ heart go pitter-patter today.
I actually had a antique brownie camera just like this one a few years back (it didn’t work, but I loved it all the same): antique kodak brownie letterpress print. And this hot air ballon notecard set? Yes please!
I am definitely in the “we heart paper” camp. What about you?
Visit We Heart Paper now to browse available designs for letterpress invitations, prints and more.
After last week’s look at how to incorporate collections into your home, I am shifting gears pretty drastically and taking a look at a specific material that can be found in virtually every home – concrete. Let me begin by clarifying a bit of vocabulary. This is not cement. Cement is the powder used to create concrete, along with water, some type of aggregate rock pieces, and chemical admixtures that produce concrete of differing quality and density. Typically, concrete is found in the home as either part of the foundation, be it a slab floor or footings that carry the structure into the ground, or exterior slabs like patios, driveways and sidewalks. But concrete has become a popular material for home interiors as well. Its versatility and formability has brought it inside to be used for walls, floors, countertops, furniture and accessories.
Concrete can be finished with pigments to provide an integrated color, can be stained, polished, and ground. White concrete is available, although at a significantly higher cost. Different materials can be added to concrete items, such as shells, glass shards, and stones, and pieces such as metal bars can be set into the concrete before it dries to provide a place to put a hot pot on the counter. Concrete counters have been popularized because of the ease in creating drainage areas that slope into the sink, as well as the ability to make integrated sinks of any size and shape. Although the rougher texture of standard concrete can be a gorgeous foil against sleeker materials like steel and glass, my favorite combination is with natural wood. There’s something about the two together that always appeals to me. But a polished concrete floor has none of that unfinished quality, and can be a great way to refinish a floor whose original surface has become a bit dated. It may be a material you have overlooked that deserves a second glance!
(above) Concrete Walls with a Wood Kitchen and Dining Room
Full-length Trough Sink with Cutting Boards + Thick Double Lavs
Polished Concrete Bed Surround + Pre-cast Concrete Vessel
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
SInce I still have sewing on the brain after today’s podcast with Ellen, I thought it would be a good time to also talk about Heidi Adnum.
Heidi is a photographer and artisan and I particularly love her hand sewn bunting aptly named “good will bunting“. Each handmade banner is double-sided (which you don’t see that often), ready-to-hang, and totally usable (use ‘em again for parties and celebrations). My favorites are from the vintage fabric gwb collection, but there is a regular line as well that features more current patterns in fabric if you’d prefer.
To view more of Heidi’s hand sewn work and to view her photography, visit Heidi’s Etsy shop, that houses both her handmade projects and her photographs.
Today, I have the pleasure of being a part of Ellen Luckett Baker’s book blog tour for her book 1, 2, 3 Sew. I have known Ellen for only a couple of months now, but what I know about her already is that she is an incredibly sweet woman and an even more amazing craftswoman. I decided to interview Ellen for a fun little podcast (you know how I love podcasts these days) about something that I thought you would be dying to know about…
And that is: the how-tos for getting a book published! If you are in the craft world and have been dying to get you work published, Ellen’s going to tell you exactly how she did it (and of course, how you can do it too).
This is a must listen to podcast for anyone thinking about trying to get a (craft related) book published in the future.
Here’s more about Ellen’s new book 1, 2, 3 Sew before we jump into the interview: The book was recently released through Chronicle Books and features 33 delightful projects ranging from clothing to décor and accessories. 1, 2, 3 Sew is not only filled with beautiful photographs of each project and simple step-by-step instructions, it also comes complete with 12 patterns (tucked neatly into an enclosed envelope inside- like an added treasure). This book is a fantastic resource for sewers at any stage.
And for your reference, before I get into the podcast details, here are the last four stops on the 1, 2, 3 Sew blog tour (so you can keep following the book after today’s stop): July 21– House on Hill Road & Coquette and July 22– Bolt Neighborhood & True Up
Here’s what we discussed in the 30 minute podcast:
-The initial steps of going through a book proposal, finding a literary agent, and the how-tos of getting a book published.
-The financial side of being a published author: the shake down of a typical advance (upfront money while putting the book together), etc.
-Ellen shares a few behind the scenes stories of styling the projects for her book.
-And more.
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Reference links mentioned in the podcast: Craftypod Podcast #77: Publishing a Craft Book, with Christina Loff and Kate McKean (this was the podcast that Ellen mentions in my interview with her that got the ball rolling for her)
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You can visit Ellen at thelongthread.com, on twitter @thelongthread, on facebook at The Long Thread page, and on Flickr via the 1, 2, 3 Sew group.
And to pick up a copy of Ellen’s book 1, 2, 3 Sew…visit Chronicle Books, Amazon, or your local book store.
If you like this interview, please help Ellen and I spread the word by using the buttons below (twitter, facebook, stumbleupon).
Listen to the podcast now…
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Jennie works hard to create custom prints for her online shop, Treetop Studio. She says her inspiration is her city, Portland Oregon, “a City full of creative inspiration and natural beauty.”
Jennie’s work for Treetop Studio is colorful and textured, yet simple and modern. The quality of her prints have caught the attention of Domino Magazine, Popptalk, Dooce, Portland Picks, and much more! They’re the perfect work to brighten up your workday, I see them fitting in with any kind of office decor.
Free shipping to all Papernstitch customers during July only! Enter PNSDISCOUNT into the ‘Shop Coupon Code’ box in the Treetop Studio shop upon check out.
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
Guest post by Mallory Whitfield of Miss Malaprop.
I’ve been working with a truly fabulous program for entrepreneurs this year, called the Urban Entrepreneur Partnership. I’m trying to push my shop to the next level and I’m working on a plan to expand to a brick and mortar location here in New Orleans. So far, one of the most valuable things I’ve learned through this program is about defining my target market. I thought I had a pretty good handle on this concept before starting the program, but the work I’ve done in the past few months has gone above and beyond what I thought I knew. I thought I would shed some insight onto this concept and why it’s so important.
What is a target market?
Your target market is your core group of customers. Even if you sell to all different types of people, you probably make most of your money off of one demographic. For me, that is women between the ages of 25-34 with a college education who are already interested in environmental and social issues and/or shopping handmade. (See how specific I was? Get as specific as possible about who your target market is!)
Why should I care?
If you not only know exactly who your target market is, but where they hang out (online and in real life), and how many of them there are, you can make more accurate financial projections for your business and save money on marketing and advertising expenses because you can really target your ad campaigns.
How do I know who my target market is?
If you’ve already been selling your work for awhile, you can figure this out by looking back at your past sales. Are your customers mostly men or women? Where do they live? Have they dropped any hints about their lifestyles via customer comments? Sometimes even email addresses can tell a story about your customer likes or dislikes. If you sell at craft shows or other events, you should likewise have a good idea of who your primary customer base is. Surveys are another great way to find out who the majority of your customers are. Encourage survey participation by offering up a prize or special discount to your customers.
How can I use this info to make me more money?
Once you know exactly who your ideal customer is, you can stop wasting money on slapdash advertising. Request a media kit from the places you’d like to advertise with. If they can’t provide reader demographics, and if those demographics don’t fall in line with your key market, move on. You can also analyze census data (find United States census data here) to figure out exactly how many people are in your target market. You can even get an idea of how many potential customers you have in your own zip code. If you have this kind of information in hand, you will be more likely to secure a business loan when you need one.
Defining your target market is a really important part of your business. Knowing who your primary customer is will inform almost all of your business decisions. If you don’t have this figured out yet, now is the time to get started!
{image credit ”Shopping Ghosts” – photo by Ohad Ben-Yoseph via Flickr}
Mallory Whitfield is a proud resident of New Orleans, Louisiana. She started her blog, Miss Malaprop, in 2006 as a place to share her finds and document her personal journey to live a more sustainable lifestyle. In 2010 she expanded her offerings to include an online shop dedicated to the very best in handmade and eco-friendly gifts. She designs recycled clothing, accessories, and costumes, including the now infamous FEMA blue tarp dress, and she recently started a new site, Creative Business Growth, as a place to share her business tips & tricks.
Numsi is the brain child of British born artist Helen and her fellow-artist husband. The idea for Numsi was conceived soon after the birth of their first child. Frustrated by the lack of modern, functional design aimed at children, they were inspired to create a line of their own.
“We didn’t want fluffy and we didn’t want cutesy- the artwork had to work for the whole family, for a long, long time…modular, distinctive and unique contemporary wall art for modern people,” says Helen.
She definitely achieved her goal. Shopping Numsi isn’t a generic experience at all. Instead you have access to artwork and accessories both children and adults can enjoy for years to come.
Enter code “PS I LIKE YOU” at checkout to receive 15% off your Numsi order!
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
