Northwest Arkansas Meet & Greet

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!

You are invited to an

AREtsy Meet and Greet

in Northwest Arkansas!

Saturday April 28^th

12:00 Noon – 2:00 PM (or whenever)

at

609 W Dickson St 

We can get to know one another, share ideas for team improvement, and shop promotion!

RSVP: sweetydarlindesigns@gmail.com

Calling All Team Members!

We have been working on our directory and a pack of other things. However we are having some trouble getting good information on craft shows and other vending opportunities.

Come on team! Let's get to posting!

If you are participating in ANY craft show any where in the state, or even just across the lines.

Let us know about it! We want to help our team with as much advertisement, and getting seen is the only way to do it!

If you are at a show or fair, tell people about AREtsy! Tell them to visit the other shops! If they are looking for a certain item and you know of a team member that sells that, then send them in that direction!

We want to help as many as possible! I know it is a slow process, but we want everyone to have as many opportunities as possible to succeed!

Happy St. Patricks Day

Today is brought to you by the color green, oh and AREtsy Artists!

If you click on the photos it will take you to our Team Members Listing!

New Members?!?!

As most of you know we started working on a membership directory, which was a daunting task to undertake at the beginning with about 250 members there were a lot of messages to send out in order to make the necessary contact.

Well now we have gotten through that and only have to keep up with the newer members, but this morning there was a run on membership requests! I had to add FIVE! new members this morning alone! I love that people want to join our team! I truly hope that we can continually progress to make our team one of the best on Etsy with activities and events that help promote all of us!

As of right now our membership is at 292! We have a total of 113 listed in the directory! We really want to try to get as many people in the directory as possible, so if you know of anyone that is a member make sure they have sent in their information! Due to the leaders busy schedules we haven't gotten the blog updates finished yet, but they are in the process, so hang in there.

If you know of any craft shows, events, anything that might be fun for team members to attend or participate in, please let us know!

February Featured Seller - Best Loved Child

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m Cathy Lane and I, with my husband, started Best Loved Child.  I make artistically painted children’s décor and play sets.  My parents were ranchers in the wilds of the mountain west but I gave up that life when in college I fell in love and married a California beach boy.  I have a store of knowledge about cattle, farming and wildlife that is only useful now when buying meat at Sam’s or drawing and painting my creations.  I’m a wife to one, mom to six and unbelievably 8 amazing kids call me Grandma.  18 years ago my husband’s company relocated all their operations to Little Rock and we relocated from Southern California to beautiful Arkansas where people still ask me where my accent came from.  I’ve been lucky enough to be doing the Etsy shop for the last 2 years.  When I lost my job, (I used to fire people for a living, Then I got fired) I decided to go for it and have been fortunate to have a supportive husband. 

 Apart from creating things, what do you do?  

I’m an obsessive reader.  I’m very involved with my Church.  In my stay-at-home-mom years I had a custom sewing business and I still love to sew, especially for my girly granddaughters. Hubby and I moved (from 20 miles away) and completely renovated a rental house (I painted or restored, every single surface, inside and out except the roof, myself) and we are planning to do another one. 

What would be the title of your memoir? Why?

“I Could Make That”.  I come from a family of terminal DIY souls.  Mostly, making things yourself was a way to afford things we felt we would never have the money to buy.  It can get out of control.  After my daughter’s wedding my sis said we all should be forced to stand in a corner and repeat “catering, catering, catering” until we believe we are capable of hiring one.

Where does your inspiration come from?

I love seeing other artist’s work. I am very influenced by illustrated children’s books, especially those from 1900  through the 1940s. 

What does handmade mean to you?

Handmade is a unique connection. The best way I know to express my love is to make you something.  My Wrangler jeans were sewn by hand by an unknown someone, but they are not “handmade”.   Unlike those jeans, the quilt my great grandmother made and the mug I bought from a potter in Washington state, connect me to their makers each time I view or use them. Though neither maker knew me, these creations are expressions of love the maker had for someone and/or the love they had for their craft. The handmade movement also represents the ultimate “job creators”.   When we make and sell, we are crafting our own jobs as well as our art/craft and that needs to be acknowledged, supported and celebrated.

Who has been most influential in your craft?

My parents.  They never imagined me to be an artist, but taught me, by their example, that I could learn how to do anything.

When did you know you were an artist/maker?

I always considered myself a maker.  Everyone I knew was a maker. They made quilts, built houses, planted gardens, sewed clothing, created jam and welded parts for the clothes dryer.  When I was seven, I sewed a yellow cotton dress with set in sheer sleeves, a fitted bodice and full skirt for my Barbie.  It was hand sewn, by me, from a pattern of my own invention.  I was proud, but in my family this was not considered remarkable. Becoming an artist took much longer, mostly I think, because I was never exposed to any art education or any artists. (Don’t get me started on the lack of art education in schools.) I kept trying to learn to paint and draw (mostly self-taught) and was well into my 40’s before I started to dare think “I’m an artist”. The Etsy shop has helped me validate that label.  I loved hearing my son tell someone recently “my Mom’s an artist”.

How would you describe your creative process?

It’s fueled by doing.  I have too many ideas running through my head. I keep journal/notebook/sketchbooks full of drawings and images I love.  When I settle on an idea I research photos and images and sometimes take my own photos. My ideas are somewhat vague until I’m doing the actual work of sketching, cutting and painting.  As I make an item, ideas come to me of how it can be improved that I can’t believe I didn’t think of in the planning stage.

If you could peek inside the studio of any artist, designer or craftsman (dead or alive), who would it be?

Maud and Miska Petersham.  They were an award winning husband wife team illustrating children’s books from 1917 through the 1960’s.  I’m so in love with all their drawings and amazed at how they lived and worked together for so long.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

I have so many! Top of the list may be my dining table and buffet with hand carving that was made by a great uncle of mine for another great uncle and aunt. I can’t believe I scored it over my siblings.  I also got teary eyed hanging some of my kid’s grade school handmade Christmas tree ornaments this last Christmas. 

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

I force myself to finish whatever I have on the work table.  That usually clears the problem.  I get “stuck” trying to solve design problems and the best way, for me, is to just slog through it.  Perspiration really helps inspiration.

Where would you like to be in ten years?

I’ll be approaching a birthday that many readers would consider Really Old. I very much hope to be:  healthy, in a smaller house, still creating and selling, better known for my work, traveling more, and living closer to the short people in my life.  

Catch up on all of the Best Loved Child items.  Etsy Store and Cathy's Profile and Her Blog.

Team Successes?

It is hard to remember that when I post these blog entries that not everyone knows me and when I refer to myself in the first person my English teacher cringes! My name is Felicia Norwood, and I am one of the four leaders of the AREtsy team! I have been working to help our team lately by posting discussions on the Team page in Etsy, facebook posts, and these blog posts. I am also working with the other leaders to make our team one of the best on Etsy!

In other teams I see discussions for treasury listings (we have a contest running now) and success threads (have one of those too) and I want all of us to work to celebrate our big and little victories! We will be making some changes to the blog in the way of including a directory, which we are requesting the information you want included be sent to sweetydarlindesigns@gmail.com. We are going to include a show schedule for the entire state, so send that information to the same email. I have been selecting and posting featured sellers on a monthly basis, the winner of the treasury contest gets to be featured in March!

We also want to eventually have a special AREtsy Craft fair!

In this depressed economy, and the pressures that creates on all of us we (as a society) seem to have lost our focus that there are some very good things in our lives worth focusing on, and I know for myself those are the things I want to focus on this next year. I think our team is one of those BIG HAPPY THINGS!

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

BIG WIN FOR THE TEAM!!!

We have been awarded a Team Grant from Etsy!

The basic rules of the grant are that we can use it for any purpose with regards to team promotion, but we have to document the use of the money and Etsy wants us to report back to them with photos etc.

We could use it to have a craft fair, get team shirts, advertisements, team meetings, ANYTHING!!!

We will need input from the team in order to have plans of what we could do to spend the money as beneficially as possible!

Please comment with your ideas, and input! This is a great opportunity for our team to have some real positive impact for our shops and our state!

It's just about time...

Photo courtesy of WoolyHands - Bunting created by the talented PunkinHead (both of AREtsy)

It's the end of July... do you know when your next craft show is?

It dawned on me last night that I have less than three months until my first BIG show of the season. Ummm... where did the time go? I had huge plans to knit and spin throughout the year to be prepared for this, but somehow, I've let time get away from me. The AREtsy group is starting to be abuzz with news of shows and first time attendees so I thought it might be wise to post a link to one of our earlier blog posts about attending craft shows.

Craft Show Preparation Link of Goodness

Of course every show is different and how we get ready for them will change depending on the location, length, and type of show. We'll soon have posts with new tips, links to shows and who from AREtsy is attending, and information about HUGE nationally known shows. But for now, reply to this post and let us know of any craft show secrets you might have. We'd love to hear from you.

Pleased to meet you!

pre-made scrapbook pages from TheBeehive

We have had so many new faces join AREtsy during the past couple of months. A few have popped into the forums or Yahoo message boards to say hello but some have been pretty quiet. We have such a large group that it might be a bit overwhelming to new folks.

So, for all of you new AREtsy members - Hello and we're all pleased to meet you!

Did you know we have a chat forum over at Etsy? Go here to see it. It's a great place to let us know what you're up to, get the latest updates about the team, blog and Etsy and it's also just a great place to get to know each other. One of the wonderful things about AREtsy is how friendly we all are. So come on over, grab a cup of tea, and just sit back and chat with us. We'd love to have you.

Resolutions

"Reflections" by NightSkyProducts

The turn of the year bring New Year Resolutions. Everyone is talking about them right now. In fact, if you're like me, you're probably tired of being asked "What resolutions did you make?". I've grown cynical of this question and I've been known to sarcastically reply with "Not to make any so I don't break them and feel like a failure". However sarcastic we might be about personal resolutions, we all know that goals are good for our businesses.

I've sat down and thought about what I wanted to do this year to increase sales, increase recognition, increase increase increase! I've kept it simple. I know that I'm not going to do anything HUGE this year. There is no need to tackle something I'm not ready to take on yet. No reason to set yourself up for failure before you even get halfway through January. So, take a minute, write down what goals you have for your business this year and think about what it would take to achieve that goal and put things into motion.

Can't think of any goals for your business other than make more money? Here's some to get you started:

- Sell in your first craft show.
- If you already sell in craft shows, add another, larger one, to your list.
- Consider what your business name says about you. Does it fit with your brand? Do you have a brand?
- Do you love doing what your doing? If not, what changes could be made to make you fall in love all over again?
- Do you have all of your legal paperwork in order? No? 2010 might be a good time to go ahead and do that.

So, what goals have you set for your business in 2010? List some in the comments or link to a blog post you did about it. Sharing ideas will help all of us out. I can't wait to hear what some of you have planned this year.

Ravenwood Festival

Click to enlarge poster

If you're a lover of all things steampunk then there's an event coming to Northwest Arkansas October 2nd and 3rd you will not want to miss called Ravenwood Festival. Ravenwood Festival is a yearly Steampunk, Darkwave, Industrial event that takes place in Northwest Arkansas featuring bands, live performance artists, and djs from all over North America as well as artisans from all over the globe. One of the artisans that will be selling her wares at the festival is our very own El's Bells! For more information on the performers, vendors and tickets visit ravenwoodfestival.com

**If you're a member of AREtsy and have an upcoming event you'd like to share on the team blog, please feel free to contact us via the yahoo group, etsy team thread, or by directly contacting IdyllHands or TheBeehive on etsy.**

Do The Math

Bubble Gum Chalkboard by Moxie Sisters

Trying to decided if an artsy/crafty business venture is in your best interest? Here's a great food for thought article that might help you make that decision a more informed one! This article was written by Laurie of Glassbead on Etsy and originally posted on her blog, Isinglass Design. Thank you so much for sharing this great article with us!

Do The Math

As you attempt to get your home-based art or craft business off the ground, you may be approached by folks who have shows they would like you to participate in, or shops they want you to sell your products in. Here’s my special tip to help you make these important decisions- do the math! It’s very important to figure out how much something is really going to cost you before you sign on the dotted line and turn over your hard-earned money. What do I mean, how much it’s really going to cost you? Well, first and most important is the booth fee, or percentage the shop will take off the top. Booth fees are pretty straightforward.

Here’s an example. Let’s say I have heard about a show with a $100 booth fee. A fee of $100 is just that, no hidden costs, no percentages. But what, exactly, would I need to sell to make that kind of fee a sensible investment? I have often heard that a booth fee should be no more than 20% of your gross. So if I pay a booth fee of $100, I would want to bring in at least $500.
I would think about the number of hours the show lasts, the amount of inventory I predict I can have in my booth, etc. Does it seem feasible? I have found, in the larger shows I have done, that I can generally sell maybe 20-25% of the stock I have on hand. So for a show like this I would want to have at least $2000 worth of product on hand. I know that can be easily done. Now how about the hours of the show? Well, let’s say the show is just one day- a Saturday from 10am to 8pm. That’s 10 hours. Ok, so if I sold an average of $50 worth of items an hour, I could make that booth fee. Do-able? Well, probably.

There are plenty of other considerations, though. Is it in town? That means no hotel and minimal gas costs. Is it a juried craft show? I find that that is what draws the type of customers I am looking for. Is it indoors or outdoors? Bad weather can ruin your chances of having a good day at an outdoor show. Do I know anyone who has done the show? What do they think? This is a starting point, though folks have different ideas of what a ‘good show’ is.
All of these things and many more should be taken into consideration, but doing the math on that show fee is the first, very important step.

Here’s an example a friend presented me with recently- a craft mall situation where he would pay $100 a month, plus 15% of his sales. Hmmm… That sounded a little iffy to me, so I did the math for him. Here’s what I told him. Well, if you sold $1000 worth of your product a month, you would pay that $100 rent, plus another $150 a month in fees. That’s 25% of your sales. Is that sensible for you? Well, he knew from previous shop experiences that it was pretty unlikely that he would sell $1000 worth of product in one shop in a month. And if he sold less, the percentage he would be paying the shop would just go up. For me, the answer was a definite no. I don’t think he’s going to do it either.

Yes, there may be times when you just want to take the plunge, roll the dice, and see what happens. But I’d strongly suggest that you first do the math, and not delude yourself about how things will turn out financially in the end.

Hope this helps with some of those difficult show decisions!

**If you're a member of AREtsy and have a great article you'd like to share on the team blog, please feel free to contact us via the yahoo group, etsy team thread, or by directly contacting IdyllHands or TheBeehive on etsy.**

Is that a cool breeze I'm feeling?

The weather in NW Arkansas, although mild all summer, has taken a cooler turn this past couple of days. Could it be that Autumn is descending upon the Ozark Mountains just in time for the start of craft fair season? Can we be that lucky?

Did I lose you at craft fair? That's right, this coming weekend, Labor Day weekend, marks the start of the craft fair season for Northwest Arkansas. The Clothesline Fair will be taking place in Prairie Grove at the Battlefield Park. This has always been one of my favorite fairs to visit. The artists are amazing, the food is good, and the scenery is lovely. In fact, this fair will be featuring a couple of the AREtsy team members! Starlightdesigns and PeacesofIndigo will both be on site - so make sure to drop by and meet some fellow team members.

This is a HUGE event with tons of artists to shop with. Come on out and get some Christmas shopping done early, eat a turkey leg, drink some fresh squeezed Lemonade and listen to some live music. You'll be sorry if you miss it!

For more information, please visit the Arts Center of the Ozarks Website here.

Drum roll please...

I mentioned in a previous post that something big was coming in July. Hopefully, this won't disappoint.

AREtsy is having a team wide Christmas in July sale starting Monday, July 6 and lasting 2 weeks until Sunday, July 19. This sale is HUGE! There are some amazing deals to be had and you don't want to miss out.

Here is a list of participating AREtsy shops along with some basic details for their sales. What are you waiting for? Go shop!

The Beehive - $5 off scrapbooks, memory catchers, framed silhouettes and premade page layouts (including custom orders), free shipping on all other items not mentioned above. Also, receive $5 off future purchases. Just enter "Christmas in July" in notes to seller at time of checkout to receive the discount.

Idyll Hands - HUGE sale section and free shipping on all jewelry purchases! Other discounts and specials to be announced over the next two weeks.

Wooly Hands - Huge sale section on yarns and roving. New items and discounts to be announced over the next two weeks.

Urban Amulets - Free gift with each purchase.

Peaces of Indigo - Free shipping to be refunded via PayPal after purchase.

The Doodle Brush - Free shipping

Girlchild - Free shipping. To be refunded after payment via PayPal.

Punkinhead - Free shipping. To be refunded after payment via PayPal.

Forever and a Day - Free shipping and free gift with purchase, contact seller prior to purchase with "Christmas in July" to receive discount.

The Wishing Well - Free shipping and free gift with purchase, contact seller prior to purchase with "Christmas in July" to receive discount.

Tutu Cute and Moore - Free sweetly embellished hanger to match any tutu purchase.

Elizabeth Jayne - free shipping or 25% off order. Leave a note to seller requested discount.

AJs Art Studio - discounted items and free shipping. Shipping will be refunded after payment.

AR Painter - commissioned paintings will receive matching note card. All other purchases will receive a free ACEO.

My Curly Red - Buy one get one half off on all zipper pulls, free shipping, and large clearance section.

Ekio Art - all items already marked down.

Shillcutt Studio - free shipping, will be refunded after payment via PayPal.

Glass Bead - buy one get one of equal or lesser value half off. Item will be refunded after payment.

Bluetail Designs - 20% off of everything and free shipping to US and Canada. Enter "July09" in notes to seller at time of check out to receive refund via PayPal.

Simply Stacy Jewelry - 15% off of everything (excluding mother and grandmother bracelets). Send a convo to seller letting her know which items you want and she'll adjust their price.

Rum and Rubies - see shop for details

BBs Bowtique - Buy one item, get one half off. Wait for a revised invoice prior to paying.

Connies Inspirations - free gift with each purchase

Linda68 - free shipping in the US, $1 everywhere else.

Hats Etc - buy one item get one half off - item refunded after payment.

BMacre - free shipping with $20 purchase, free shipping and free gift with $50 purchase. Refunded via PayPal after payment.

Heart Homes - free shipping with $20 purchase, free shipping and free gift with $50 purchase. Refunded via PayPal after payment.

Sew Into You - discounted Christmas fabrics.

Madd Crocheter - 10% discount on all items. To be refunded after payment via PayPal.

ScrapADot - buy one item, get one item half off. To be refunded after payment via PayPal.

Handy Helpers - select items discounted. To be refunded after payment via PayPal.

ElsBells - free shipping on all items.

By Cheryl Images - buy one luggage tag, get one luggage tag free.

Pamper Me Please - sale section and $1 shipping to US and Canada (excludes items in Flavors section).

Oak Leaf Hollow - 10% off of everything. To be refunded after payment via PayPal.


Oak Leaf Hollow Vintage - 10% off of everything. To be refunded after payment via PayPal.

TDogArt - select discounted items in the jewelry and ACEOs sections.

Etsy wide YART Sale!!!

For those of you who were selling or shopping on Etsy last summer, you might remember a viral sale dubbed the "YART Sale". It was a single idea introduced in the forums that spiraled and took Etsy by storm. The idea of a YART Sale is like a yard sale... but with art! Many, many, many Etsy shops jumped on board to participate last summer with sales on items, free shipping, free gifts with purchase, and so much more.

Well, the 2nd annual YART Sale is taking place again this year and is sponsored by the ESST (Etsy Supply Street Team). It officially takes place Wednesday, June 10 - Sunday, June 14. It's a good chance to find many great deals from some fabulous Etsy artists. Just due a tag search for "Yart" to find shops that are participating. Many AREtsy members are also participating. You can shop here in Arkansas AND get a great deal on some great items by browsing the following list (keep visiting as more artists join in on the sale - they will be added to the list):

IdyllHands - jewelry
WoolyHands - handspun yarn, spinning fiber
SewIntoYou - destash fabric
MaddCrocheter - yarn
ForeverAndADay - jewerly
ARPainter - notecards

MyCurlyRed - jewelry
EkioArt - handcrafted whimsy
TheBeehive - handcrafted paper goods, scrapbooks, and more!
HeartHomes - clay creations for your home
TutuCuteandMoore - custom children's gifts
SimplyStacyJewelry - jewelry
OakLeafHollowVintage - vintage goodies
OakLeafHollow - primitive and whimsical folk art
GlassBead - lampwork glass beads and jewelry
MoxieSisters - furniture, lamps, paintings, pillows, chalkboards

For more information about the YART Sale - visit the Etsy Supplies Street Team blog here.

Perspectives: Traditions and Innovations in Glass Beads

More exciting team member news! Laurie Ament, known to most of us as glassbead, has just had an incredible honor bestowed upon her glass, she's going to have one of her beads (pictured left) in a juried show in Corning, New York being hosted by the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB). This is an incredible honor and the show is going to include a list of impressive glass artists that Laurie is honored to be among. Below is the show's description, as found on the ISGB website, but be sure to click here for a full list of glass artists that will be in the show and a gorgeous slide show of their very impressive work. You can also visit Laurie's Etsy shop, Isinglass Designs, to make some of her gorgeous beads yours or find her regularly at the River Market in downtown Little Rock, AR. Congratulations Laurie!

Perspectives: Traditions and Innovations in Glass Beads

We are pleased to announce the artists whose work will be our 2009 Perspectives exhibition and part of the GAS Conference in Corning, New York!

This juried exhibit presented by ISGB, represents the endlessly captivating styles, techniques, and processes used in contemporary glass beadmaking. Unique color, form, and textural elements were combined to highlight the infinite possibilities of glass, as expressed by our members. Artists were encouraged to create a bead that best captured their inspiration, innovation, and personal "voice."

This distinctive collection of small wonders in glass artistry can be enjoyed June 5 to September 7 at the Radisson Hotel, Corning, and opens specifically as part of the 2009 GAS Conference. Artists, collectors, gallery and museum personnel, writers, and critics from around the globe will come together to celebrate the medium that unites us all - glass!

In addition to the exhibition that will be showcased to glass enthusiasts all summer long, the top three beads with the highest jury scores will share the COVER of the summer issue of The Glass Bead magazine. These artists will be announced no later than May 12.

Last Chance To Swap: AREtsy Team Spring Tweets Swap

If you're an AREtsy team member who wants to participate in the Spring Tweets Swap please get your information in ASAP! Brandy will be sending out match ups for the swap Wednesday night! Happy Swapping! You can find the swap information here.

Suzanne Churchill: Mural and Art Exhibit

16x80' mural in downtown Blytheville by Suzanne Churchill

AREtsy member and painter Suzanne Churchill has much to celebrate with the recent completion and installation of her mural in downtown Blytheville, Arkansas. The mural is comprised of 40 4'x8' wood panels that had to be transported from Jonesboro, where the artist lives, a trek of about 1.5 hours. That accomplishment is topped off with an exhibition of her paintings at The Ritz in Blytheville, Arkansas for the month of May. Congratulations Suzanne!

Blytheville Bus Station, a painting by Suzanne Churchill that can be viewed at The Ritz in Blytheville, Arkansas through the month of May.

Be sure to visit Suzanne's Etsy shop: arpainter
and her website: Suzanne Churchill Designs

Stefano's Gallery - Open House

Hey all of you in Little Rock - Teresa of TSmithDesigns will be hosting an open house at Stefano's Gallery next week. There will be wine and goodies... oh, and some great artwork! So if you're in the area, make it out to help support a fellow AREtsy member (and to get that glass of wine!).

The important details:

Stefano's Gallery
5501 Kavanaugh Suite C

Wednesday May 13th

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

I can't wait to hear about the open house!

It's Kind of a Big Deal

Debby of StarlightDesigns will have her work featured at the Arkansas Studies Institute in downtown Little Rock! The Arkansas Studies Institute is a joint project between the Central Arkansas Library System and the University of Arkansas - Little Rock. Located in the Main Library campus in the River Market District, this is a place where people can learn more about what has shaped our state's past and what guides the future of Arkansas.

If this sounds like a big deal, that is because it is. What a great honor to be featured in such a way! Make sure to drop by and check out her lampwork art - you won't be disappointed!