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Archive: Craft Business

February 5, 2010

Crafty Biz Spotlight: Bell and Trunk Flowers

One afternoon in sunny Potero Hill in San Francisco, this small shop Bell and Trunk Flowers caught my eye. I couldn't help myself when I walked in to see the vintage decor filled with crocheted and knitted baby clothing and blankets that peppered the front area. Upon chatting with the owner Vanessa, I found out that most of the items were handmade by her mom and 11 year-old daughter. You can see a photo of grandma and granddaughter knitting away in the picture frame inside the trunk. Most of the goods that decorate the space inside her shop are all handmade or from indie designers. The former newspaper journalist decided to open up the shop a few years ago and shares with us her creative life as proprietor of Bell and Trunk Flowers.

Bellandtrunk Knitting

Bell and Trunk Flowers
1411 18th Street
San Francisco, Ca 94107
(415) 648-0519
www.bellandtrunk.com
Become a fan of Bell and Trunk on Facebook

Read on after the jump for my Q&A with Vanessa and more photos!

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January 27, 2010

Ask CRAFT: Embellishing and Selling

If you have a question for Ask CRAFT, shoot me an email at becky@craftzine.com, or drop us a note on Twitter! We'd love to answer your crafty questions on any topic: technique, projects, crafty culture, or anything else! Each week the answers are here; include your name, where you're from, and your website or blog if you have one!

Allison in Washington, DC, writes:

I am wondering if I purchase a ready-made clothing item and then embellish (e.g. through applique or embroidery), can I ethically sell it as my own work?

You certainly can sell it as your own work, but I'd make it clear in any online listings that you didn't construct the garment itself. Look on Etsy for things tagged "embellished" or "applique" or "refashioned" or "upcycled" for some examples of how other people list these types of items. In my opinion if you're adding something valuable and creative to the clothing, then it certainly is your own work. Pictured above is Madrigal Embroidery's hand-embellished upcycled necktie on Etsy. What are your thoughts on embellishing garments to sell? Share with us in the comments!

January 7, 2010

How-To: Your Own Clothing Labels

Instructables user sadiesosha writes:

Starting a small company? Can't meet the 1000 piece minimum from tag-printing companies? Not a problem! Make your own labels on the cheap and never worry about wasting that hard-earned cash.

Check out the Instructable for making your own labels that uses crossgrain ribbon, a stencil of your logo, and some spray paint.

January 4, 2010

Engagement Marketing for Your Crafty Business

Diane Gilleland of Crafty Pod continually provides rich resources for crafty business owners through her e-books and podcasts. Her latest podcast, Engagement Marketing for Your Crafty Business, takes a look at how to use things like blogging and social media to help grown your business as well as some of the most common online mistakes business owners make. It's a must-listen for any crafty business person!

December 4, 2009

How-To: Start Your Own Photo Biz

Love to take pictures? Ready to take your photography to the professional level? Photojojo's School of Photographical Biznezz is offering a detailed four-part series on the ins and outs of starting your own photo business. The first part, titled "You Sure 'Bout That?" lays out all the pros and cons, giving you a great window into that which you may not have anticipated. Part 2 covers how to choose a name for your new business. Part 3 gives you the "Nitty-Gritty Business Details," and Part 4 covers more details to consider once you've set your business up.

November 23, 2009

How-To: Monster Business Card Holder

What a conversation piece! Instructables user alittlestranger shows us how to make a fuzzy monster pouch for your business cards. A craft fair must!

September 17, 2009

Non*Mart Trade-Based Shop

A new design studio and shop is opening in San Francisco and they are looking for product submissions. Non*Mart, as the shop is aptly named, touts an interesting alternative to traditional commerce by promoting the barter system. Artists are invited to submit pieces for inclusion in the shop. From the site, "To be considered, your piece must be made (in part or whole) of post-consumer waste and/or address ideas of consumerism, waste, and the ramifications of our consumer culture." Upcoming events at the shop include the opening reception on November 6th and a special event on November 27th to commemorate the annual Buy Nothing Day. Great idea!

September 10, 2009

Little Paper Planes

Little Paper Planes is an online community of artists that was once dedicated mostly to the sale of art prints and letterpress. The shop has recently branched out into accessories and clothing. Each piece captures the same beautiful, modern, and well crafted Little Paper Planes aesthetic.

Tiny Tangerines' Crochet Baby Hats

CRAFT: Cozy Up to Yarn

Head on over to the Etsy shop Tiny Tangerines and you'll be in cute heaven. Crafter Kelly Burghardt designs and crochets the most adorable baby hats shaped like owls, cupcakes, cows, and more. I got a chance to catch up with this busy designer and mom to find out more about her new crafy biz.

Please tell us what you make.
Custom crochet hats sold at tinytangerines.etsy.com.

How long have you been crocheting and how did you get started?
I've been crocheting for about a year now. A friend of mine taught me the basic stitch needed to make straight lines, but you can only make so many scarfs before it's time to learn something new. About two months ago I taught myself how to crochet hats by watching youtube videos and I fell in love!

Your crochet hats for babies are adorable. What was your inspiration for creating them?
My daughter (born via emergency c-section) was blessed with a rather large head. All of the cute little baby headbands and hats we would buy for her looked too tight and seemed rather uncomfortable, so I decided to start making my own. When I posted pictures of them on my livejournal all of my mommy friends wanted some for their little ones too, some even suggested I open and etsy shop. I had no idea my hats would be so popular. I am so lucky to have found a way to help with the bills, while staying home with my daughter and doing something I really love.

How do you come up with your patterns?
It started with the owls and cupcakes, two of my favorite things! Now whenever I see something that makes me "awwww" my next thought is "how can I translate this into a hat?"

Do you have a crochet tip you can share?
Play with your stitches! Some of my favorite tricks have come from what I thought was a mistake.

Are there any other crafts you like to do?
I try to put a crafty spin on everything I do. I'm known for bringing theme cupcakes to every event I'm invited to. I reconstruct all of my clothes, paint silly patterns on my nails, and I've had my hair every color of the rainbow! I also love sketching, painting, sculpting, and any art project I can get my hands on. It feels so good to create something you can be proud of.

September 8, 2009

New E-Book on Craft Blogging From Diane Gilleland

Back in April, Diane Gilleland of CraftyPod, released her first e-book about blogging called, Making a Great Blog: A Guide For Creative People. I reviewed the e-book here on Craft, and have since recommended it to several friends who were starting blogs or looking to kick some new life into their existing blogs. All have found the e-book to be incredibly useful.

Diane is following up Making a Great Blog with her latest e-book, Creating a Blog Audience, which details more specific, and non-traditional, marketing practices for craft and art bloggers.

Creating a Blog Audience isn't a mainstream marketing book. It's aimed at the unique needs of craft bloggers, and covers Engagement Marketing - a great technique for this rather crowded, busy internet age.

This ebook is designed for:

- New bloggers who want to find readers outside their family and friends
- Experienced bloggers who want to grow a larger audience
- Bloggers who hope to use their blogs to market a small business

September 2, 2009

Treehouse 28 Introduces a Children's Line

One of my favorite designers on the planet, Alix, has built a very successful Etsy shop selling custom clothing. Treehouse 28 uses soft and stretchy, high-quality jersey, sewn with serged edges. Alix creates wrap tops, long dresses, and layering pieces that are handmade to your exact measurements. The clothes have a very unique and very versatile look. This summer, Treehouse 28 has launched a children's line, with the same adult fashions, sized for your little one. I was quite the tall child, and I remember my mother's struggle to find pants long enough for my gangly legs. How perfect to be able to order stylish clothes in your child's exact fit. Alix's clothes translate very well for kids, with my personal favorites being the ruffle pants and, of course, the armwarmers. Check out the Treehouse 28 Children's Line, and read in The Storque about how Alix built her successful business.

August 5, 2009

On the Importance of Consistency

I never thought I'd take a lesson from Coca Cola, but this great graphic at Thinkingalaud on the history of Coca Cola and Pepsi logos is a great example of the importance of consistency in branding, whether for a small crafting business or a multinational behemouth (via Swiss Miss). [Note: apparently this is a fairly simplified timeline; for a discussion of the brand evolution and a more accurate timeline, go here. I still like the idea, though, so I thought I'd share it anyway.]

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