Branding Your Arts Business

Any good business knows how important branding is to a marketing strategy and we can even recognise some brands without seeing their name (Nike is a good example). Identifying your unique selling point can help you develop your brand and make your on-line arts business instantly recognisable.


Aleximo Croissant

One way to get noticed is to have a recognisable Banner or Heading displayed on your website or on-line "shop". You can also add an avatar to represent your business and reproduce it on all your marketing materials such as: business cards, compliments slips, letter heads, invoices, postcards and shipping labels.

But if, like me, you are clueless about computer design, help is at hand. Rather than displaying a badly designed, graphically messy banner, with blurry images and poor colour, you can now buy a banner or entire marketing package on-line.


Rufflemedia

What are you looking for in Branding Design? Well it all depends what you want. Retro? Vintage? Hand made? Slick? There's a design for everyone. It is cheaper to buy an off-the-peg design rather than custom made but, with custom made you can include images of your work. You can also go back to the designer and request changes until you are happy with the results.


Busy Bree

Working with a designer. If you are going to purchase a custom made design you should be clear about your requirements before you purchase. I usually approach the designer with a few questions before I buy such as, how long will it take to design? How many changes can I request? (3 is a reasonable number) and can I see examples of the designer's work?
It's quite difficult for a designer to visualise something that's in your head and you are describing with words. It's a good idea to send a link of your website and/or some images of your work. I also give a description of the kind of customer I am trying to attract which helps the designer pin-point exactly what you want from the design. Remember - a designer won't want to invest time and energy trying to create the perfect image just to have the customer renege on the deal.


Jennitoo

Don't buy and complain afterwards. If you are not satisfied with the designer's work then walk away but don't mess them around - be honest. You get what you pay for - so if you are looking for the perfect marketing material don't expect miracles with an off-the-peg image. And finally ... copyright. The designer owns that design, even after purchase. You do not have the right to use the test or rejected designs that you did not purchase and you cannot credit the design as your own.

In this post I have shown the work of four designers. They are just my personal taste and not a representation of all graphic design that can be purchased on-line.

Know Your Competition

Many artists and artisans sell on social selling sites such as Folksy and Etsy. These sites are great way to showcase your work but it is also quite difficult to get noticed amongst the plethora of other on-line shops. But you can use your competition to your advantage by doing some research on them and using this information to help you to devise your on-line strategy.

Firstly, do you know who your competition is? If you create a totally unique craft (such as My Furoshiki for example) it may not be obvious at first. If you are selling a popular item then you will find this type of research easier. I’m going to take myself as an example.

My direct competition comes in 4 categories:

1. Hand made fused glass, stained glass, blown glass and lampwork beads

2. Faux glass such as glass tile pendants and imported fake “murano” and foiled glass from China

3. Jewellery, including resin jewellery

4. Gifts ranging in price from £5 - £20.
Hand made glass is easy to identify as competition – we come in the same categories on Folksy and Etsy – and this also applies to jewellery. The competition I don’t like is the nasty mass produced foiled glass from China (BTW – if you buy it – the glass hasn’t been annealed in the kiln and can fracture at any time). It’s cheap, it’s nasty, it’s not durable and some people can be duped into thinking it’s hand made. Grrr! (Don’t get me started).

The most difficult to identify is the competition from similar priced items.

There’s that expression – “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” but your competitors aren’t necessarily your enemies, they can be really useful friends instead. I belong to a glass team on Etsy, the CGGE, and it has been one of the most useful things I have done there. We exchange ideas, learn from each other and promote each other too (treasuries, Etsy-minis, challenges and competitions).

So what information do you need to know from your competitors? Here’s a little exercise.

Select 3 shops that sell the same/similar products to you and look at:

Their pricing

Their descriptions

How many sales they make

How they market their craft

Which other sites they sell on

Their strengths

Their weaknesses

What makes them better than you.
You should be able to use this information to help you to identify any weaknesses in your business. You should NOT use this information to mimic your competitor or infringe their copyright or poach their customers.

What are you going to do with all this information?

Looking at your competitors can really focus your mind on what your shop is all about. It can help you to see how you can improve your product/presentation/shop by comparison.

Pricing – does your competitor sell their stuff for more than you/less than you/the same as you? Undercutting your competitor may be a bad move because you could be underselling yourself, cutting your profit margin or devaluing your work.

Now is the time to go back and think about the kind of customer you want to attract. Think about whether you are trying to attract the hand made buyer or the bargain hunter. (When I realised that I couldn’t compete with a lot of Etsy glass sellers on price I increased my prices by 10% and my sales increased).

Descriptions – how effective are their descriptions? Are they interesting to read, light hearted, straight to the point or basic? Re-assess your own descriptions but remember, original thought will attract more sales than copying – copying will attract bad feeling.

Sales – how many sales a month is each competitor making? Compare these with your own. You can match the number of sales to the quality of their craft/price of their craft and this will help you to anticipate the number of sales you should be striving to make. Working out basic averages can be useful here.

Marketing – how much marketing does your competition carry out on on-line? Where else do they market? How often does their name pop up on a Google search? Are they hanging out in the forums? What devices do they foster for customer loyalty? (Sales, BOGOFs, special offers, freebies).

Strengths and Weaknesses – your competitor may be strong in one area and weak in another. It may be that their product isn’t very good but their prices are competitive. They may create lovely crafts but not know how to promote themselves.
What makes them better than you? Find it out and fix it!

If you can’t beat ‘em… Competition is great – it keeps us on our toes and helps us to evaluate what we are doing. It also helps us to move away from a saturated market or spot a gap in the market too. By getting together with your competition you can support each other, promote, share ideas and compare. Creating a team on Folksy Teams or Indiepublic is a great way to start.

But if you want to beat the competition too take time to do thorough research, identify the information that’s relevant and apply it to your business. I hope you noticed that I didn’t once ask you to analyse their actual product. You don’t need to copy your competitors’ items to be a successful seller.

Glassprimitif

In the Studio (Part 6)

Any space can become studio - all you need is some time, energy and a little imagination. Each month we feature Artist's Studios to inspire and encourage your creativity. If you would like your special space be featured in Artists in Business please contact us using the Kontactr Box at the bottom of the blog.



The Dots and Spots Studio
Dubbed the igloo in winter and the sauna in summer, a conservatory attached to the side of the family home serves as the studio for Becky, the artist behind dots and spots. “Having my own space to work is really important to me” she says “but as my range has grown, I could now do with it being twice the size!” Being glass, the space is infused with light, giving an airy feel that belies its size and Becky’s organised nature means that every nook and cranny sports a unique storage solution for the paper, ribbon, buttons and other bits and bobs that she uses to build up her vibrant – and spotty! – pieces of collage art.
The studio looks out onto the back garden and then, across a cycle path, to the trees of a local park. “It was whilst staring idly out of my studio onto the washing blowing in the breeze that I got the inspiration for my ‘Washing Line of Love’ range that is proving to be particularly popular.” Becky has recently given up her teaching career to concentrate full time on her business designing and producing cards, prints and art in her own unique style: “I’m so glad I’ve taken the plunge and am finally pursuing a life-long dream to work as an independent artist. The only thing I miss is the camaraderie of the staff-room. Sometimes working all day in your studio can be a little lonely, but now I’ve discovered Twitter I’m able to have a natter with fellow artists and crafters around the country, all from the comfort of my very own studio!”

Dots and Spots Shop
Dots and Spots Blog



Textile Artist Deborah Good
"I've worked from home making bespoke soft furnishings, home accessories and gifts for about 10 years now. I started in the dining room and, when I needed more space, progressed to the conservatory. Three years ago, when we could no longer find a path through all my materials to the door, we decided it really was time to build in the garden!
"The fantastic workshop is 10 metres long and 3 wide - I have two thirds of it, my husband has the rest. My part is self contained, cosy and insulated. (I covet my husband's bit too - would love to knock through and use it to store my fabrics tidily!)
I have a huge fabric stash on shelves (now sagging quite badly under the weight) along the back wall, an 8 x 4 foot table with rolls of fabric underneath and ample storage. All my craft fair/Folksy stock is stored on shelves and in baskets; there's a bookshelf full of crafting, sewing and interior books, patterns and cuttings; a rescued war time Utility cupboard hoards my threads, tools and other equipment and my daughter's empty and redundant doll's house is useful for stashing away paperwork. I use a 15 year old Pfaff machine and a slightly older overlocker, but also have an ancient Pfaff on an industrial bed, which is useful but very temperamental!
I'm working in my workshop most days, either on a soft furnishing commission, a re-upholstery project or my stock for Folksy.
I'm one lucky lady - I love my sanctuary!

Pretty Goods on Folksy



Ceramic Artist Charlotte Hupfield
"My passion for ceramics started from an early age, and it was at university where my skills, techniques, understanding and creativity developed. After graduating in 2008 I have continued to develop my ceramics over the past 18 months. I began by working from home which wasn't ideal as it got rather messy and storage space was limited. When everything took off 6 months ago I decided it was time to have my own creative space to produce work.
My workshop in the garden has been a life-saver and I don't know what I would do without it now. It's nice to sit out there at my leisure with a cup of tea. It's also great to have so much natural light coming in through the windows. I have the occasional friends that sometimes come to say hello, such as the robin who watches me through the window, and the squirrel who jumps about on the roof! There is a big Christmas tree right outside the window, so I'm looking forward to the sight of it decorated nearer to Christmas.
I enjoy cleaning, tidying and organising my workshop every now and then but it soon gets untidy again! I made my own ceramic plaque which hangs on the outside next to the door. My plaques have been quite popular this year and I've made several for other peoples' craft cabins and studios.
It gets a bit stuffy in the summer but it's nice to have the door open with fresh air coming in. On the other hand, I'm just starting to experience the winter weather! I'm lucky to have a hallogen heater which heats up the small space and soon makes it feel warm and cosy.
My current work ranges from handmade items inspired by the natural world such as vases, bowls, sculptural vessels, coasters, plaques, clocks, letter racks, candle shaders, as well as smaller items including magnets, keyrings and brooches. I'm looking forward to lots of future design and creativity in my workshop."

http://www.charlottehupfieldceramics.com/
http://www.charlottehupfieldceramics.blogspot.com/
www.folksy.com/shops/charlottehupfieldceramics

Enhancing the Value of Your Facebook Fan Page

Deb Hall of Zur Designs has written this extremely useful article about Facebook. (We met on Twitter - proving that, as a networking tool, Twitter works)!






"The overall goal of a Facebook Fan Page should be to provide added value to your fans. Not only will this ensure that existing fans are active and engaged, it also gives prospective fans a reason for joining your page at a good level of involvement. The level of fan interaction enhances the overall viral nature of your page and ultimately increases your validity as a Facebook user (sometimes defined as social proof). Facebook gives the handmade indie artisan/business owner a chance to be up close and personal to those people interested in their work and to attract new customers as well…it’s word of mouth at the speed of light!



"There are many ways to provide added value for your fans. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:
Offer discounts specifically for Facebook Fans only use the “Send An Update to Fans” feature to broadcast your specials
Set up questions under Discussion Tab for instance, I have places where people can post their Etsy shop URL, their blog web address, their Twitter Channel, and the Facebook Fan Page. It helps fans that are also handmade artisans gain fans and followers and it helps potential customers find a group of very fine merchants to buy quality handmade products
Post your blog entries to your Facebook Fan Page I do this automatically with an application within Facebook called Networked Blogs. This application syncs with my blog and automatically posts to my Facebook Fan Page each time I write a blog post. It’s a real time-saver!
Cross-promote your Facebook Fans who are fellow artisans by either sharing something from your page to your Facebook Profile Wall or sending a favorite item from Etsy to Facebook. Commenting on their posts and clicking the “like” link also helps and makes their fan pages more interactive as well
When you post a new item or make any kind of post to your fan page, try to put it in a form of a question such as “This is a new design I listed today on Etsy, how do you like the color or photo or name of the item?”

"Facebook offers you an unparalleled opportunity to connect with your fans and
consumers. By maintaining a Facebook Fan Page and using all the available features, you can interact with consumers the same way they interact with friends and colleagues. Maybe some of your friends have already told a couple of their friends about your business but with Facebook they can tell all their friends instantaneously and those friends tell their friends…hence the phrase viral marketing.
"Keys to Successfully Using Your Facebook Fan Page
Personalize Your Business People ordinarily use Facebook to share personal information with friends. The more you accentuate the personal aspects of your business, your products or your designs and the person behind them, the stronger impact they will have on those who view it.
Update Your Fan Page Frequently Facebook is designed around providing new information and updates. So the more frequently you post fresh content, the more often people will return to your fan page.
Utilize the Dynamic Features of the Wall Tab The News Feed on the Wall notifies users what their friends are up to. When someone joins your fan page, News Feed informs their friends and invites them to become fans as well. This is key to spreading the message of your business virally. Additionally, there is a new flexibility on the Wall Tab to show a variety of information on your Wall. You can choose between News Feed and Live Feed Additionally, on the far left of the Wall there is a series of choices: News Feed, Status Updates, Pages, Photos, etc. By clicking the link “More” you can move any of these choices to the top and change the view of your Wall to view any one of these categories. This is a really neat feature!
Enhance Your Page With Applications There are thousands of applications designed by Facebook that you can add to your Page in order to tailor it to your business and industry. For instance if you have an Etsy Shop, you can add the Etsy Shop application. Just click on the button that says “Go To Application”. For those people who use ArtFire, there is a Fan Page that leads you to the application in the same way. Once you become accustomed to Facebook and the applications available, you will find all sorts of fun things you can add to your page! If you have expertise as a developer, you can even create your own!
Consider Using Facebook Ads To Target Your Audience These ads can be targeted to reach the exact audience you want and can be socialized so that users interactions with what they see can be seen by their friends and become as viral as the rest of the elements of the Facebook page. The key to Facebook ads is that you need to be willing to experiment a bit and rely on a solid base of users to give you feedback to formulate your advertising strategy.

One of the greatest reasons to have a Facebook Fan Page is that it is searchable by Facebook and non-Facebook users, much like a traditional website. Personal profiles are not (mainly for your own privacy). Other great reasons are: you can have an unlimited number of fans, it can increase your visibility, and help with branding your business. And let’s face it…in the end it’s all about getting your work seen and your page will be an integral part of your strategy to drive traffic to your site to see your handmade products.

If you are still unsure of how to get started created a fan page, here is a list of some resources that may help you in the process:
Socialbees
Rants and Raves of a New Age Chick
Etsy Storque
Tutorial Blog
Web Upd8
My Facebook Fan Page is: Zur Designs…when yours is up and running and personalized in your own very special way…stop by my page and tell me about it! Good luck! "
Deb.

Graphics Fairy - Shameless Promotion

The Graphics Fairy has an image to suit your every need.
"The Graphics Fairy is an Angel Company. You are free to use all clip art and photos, with the exception of the banner, in any of your projects created for resale or pleasure. Please do not use more than 4 of the graphic images within any one project, or withing a single page of a blog or website. A link to the Graphics Fairy is very much appreciated, when including clipart on your blog or website."

Visit The Background Fairy Here

Visit Fleurish here

Graphics Fairy on Etsy

Find Anna and Widget on the following sites:

Blog

Shop

Folksy

Etsy

Widget on Folksy

Widget's Year

Sock Bunny

Artist's Bio: Welcome to my sunny meadow, full of lovely things for you and the people that you know and love.
Here you will find funky wooden fish, hearts and lizards hand-painted in unique and vibrant designs. Organic hag stone wreaths, wooden stencil kits and adorable sock bunnies. All designed, handmade and painted by me. Also to be discovered are toys for children that you won't see anywhere else, including fascinating paper party favours, little suitcase houses and more. All designed, handmade or sourced to bring you something truly different.

Lynn Fraser - Artists and Illustrator



Artist Bio - "My name is Lynn Fraser and I am an artist based in Liverpool. I have always been interested in drawing and painting but work life took over. I went to night school to reawaken my desire to draw. I paint in acrylic on canvas and am trying to keep original art affordable. My artwork is eclectic varying from black and white icons to the Harajuku girls of Japan."

Lynn Fraser.co.uk

Lynn Fraser on Folksy

Lynn Fraser on Etsy

Illustrator Lynn Fraser blogs about her work and gives some useful tips for the struggling artist.


"I have always enjoyed drawing and painting. I have no formal qualifications but decided to reawaken my desire to draw by going to night school to learn to work with soft pastels. After leaving work in a fashion buying office several years ago I was able to spend more time with my art and decide which direction I wanted to go.
"I settled with acrylic on canvas.I love the near instant effect and fast drying time. My inspiration comes a lot from fashion and style. I also like to paint in a folkart inspired way with angels, fairies and cute comic images. I sell art through my website
Lost heARTS and I also have Folksy and Etsy shops. I show my work at exhibitons throughout the year and have just started doing craft and design fairs".





"Tips for other artists - Stick with it! I'm sure anyone who is involved with art in anyway does it for love not money. If you are going to show in craft and design shows have smaller paintings, prints, bags, badges etc which people are more likely to impulse buy and will draw them to your stall. You can hand them a business card so they can check you out later on the web which will hopefully result in extra sales. Folksy forums are also a great help. If you have any questions there is always someone to point you in the right direction. I found a great badge supplier from advice on the forum. The advice helped me choose the right one for me and knowing that a few others approved them made it easier than going in blind".

In The Studio (Part 2)

"Well you're in your little room
and you're working on something good
but if it's really good
you're gonna need a bigger room
and when you're in the bigger room you might not know what to do
you might have to think of how you got started in your little room"
Jack White





Wesley Perriman Steam Punk Artist (artist can be contacted via this blog)

"My Main studio/workshop is based in Cononley, North Yorkshire at my House and is generally a mess. At the moment it houses the frame work for The Tranzient Gallery which is undergoing major renovation work. I am also producing Steampunk jewellery and pewter castings for Medieval re-enactment.
"The Tranzient Gallery is basically a “Wunder Kammer” or Curiosity cabinet which has been mounted on to the rear or a specially built tricycle. After it was put in to storage for 3 years it suffered badly from the damp which caused the wood panelling to warp out of shape. Currently I have stripped it back to the basic frame so I can repair certain things and put in some new modifications in. My main problem has been finding new rear wheels as the old ones are not in fantastic state.
"So with work on the gallery going slow I have been concentrating on building up my stock for it. I am at the moment working on a range of Steampunk Jewellery that is being built from a large assortment of clock parts I was given, these are taking the forms of cufflinks, brooches, rings and pendants.
"The other things I produce a lot of are reproduction pewter pilgrimage and livery badges based on examples dating from the 13th-15th century. To make these I hand carve out the reverse image of the badge in to soapstone and when this is completed I cast the final badge in pewter. During the summer I take part in living history displays where I demonstrate this process for the members of the public.
"Other than my little home studio I can also be found working on projects Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in the Carriage restoration shed at Oxenhope. At the moment I am in the process of hand painting destination boards for the sides of carriages."





Phil White, Fine Artist Phil White Paintings

"Since relocating to West Yorkshire in December 2008 from Cheshire, I needed a place to work, leaving a large studio space in Cheshire was going to be difficult to replace as it was unique in it's location. I moved to West Yorkshire with my wife and daughter due to my wife's job moving to Leeds. We needed to choose a property to buy that would accommodate guests and a place for myself to paint, this was difficult on the budget we had, the best option was to use a concrete sectional garage.
"After settling into our new surroundings I decided to clear out the garage, make it water tight, also installing a new chipboard floor with damp membrane and insulation, this made a huge difference to the working environment. I was due to start insulating the walls in the same way as the floor until I discovered a product on the internet that you add to paint, this product turns the paint into an insulating coat, seems to work a treat. After completing all the necessary works to the garage, storage, floor insulating etc, I needed to create an area for my three and a half year old daughter to draw, chalk and paint, she loves to be creative, especially painting. The area I created for her is a small section at the rear of the garage, i installed mdf to the wall of the garage, painted it with blackboard paint, the painting area was done in a similar fashion with adjustable brackets on the wall and mdf was used to create her easel.
"We now have a very modest place to work, it may be modest but it is very functional and works for me and my daughter, I am producing lots of new work now i have completed the studio space, with plans for exhibiting in the near future, hopefully Grace will benefit from what has been created for her."




Sharon Shoemake Glass Artist, Glass Fancy

"My studio is nothing fancy but it is functional and I know where everything is. It seems I always have more than one project going at once. Having a large work table comes in handy for that reason. All my supplies and tools are right there when I need them. I recycle old butter tubs and coffee cans for mixing grout or storage of glass scraps and other supplies. My space takes up half of the laundry/storage room in our basement. When we finished out the room, we added built in shelving, commercial vinyl tile flooring, acoustic ceiling tiles and a laundry sink. I have clamp on task lighting and another table for my glass scraps. If I have a window that is too large for my work table, I build it on the pool table, in the rec room.
"I can really get into my zone in my studio. It is isolated and out of the way. I am known to work well after midnight, but I don't bother anyone sleeping upstairs even if I crank up my music and grinder."

Shasglasscrafts

Glass Gardens Whatnot




Jennifer Beaudet, Fine Artist Beaudetart

"I've been an artist for as long as I can remember. I've been painting for too many years to mention but recently started using oils. I love everything about them, but the smell can get pretty overwhelming in our living room! Yes, that's where my studio is: not some hip, urban loft in the city, just my boring, old, messy living room. I have a corner all to myself where I can paint anytime I want. My other part of my studio (yes, I get two rooms!) is our computer room, where I do all of my photoshop work for my fine art photographs.
"I'm new to the photography business but have always had a love for it. I got my first polaroid for my 10th birthday and was hooked! It wasn't until my birthday this year that I got my first dslr and am having so much fun! My photoshop skills come from many years of working in a fine art printing studio.
"So this is where it all happens. Probably not what you'd expect but that just the way it is, for now. Until I get "discovered" and can get that hip loft in the city this will do just fine."

jbeaudet.etsy.com

"In the Studio" is a regular feature showing artists' studios. Whether you work in a purpose-built studio, a shed, an attic or at the kitchen table, we are interested in seeing where you create your art. If you would like to be featured "In the Studio" contact Artists in Business via the email link at the bottom of the page and prepare a short write up and four jpegs too.

Find Le Bar Du Vent on Etsy and Dawanda.





Artist Bio - "Bonjour and Welcome to my little shop. Jewellery and accessories, pearls, often, but other beads too, and stones, wood, and vintage stuff as well. My themes: sealife, often, but also flowers and other natural creatures, and travel as well. Most of the time, I couldn't repeat a piece, even if I would, so all these are truly One Of A Kind.That being said, of course you should contact me with any question or request - I can always at least answer ASAP!"

Our contributor this week is Agathe, from Le Bar du Vent. Agathe is a jeweller from Bordeaux, France and she tells us about internet selling in Europe.

Tell me a bit about your journey into "hand made" and why do you make jewellery?
I can't say I remember journeying into handmade— it's more like handmade was always part of my life journey. I have always admired and envied people who make "things" with their hands. I think I was brought up that way, but there is also something very idosyncratic in my curiosity about crafts, and my desire to explore them.
Since childhood, I have always dabbled in this or that craft. I have a particular fondness for everything pen and paper, but also very early on wanted to make distinctive clothing or accessories, experimenting with sewing, crochet and knitting.Until I was well over thirty, it was an on and off thing, and then seven years ago, I dived into cross-stitching, and stitched away my leisure time for about three years, spending hours on end listening to TV...
I make jewellery for a number of positive reasons (some listed above) but also negative ones. My love for pearls, above all gems to me, drew me to explore technique after technique, and what I like about it is that it allows me to combine my love of words and style and uniqueness. I loathe the fact that you see some much of the same everywhere around, in all shops, and it is really important for me to keep changing, to keep feeding my creativity, however humble my craft...
It may sound corny, but once I have made a piece I really like, one that just came into my hands out of the materials or some idea, word, or image, once it has given me pleasure to make it, to look at it and touch it, I don't really feel an urge to keep it. I enjoy making custom pieces, with someone specific in mind, it makes me most happy when someone chooses one of my favourites. It feels good, it feels like sharing something, fleetingly, simply.

What are your favourite materials to work with? Pearls, first and foremost; then copper, silver, as well as organic fabrics and threads, but also glass and crsytal, as well as vintage (I mean genuine vintage) or ancient materials and patterns.

What inspires you to make jewellery and which designers do you admire?
I didn't go to art school and have little knowledge of designers in "my field". However, now that I think of it, there is one jeweller whose work probably planted the tiny seed of jewellery-making in my mind, when I was much younger. His name is Jean Vendôme and I stumbled across his fabulous shop-windows, rue Saint Honoré in Paris, when I was about twenty; shop windows full of gorgeous organic-looking creations made using scrumptious— yes, you've guessed it— pearls! I'm also very sensitive to the use of age-old symbols and to simple, elegant shapes and subtle colours. In my own work, sometimes I am inspired by a word or a phrase or a pun; sometimes, I just want to put some material to good use. Other times I am just trying my hand at some new tool or technique and the limits of my tentative skill stimulate me to come up with something interesting yet doable...
Even though I spend a lot of time "checking out" fellow Etsians and DaWandians, it is always with an eye to technique, and never intending to copy their work. Even when I use a beginner's kit (as I did recently with silver clay) I just have to do my own thing. So much so it's actually silly— but I'm just not interested in "easy"...

Which outlets (both in-line and in the real world) do you sell your jewellery at and how does Dawanda differ from Etsy? Right now, I only sell directly and on DaWanda and Etsy. Really looking forward to Folksy opening up to us continentals and considering a couple of other sites, one French and one American, but I don't want to scatter to much.The differences I see between Etsy and DaWanda have a lot to do with the fact that Etsy is older and more popular, when DaWanda is more recent, and is supposedly more focused on crafts since it excludes second-hand / vintage items. On Etsy, I like the fact it runs smoothly, the quality of design and creation and the vast choice, but I find the forums very unfriendly, some people being easily dismissive. On DaWanda, I like the Old World touch and the general friendliness. It's a shame that the English site is not more active though. I also get the impression that the German site features most quality design and German is not my forte...
The French and English sites feel overcrowded by supplies and not-so-handmade stuff... I wish more real designers and artisans would join and stick it out.

What tips would you give to artists who sell on a site that is not in their country? When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I think it's important to be ready to adapt and not expect others to be at your beck and call. Explore, look around, read the FAQ before complaining or asking the obvious...
Remember that the internet is very human. It's people at the other end. Always.Don't even think about it if you can't understand and speak the language— or get competent help— checking out the forums is a good way to make sure that you do. Or not.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? Somewhere else.

What advice would you give to artists who are going into business?
Don't do it for love or money. Do it because you have to.Check out the forums. Also, the other day, I was reminded (but I cannot remember by what...) that in old French, the word "commerce", now mostly used for "trade", used to mean relation, connection, company. All to do with fellow humans. Not stuff, not money— mankind.

Le Bar Du Vent

Do-It-Yourself Zines

In a previous post Leanne Woods talked about how she created an on-line zine using Issuu.com and you can also make zines the "old-fashioned" way.



What is a zine? It's a hand written, typed or photocopied magazine, usually associated with 'underground' arts, music or political groups. I remembr when (yes, a reminiscence now) when the UK music press chose to ignore the emerging punk rock scene and the only way we could find out about gigs and bands was via zines. These were handed out and passed around for free. The best of these was Mark P's "Sniffin' Glue".

Why make a zine? Zines are time-consuming to create so you won't want to make them very often but they are useful as a marketing tool. You can send your zines out for free or you may want to charge for them. You can also sell advertising space in them to cover your costs.

Who will read my zine? Before you start to design a zine think about who you are targetting. If you try to make your zine all things to all people then no-one will be interested. Ask yourself - what do you want your zine to do?

• tell people about your art
• publicise other artists in your zine
• make a "how to" creative zine
• show off your graphic and illustration skills

How will I design my zine? This depends mostly on who your reader will be, the content of your zine and your creative style. Your zine can be a simple folded and stapled booklet, a sheet of paper folded neatly into quarters, an accordian folding book or a stitched pamphlet. Remember that making a professional-looking book is time consuming and not so much fun when you get to the fiftieth one!

This is how we created ours. Our first zine (see above) was created by one of our gallery volunteers, Joel. We needed a marketing strategy to encourage more young visitors to the gallery and we decided that a zne would be the ideal way to do this. Our first task was to DECIDE ON THE CONTENT. We listed all the activities that the gallery delivers that would appeal to young people including our work with young offenders and a forthcoming exhibition, Game Over. We wrote the articles for Joel, gave him access to images of the gallery and asked him to produce an eight page, A5 size zine.

The most time consuming part for Joel was DESIGNING THE LAYOUT. A zine needs to look busy with lots of visuals and writing. As our zine was created from collaged images with drawings before being photocopied, it needed to be visually striking. Joel st about with scissors, scalpel, glue, pens and pencils to make an eye-catching zine.

As a marketing publication the zine needed to IDENTIFY ITS PURPOSE as It is a zine about the gallery for young people. We asked Joel to put our logo and website on every page of the zine (the rule of marketing - you need to see something at least 7 times to remember it, you only need to be told once). We also needed to cover the cost of photocopying the zine and, as we intended to make it a free publication, we offered ADVERTISING SPACE to local "young" businesses. Covering the costs meant that we could give the zine away for free.

Finally - a word about COLOUR. Unless you have a very strong graphic design for the cover you will probably need a shot of colour to make it more marketable. But colour printing is expensive and hand-colouring is time consuming. We solved the problem by photocopying the frnt and back page onto brightly coloured paper - red, yellow, orange and peach.

If you would like a free copy of the first Keighley Arts Fatory zine please contact me using the email box at the bottom of the page. There will be a charge of 50p for the postage and we accept Paypal.

Here are some more zines for you to check out:

Worn Fashion Journal

Make Your Own

Art for a Democratic Society

Colouring Outside the Lines

In the Studio (Part 1)

"In the Studio" is a regular feature showing ... er.... artists' studios! Whether you work in a purpose-built studio, a shed, an attic or at the kitchen table, we are interested in seeing where you create your art. If you would like to be featured "In the Studio" contact Artists in Business via the email link at the bottom of the page and prepare a short write up and four jpegs too.

Suzanne (Periwinklesuz) Glass Artist

"I painted my studio and moved my glass torch inside so I can use it this summer. I chose a girlie color as I am the only girl in the house and I need a "girl cave". It still needs some ventilation so that I can blow the propane out when I use the torch. I love my work area and I got my table at Pier1 at such an incredible deal and it is perfect. The blanket under the table is where my pup hangs out. Here is my computer where I spend time on Facebook and I have made myself a Flair Board.

I love having my own room where I can just 'be' and play with my stuff. I also like the fact that I can close the door and not have to tidy away at the end of the day".

Periwinkle Studio

Melanie Hazen Jewelry & Glass Artist

"In January 2009 I contacted a friend, who is also a builder, to create my studio space. It measures 14' x 14' with a concrete slab floor and wood ceiling (which I love)! I had drawn out the space as I saw it and he advised me about the needs and the costs for the building. It has heat/air, phone and is stubbed in for water, although it's not connected yet. There is a dedicated glass space and metals space at either end of a built-in stainless steel work bench, an area for assembling beaded pieces and an area for packaging materials, magazines and books. I am still working on getting it decorated!

I've been working from my garage for eight years therfore the creation of a studio space is a dream come true."

Melanie Hazen on Flickr.

Janice (JKA Designs) dichroic glass and sterling silver jewelry

"A few years ago I converted one of my bedrooms into a small but functional studio. Since I work with more than one medium I have divided the space into three sections One section os dedicated to cutting and fusing glass and ouses my small kiln. Another sectioon is where I solder all my jewelry pieces and is home to my (can't live without) rolling mill and drill press. The third section is where I use the hand saw, carry out fabrication on silver pieces create beaded necklaces and wire wrap my fused pendants. I house my larger kiln in my garage for fusing sushi plates, candle holders and large decorative glass".

JKA Designs blog.

Anna Hull (Half an Acre) decorative wood designs

"I totally love this room and I "stole" it when we moved into the house (ha ha)! It's not very big and I have lined all four walls with furniture so there is just a wee space in the centre for me to move around in. This spare bit of floor is then covered in drying fish, print offs and other detritus. I tried tidying it up but I have realised that I really didn't mins it being a mess. It only has short-coomgs when I am painting, using the sewing machine and the laptop all at the same time.

I can do whatever I like in this room; paint it without "consultation" and stick whateve I fancy on the walls with scraggy bits of tape. It's MINE and everyone else in the house knows it!"

Half an Acre Blog

Find CocoandChia on Etsy



Bio - "I am a metalsmith by day ... in my living room/studio .. and I love metal and gems so much that I still want to play with them even after work is done.I apprenticed with several amazing jewelers, worked in jewelry repair and now work making jewelry and doing production for a fabulous jeweler in New York.It is important to me that my work to be as technically perfect as possible yet clearly handmade. I am so happy doing what I do! I whistle while I work and sometimes even sing!"

Metalsmith Anne Malone of CocoandChia talks about her apprenticeship and subsequent work as a fine jeweller.



I learned to work with metals by apprenticing to four amazing jewelers. Each person had their own style and their own specialties. As an apprentice you work for very little money, do a lot of the dirty work and get a lot of experience along the way. I also worked in jewelry repair. This taught me a lot about how things are made, where things are likely to break, how many people have to have rings cut off (!) and that jewelry almost always has sentiment attached to it.

Being a metalsmith is my second try at earning a living. I worked for years in offices as a book keeper and administrative jobs. Along the way I realized that I was bored to distraction and would end up doing it forever unless I made some changes and took some risks. Now I work full time for a fabulous high end jeweler in New York. I make their jewelry – they tell me what they want, supply the materials and it is in galleries around the world. I particularly love high karat yellow gold and gemstones. My personal favorites are the little boxes that you see some of on Etsy. I don’t think they will ever sell there as the amount of time and energy to make them puts the price pretty high. I love to make intricate small containers with hinges and hidden compartments and precious gems.



Honestly, I have not found my niche on etsy. My work sells in galleries and it is important to keep the same pricing on etsy as it is elsewhere. Etsy is a great website in my opinion. I’m happy that people love handmade. The listing price is low, the site is easy to get used to and the commission is reasonable. Most of the gifts that I have bought in the last few years have come from there. I understand why lots of pairs of $15 earrings sell on etsy.

I know my strengths and my weaknesses. At the very least this is a good starting point. I am not a salesperson. I am a terrible planner. I have at least 20 projects that are finished ninety percent of the way. I’m very meticulous in my work. I often imagine any of the jewelers I have worked for critiquing a piece and I make sure that everything is as technically excellent, beautiful and secure as possible. My work is certainly not an impulse purchase. I have hopes that people will see my work on etsy, appreciate the craftsmanship and materials and make a decision to buy after some thought. As I’ve grown up a bit the things I buy for myself reflect that I know what I want when I see it, that I am willing to spend money on great craftsmanship and that I’d rather have one really nice thing than ten OK things. I’m always searching for the perfect pair of blue jeans!

In five years time I’d be quite happy to be doing what I am doing right now. It would be great to have more exposure online and in galleries. I’ll keep on making things. I know that I am lucky to be employed as a jeweler in this economy and that there are thousands of people who would love to have my job. I get to be at home with my dog and take long walks in the afternoons and sometimes naps! A super added bonus would be to have my own studio … I dream of my very own space in an artist’s collective.