Christine Marie Ford

Christine Marie Ford

A talented artist from Toronto, Canada, Christine showcases her quilts, books and jewelry on her Etsy shop.  She has also contributed to this blog with business tips in her Savvy Seller Café posts.

Israeli Artist's Co-op Closes Down: Lessons Learned

Vitrina Co-op

Hagar, of Gilgulim, excitedly posted about the new co-op she was working with in March of 2010.  See the other post here.  Unfortunately, the co-op did not last beyond a year of operation.  Hagar shares some of her insights on why it failed.  Undaunted, she plans on forming another group.  Sometimes it takes a painful experience to understand the potential pitfalls of a project.  Once those addressed, success is much more likely!  Here is what she says:

Why did our artists' co-op die so young?

Eight good artists and craftsmen, highly motivated and hardworking, with a jewel of a shop, an elaborate contract and fairly good understanding between them were the force behind Vitrina Co-op.  Still, our artists' co-op closed on March 1st, just a year after the grand opening.

We may put the blame on world's economy or on Israel's summer social revolt, but actually, we have to look for the answers inside our group itself.  A few of the reasons for failure include:

• Lack of patience and eagerness for quick success.
• An uneven share of sales as opposed to equal expense sharing.
• An absence of understanding that our power comes from being a group and that the shop should be run as one business. 
• The lack of acceptance that running a street shop is very different from selling from one's studio.
• That joining an artists' co-op means an artist has matured from a hobby phase to an active marketing and selling stage. 

Vitrina co-op was a highly interesting and enriching experience for me and I still believe that an artists' co-op is a very good solution for arts and crafts marketing.  I am already looking into forming a new artists' co-op!

Inside Vitrina Co-op

Read more about how to establish a co-op to free artists from their loneliness:  Post on Hagar's blog.

You can keep up with Hagar and her next endeavors on her blog.  Hagar makes beautiful jewelry out of vintage ties and other odds and ends she finds at thrift markets:

Shop Gilgulim on Etsy!

How about you?  Have you ever participated in any type of a co-op? If so, are there any valuable lessons you would like to share with us?  We would love to hear them!

Savvy Seller Café: Market Yourself For Free! Part I

Dot Vase - Felted Wool $156 USD by papaververt.etsy.com

Sometimes the best marketing opportunities don’t cost a penny.  This is good news for artists on a budget aka yours truly.  Today’s online communities offer more opportunities than ever before!  Are you taking advantage? Here’s a handy checklist to add to your marketing toolbox. 

1. Start a Facebook Fan Page

This is quite possibly the most effective free marketing opportunity I’ve used. If you need help setting up your page, talk to another TAFA member who’s done it already or ask a friend to show you the ropes. It’s reasonably straight forward, so don’t be intimidated.

2. Create a Blog Using Blogger

Start your own blog for free on Blogger! In fact, the blog you’re reading right now is a perfect example.  You don’t have to be very tech savvy or know html to make it look great.  If you haven’t started blogging yet, I recommend reading “Blogging All-In-One For Dummies” by Susan Gunelius. I just started my blog a few months ago and already I'm hooked.

3. Use Twitter

I resisted Twitter for a long time, but I finally signed up a few days ago. Essentially a micro-blogging tool, Twitter inspires conversation and relationship building. You can add links to your blog, shop or anything else you want to pass on. Simple and effective, it’s definitely worth a try! I'm a proud newbie @ChristineMFord.

4. Write for Popular Blogs

For a blog to be successful, frequent posts with great content are needed to build and keep up readership. Many popular blogs need guest writers to accomplish this.  If you decide to try guest writing, make sure that backlinks to your own website, blog or shop is allowed.

5. Comment on Other Blogs

When you follow or comment on other blogs, many will return the favor giving you more traffic and exposure.  When appropriate, leave a link for your website, blog or shop. Be very careful not to create spam.  If you leave a link be sure that it is relevant and useful.

This is just a small list of ideas to get you started. Check back next week for even more ideas!

What’s your favorite free online marketing strategy? Leave us a comment!

Creatively yours,

Christine Marie Ford

Last Week: 4 Reasons To Sell Your Work Online

Next Week: Market Yourself for Free! Part II

Visit me online!

Official Site: http://christinemarieford.com
Shop Online: http://christinemarieford.etsy.com
Blog: http://www.christinemarieford.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christinemarieford

Savvy Seller Café: 4 Reasons To Sell Your Work Online

Reader Eyeglass Cases $32 USD by manitobagifts



  

Whether you’re already selling your work online or sitting on the fence about it, there’s a lot to consider when expanding your business to the online market.  Here are a few big pros to give you that nudge to try it or to keep your existing shop open.

1.  Create a Strong Online Presence

Let’s face it, nowadays a lot of people are looking to the internet to find what they want.  I can’t even remember the last time I picked up the phone book to find a number!  As internet usage continues to grow, getting online is more important than ever.  Easy to use websites such as Etsy, Ebay or Artfire offer inexpensive (or free), attractive looking options to sell your work.  Having your own domain with a retail aspect is more expensive but a wonderful option if you can afford it. 

If you’re thinking about selling online, research what each option can offer you and go from there. I choose to sell my work on Etsy because it’s dedicated to the handmade marketplace and allows me to sell my work internationally. I also feature my work on a site called 100MileFinds, a new Canadian site, because it promotes local shopping as well.  It’s great to have a shop that’s open 24-7 too!

African Influenced Hand Embroidered Cuff $83 USD by MadrigalEmbroidery

2.  Enhance Your Portfolio

Even if you never sell a single item online, there are still benefits to be had. Selling online requires great photographs and descriptions of your work. Your online shop offers an instant portfolio to potential buyers. It’s also an excellent tool when applying for juried shows. My shop has been instrumental in getting me into many juried shows, blog features, consignment opportunities and more.  My local customers also appreciate seeing what’s new before they drive down to my studio. Even though they don’t shop online, they enjoy seeing what I have and then shopping in person.



Wall Quilt - Snails in the Garden $700 USD by cindygrisdela



3.  Track Historical Data

By having gone through the process of photographing and documenting your work, you’ll have loads of data with which to examine your progress as an artist and expand your portfolio. It still surprises me when I come across a photo of something cool that I made and temporarily forgot about. I sometimes get inspiration for future projects by looking back at past work.  Also, in terms of sales, I have access to lots of data about what people like to buy, when they like to buy it, price points and so on using Etsy Stats.  This is exactly the kind of stuff I’m terrible about tracking from my in-person sales.  With my Etsy shop, this information is saved automatically and is available to me whenever I need it.

"Having support is worth the price of admission alone."

4.  Join a Community of Artists

If you’re a member of TAFA and have an Etsy shop, be sure to join our team!  This is a great opportunity to meet other members and see their work. There are countless tips and tricks for online success, and networking with other sellers is a great place to gather information. Selling online is an art in and of itself and a tricky nut to crack. Having support is worth the price of admission alone. On Etsy there are literally thousands of teams. Search out teams that suit your needs and participate. You’ll reap what you sow.



Recycled Sari Silk Rosette Statement Necklace  $45 USD by plumfish



These are just a handful of benefits to be had from running an online shop.  While selling online may not be for everyone, it’s something to think carefully about.  If you decide to give it a try, being persistent and patient will take you a long way. 

What are your thoughts about selling online? Share your comments with us!

Creatively yours,

Christine Marie Ford

Next week:  Marketing Yourself Online for Free!

Last week:  Introducing The Savvy Seller Café

Search Improvements: A Chat with Etsy Staff & Engineers

By Barbara Harms, Asian Art and Quilts

PSST..you have got to hear this!

I watched this live stream on ETSY last night.I was really surprised with what I learned, I usually don't utilize ETSY labs as much as I could. This link is heavy from relevant information for anyone selling or buying on ETSY. I'm on a mission to share this with every ETSY shop keeper that I can. Search Improvements: A Chat with Etsy Staff & Engineers

For example...Do you know how the new ETSY relevancy search effects you and your customers? How does it compare with the default search? Do customers use it & what are they saying? What is the criteria for ranking? All this and more, answered right at the end of this link above.

Facebook Apps: an artisan learning social media

Jwrobel

By Jess Wrobel

This all started because I wanted to have both of my Etsy shops on my Facebook page.  The Etsy  App only allows you to have one.  So, the research, trial and error began!  In the end it was much easier to pull off than I ever would have thought.  And if I can do it, you can, too.

The more I learn about Facebook, the more impressed I am.  The flexibility of creating a user friendly interactive web presence is right at your fingertips.  Let's start with my initial project of getting both my Etsy shops on my FB page.

1.  Log in to your FB account and click on Edit Page>Apps>Search for and then Choose the Static Iframe Tab App.

2.  Follow the instructions for installing the application.  They walk you through each of the steps.  Once the App is installed, you can start customizing your Facebook Page. From there everything is easy as pie.

3.  Look at the screen shot of my broodbaby tab below, and you'll see a table of contents across the top of the opened tab. Click on Edit Tab Content and you see a screen like the second image.

4.  Notice that when you are in Edit Tab Content you have the option of selecting HTML, URL, or FBML. I used HTML and then went to my Etsy account to get the code for an Etsy Mini. Copy that code, come back to FB, and paste that code in at the top of the Edit Tab Content Box. There is some preexisting code when you first open the window, so just make sure you don't erase that. Click on Save. That will bring back to the page shown in the first screen shot.

5.  To add an additional tab, now, click on +Add More Tab.  I repeated the previous process to get my second Etsy shop, JwrobelStudio, on its own tab.

Another option in using this tab is to click on URL instead of HTML. This will take you to a screen where all you have to do is write in a web address. For the screen shot below, I just used the URL for an Etsy shop, but it could just as easily be the URL for my own website or blog or professional group I'm part of.

As I hope you can see, the possibilities for this application are endless and it's not just for Etsy people. In addition to both my Etsy shops, I've included tabs for specific collections on my own website and one for purchasing Gift Certificates. On my agenda of additional tabs to add are one for my Little Burd charitable program and I'm also toying with vendor/artist features. You could also promote special or seasonal collections, fundraisers, tutorials, or what's in the works that your customers should keep an eye out for.

Really, in this social media marketing world it is all about generating engaging content. And, unlike the name "Static FBML", there is nothing static about it. It is a tool that allows you keep things fresh quickly and easily.

Questions?  Ask and we'll try to answer them...

Commisioned work-Good communication equals happy customer

posted by Barbara Harms/Asian Art And Quilts

This is a quick over view of the process of creating a recently commissioned, hand painted silk art quilt.There is a fine balance between you as an artist creating original work and making something dictated by another person’s taste, and I have found some of my best art quilts have come from a commission.

It’s not a hard of conflict to reconcile. Someone who has commissioned a work from you already likes you work and style. They want one of your creations. So if you communicate well, ask a lot of questions, have them send pictures of something similar to their idea, and you, in turn send photos to them as well, to clarify what you are creating, everything should go well.

I always think of the analogy of going in for a haircut. You clearly tell the hairdresser what you want and she seems to understand exactly. When you get home, arggh-this is NOT what you wanted. What went wrong? She thought she understood you and you thought she did, but she understood what she thought you were saying.

So this is crucial step. Send a sketch or 2 of what you think the client wants, get feedback. Here’s an idea my client had and some examples of sketches I worked up and sent to her.

This was my interpretation of what I thought she wanted.
Way off base. I sensed a lack of enthusiasm on her part, so back to the drawing board.
She wanted a ship in peril with a huge octopus threatening it.

This is what she had in mind.
Next step translate her vision into my vision and style.
I painted the background of a big raging storm.
There was more painting to come.

Fusing with Wonder Under,  and more paint.
Postioning and Tweeking, and more paint.
Soon it was time to send progress photos to the client for feedback.
Now, with feedback in hand I set about completing the project.

I find it helpful to get the reactions back on my progress photos. I get encouraged to know if she is liking it so far. But of course the main benefit is for your customer. Who has been involved, there will be no unpleasant surprises for them with the completed work.. You have a happy customer, who had a good experience and will be back again when they need to buy art.

Curious to see how this turns out? Follow the progress on my blog

My Beef with Heartsy: A downward trend towards junk on Etsy

by Lesa Werme of Fairytale Incorporated
 

Hello fellow TAFA Team followers.  This is my first crack at blogging here.  I need to warn you...  I did not give this the 24 hour rule.  So, contents of this post might be hot and spicy.  But it is fresh and no contamination has set in.  Here it goes:  Today's Daily Rant Special:  My Beef with Heartsy.

I tried the Heartsy opportunity on Etsy.   It's kind of like Living Social or Groupon for the artist community.  It provides your clients a limited time opportunity to purchase discount vouchers for your goods or services.  Visit the site here.

 

Wow wee.   What a waste of time.  My work qualifies and is being reviewed.  However,  you can review the overall ratings of your offer on your account.   There are 5 categories where people can vote on whether they would purchase your product:

1. Yes   
2. Definitely 
3. Probably
4. Maybe
5. I Don't Think So
6. Definitely Not.    

I was horrified at the Definitely Not responses.  It proved my theory.  Esty is an overrated crap show.   "Definitely Not" is so harsh!  Jeez.   I would have preferred the snarky "I Don't Think So" any day.

That being said, I have purchased interesting things on Esty.  But Etsy is becoming  harder and harder to shift through the junk.  And if the curators allow the general viewing public to determine the quality of product it is sure to lower the bar even more.  Can "Etsy Not Hand Made But Made in China" be far behind?

One last observation.   With the "Yes Defintely" button being pushed 500 times of more on some items...there oughta be a lot of wealthy artists out there...  It seems to me no one is putting their money where the button is.

Proves my theory.  "If you show 'em junk...they'll  buy it."

It might take some time.  But eventually, just maybe my theory will change to, "If we show 'em quality...they'll taste it."

Heartsy is not affiliated with Etsy, but encourages the cheapening of products on Etsy.  This excellent article on Handmadeology shows how participating in these discount efforts can actually put sellers in the red.  Yes, perhaps you will draw new customers to your shop, but if they are only looking for freebies, they might not be the kind of customers you would want in the first place.

The images in this post are the items I submitted for Heartsy.  Visit my member profile on TAFA to learn more about Fairytale Incorporated.

Give People Reasons To Buy Art-

posted by Asian Art And Quilts

I spend a lot of time contemplating who buys what I’m selling and why.

As a fiber artist, one of the biggest reasons my customers tell they are looking to purchase art is for redecorating.

They may ask questions like; Why spend money on artwork? Can I afford it? Does artwork make that much of an impact on the design? By providing answers to these questions we help 'the art buyer' and create a customer.  


Here’s some reasons why choosing art for interior design is key.

-Art work injects personality into the interior design.

-Art work may be used as a strong and enticing focal point for a room.

-Art work gives a home a unique individual touch.

-Art can be the inspiration for the room’s color palette, and inspire other elements such as texture and lighting.

-The addition of art work can pull a whole design scheme together . It’s the icing on the cake. It’s like having your shoes match your outfit. With out it, a room just doesn’t look finished .


With these ideas in mind, lets get the word out! After all; there is so much amazing work to choose from on the TAFA team!

Pursuing Perfect: Resources for Crafting a Better Business

 Kilim Pillow  $98

by Jess Wrobel
Also published in her blog, Peck

I don’t want to say that I’m a perfectionist, but the moniker seems to apply.  This isn’t to say that I’m perfect by any means (please don’t tell my husband).  Nor does it apply to such areas of my life as housework or errand running.  I’m not real picky about whether or not my socks match, either.  But if I’m making a birthday cake, I’ll make two so that there’s a backup if one fails.  Dinner menus take into account every single guest’s food preferences and allergies, usually assuring that I make several meals for one sitting.  And, certainly, when it comes to my textiles and fibers, I return endlessly to a piece reassessing, adjusting, and even redoing.  Sound familiar to anyone?

As I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, there are so many new hats I’ve taken to wearing since I’ve returned to the world of fiber.  In addition to craftsperson in residence, I’m now a photographer and graphic artist.  And it pains me to say it, but I spent many, many hours the other day studying html code trying to be a stellar web designer, too.  Can I make my web site better?  Can I simplify the buying platform?  Can I improve the user’s shopping experience?  Ha!  I’m not sure where this craziness comes from.  But in the end, let’s admit it, it is all about finding success as an artisan in business.  As I traveled to the far corners of the internet that day, I came across some resources and websites that many of you may find useful, too, so I’ve compiled a list of some of the best and or most promising I came across.  I haven’t used them all, yet, but I am excited to do so.  And I’m pretty sure all of them are free.

For Everyone:
Hands down, the best resource for publicity I’ve come across thus far is Craftgawker.com.  This site is a cornucopia of eye candy for the creatively minded.  Not only will you be inspired by all the stunning shots of handmade goods, but if you submit (and they accept) a photo from your own blog, it is web traffic pay dirt.  Every time I’ve had a pic posted, the site visits to my blog have gone through the roof (if your curious, Jwrobel on CG).  Beyond that, browsing through all the featured photos provides a gold mine of blogs to shop through.  Look, see who suits, and SUBMIT, PITCH AN IDEA, OR OFFER TO WRITE SOMETHING for these blogs.  Free editorial publicity is the best!  It doesn’t get any better than that.  Even so, you may find one or two blogs that you feel are worth advertising on.

And it gets better:  Sister to sites to CG are dwellinggawker.com, foodgawker.com, and weddinggawker.com.  Depending on what you do and make, these may all prove to be additional venues to expose yourself on—properly, of course.;)
Jenna Coray’s Modish Biz Tips, while no longer updated, still offers an archived wealth of business to-do’s and to-don’ts.  Get your coffee and peruse.

If you’re geekier and/or have more patience, check out 2Createawebsite.com:  Website Tutorial Creation for Beginners.  Here, you will find all the tools you need to customize your blog or website to best draw a crowd.  And don’t worry about the geeky bit.  I’m positive that the only reason I can manage some basic html is because I’ve had to rip out and save lace knitting for too many times in my day.  It is all about being able to look at something and identify patterns.  Really, it’s not that scary and once you get the hang of it, it’s rather heady empowering stuff.

Facebook goes without saying.  If you’re not doing it, do it.  If you find it intimidating, get a kid to set you up.  That’s what I did (no pride here).  And from there it is easy.  Maintaining the thing is as easy as gaining weight while eating pie.

Victorian Tear Drop Purse  $55

For Etsy Folk:

This little diddy, the Craftcult Treasury Widget, will help you make a customizable widget of a treaury to use on your website or blog that is fully linkable.  It is more than just a screen shot, it actually clicks back to all the items featured.  I took this quote from Etsy’s app page to explain it best, “That means you can also use the Treasury widget to feature your own items, or any collection of items you’d like to share with your blog readers. You just go make a Treasury list, then go to Craft Cult & make a snapshot widget, then delete the list from the Treasury if you want to – you still have the widget!”

Along those lines, Craftcult.com is at it again with their Pocket Shop Widget.  Etsy minis are fab, but they can also be limiting.  CraftCult’s widget is the only that I’ve found that will let you make a mini storefront that is specific for a particular Section of your shop.  This is huge.  If you’ve been waiting for this, you know why.

I have  to say CraftCult.com has some great and easy to use tools.  One of my favorites allows you to search through the archive of front page treasuries by  shop name.  I encourage you to take a good look through all of their easily navigable site.  Go there.

EtsyCatalog.com allows you to “Create an [editable] PDF catalog with all the listings in your shop, use your PDF catalog at trade shows, craft fairs, in emails and with your newsletter to increase sales at your Etsy shop!”

All in all:
Most importantly, make sure to make time for marketing, publicity, and promoting.  I’ve heard too many times that people just don’t have time for this.  Frankly, that’s ridiculous.  If you don’t have time to market yourself, you don’t have time to be in business.  Go take a nap.  But if you are serious, schedule it in.  Whether it is daily, weekly, or what.  Make it a priority.

There is so much out there to look at, investigate, and the like.  Twitter is on my list of deeds to do…  But there is more, always more.  I’d love to hear what other people are doing, and I will certainly update with any new goodies I come across.