Spending your time doing what you love and getting paid for it seems like the ultimate dream job, but as you start crafting for profit, the pleasure can so easily wither away. Once you’re a professional crafter, your focus is on your business and making money, and your creativity and enjoyment usually suffers first.
When you first start selling your crafts you get such a buzz from it! But what happens when you are making that same item again and again (and again!) You started crafting because you enjoy the creative process, but now you feel like a factory worker, just churning stuff out.
And then there are those customers who want something different. ‘Great!’ you think, ‘a chance to create something unique again.’ But it’s the customer who ends up ‘designing’, while you just follow orders and assemble it. Again, you’re back in the factory!
Finally, you hit a quiet period and have a chance to create some new designs and ‘do your own thing’ again. And what happens? Your muse deserts you and you go completely blank. You can’t for the life of you think of anything new to do, and don’t even know where to start.
Does any of this sound familiar? I’ve been through each of these stages and they’re no fun – you end up wondering why you ever wanted to sell your crafts in the first place! But it doesn’t have to be this way. Over the years I’ve developed some tricks to pull me out of these slumps and back into creative heaven.
Firstly, to avoid the boredom that often comes with crafting for profit, see whether any of these ideas will work for you:
- Reward yourself with creative sessions. For every day spent doing the more repetitive jobs, give yourself a few hours of fun crafting. This way you’ll be motivated to finish the boring stuff quickly.
- Also alternate custom orders with time spent letting your creativity go wild. As custom orders aren’t particularly time efficient anyway, you don’t necessarily need to do all of them together in one session. Perhaps reward yourself for every custom order finished with a block of time to do your own thing.
- Make sure you account for the extra time custom orders take in your pricing (including time spent sourcing materials) in order to make it worth the hassle. You’re much less likely to become dissatisfied if you’re being richly rewarded!
- You could consider limiting yourself to doing one-offs or limited editions. That way the customer gets extra value for their purchase and you don’t get fed up doing the same thing over and over. Or if this isn’t practical for you in terms of earning a good income, consider doing this for just a selection of your crafts.
- When you have to make lots of the same item, get a production line going. Once you know an item sells well, rather than having to replace it every other day, put in one really good session and make loads. OK, so it will be even more tedious while you’re doing it, but you’ll get them finished much quicker this way, and then won’t have to make any more for ages!
- Outsource the production of popular items. That way you can pay someone to replicate your popular designs while you concentrate on creating new ones.
And if you’ve run out of inspiration, here are some ideas for getting it back:
- As a preventative measure, set aside a block of time (daily or weekly) that is purely creative time. Don’t worry about whether what you’re making will sell or not, and don’t think about the other things you need to do, just throw yourself into doing whatever feels good. I find that once I start I get carried away with all sorts of new ideas!
- Read books and magazines about your crafts. This feels wonderfully indulgent, and you may think time spent reading is wasted, but it’s so important in order to generate new ideas and to keep abreast of new techniques and trends. So when you’re feeling a bit jaded, grab a cup of coffee and settle down with your favourite (craft related) glossy.
- Invest in some new and different materials or supplies. I always get excited when a parcel full of new beads arrives, and can’t wait to try them out!
- Have a clear out. You’ll find things you’d forgotten you had, and seeing your materials arranged differently can often inspire you to try new combinations or techniques that you haven’t thought of before.
- Take a course. Learning a new technique, or brushing up on old ones can help you rediscover your inspiration. And you’ll find it refreshing to mix with others who are excited about the same craft as you.
When you’re crafting for profit, you do need to resign yourself to some of the less exciting tasks, but do everything you can to keep yourself at your creative best. If you don’t love what you’re doing, it will show in your work.
Don’t feel guilty about treating yourself to a craft magazine subscription, a day off, or whatever else you need to keep those creative juices flowing, because as a professional crafter you are the number one asset in your business!
Louise Longworth http://www.craft-selling-parties.com Louise Longworth is a work at home mother who sells her handmade jewelry at home parties and has published a website to help others sell their crafts the same way.
Author: Louise Longworth
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger
Filed under Bead Craft Ideas by on Oct 14th, 2010. Comment. 
Although we are all feeling the pinch a bit at the moment, there is still a need for home-made, hand-crafted items and unusual greetings cards, scrapbooks, brag books and so on.
In tough times, as they say necessity is the mother of invention.
I myself began crafting a few years ago as a therapeutic way of staving off stress. It helped me enormously and I would recommend crafting to anyone needing a creative outlet, who enjoys experimenting and playing about with different materials ending in a satisfying unique, personal hand-crafted item.
When I first started crafting, unlike a friend of mine who had all the latest tools, materials, the latest rubber stamps, glitters and embossing powders, I could not afford all these flashy things. Looking back, I now realise that this was actually a very good thing, as it made me a lot more creative, relying instead on what I could achieve with limited resources and my own ideas. I began experimenting with all sorts of things from foils, the insides of sweet wrappers, inexpensive peel-offs and so on.
As time went on, I began to search around on the internet for inexpensive materials, then one day hit upon the idea of postage stamps.
I did a little hunting and discovered by chance there was strangely, a stamp shop near me! We took a trip there and enquired about bulk buying used stamps. I told the man there I didn’t mind what they were, but would prefer pictures, and he produced a cigar box. It was beautiful, and as a bonus, it was full to the brim of used stamps from all over the world! He only charged us £15 for the whole lot, cigar box and all!
Can I tell you that I bought that box of stamps in 2004, and I am STILL using it today and STILL discovering stamps I didn’t know I had! Well worth the money!
I strongly recommend finding a local stamp dealer, or check out some bulk buys of used international stamps online, it will provide you with inexpensive, unique and unusual materials for a long time.
Please spend some time looking through your stamps when you get them as you will be amazed at the designs and work that has gone into them. I see each and every stamp as a work of art in its own right. Take the time to carefully look at them, really look at them and you cannot fail but to be inspired, soon you will be creating your own unique designs with them. Each and every stamp as well as being a work of art is also a snapshot of time, a little glimpse of history. Each stamp reflects trends, changes, crazes and phases in a country at a particular time, and I know that people who have received cards from me with stamps on, are always intrigued and impressed with them not to mention being absolutely fascinated by them.
Ideas
Firstly, there is the obvious, Greetings cards. Why not pick out a handful of stamps according to a colour scheme? For example, if making a card for a man, why not pick out some stamps that are all browns and blacks in colour? Pick out stamps with images of aeroplanes, boats, trains, cars or industrial scenes on.
Anything with an industrial theme looks great on a male card. The colours are always fantastic. Simply find your card blank, pick out an inexpensive backing paper*, (or why not try making your own?), and apply your backing paper to the card blank, then simply on a flat surface, place the stamps down first as you want them to look on your card, then apply a little glue stick to the back of the stamp, making sure you cover the edges and corners of the stamps, and apply to your card. The card will be personal, unique and much more interesting.
Secondly, why waste your money on buying gift tags for birthdays or Christmas? Simply cut out a tag shape from a piece of blank card and punch a hole in at the top. Decorate your tag and personalise it, by adding stamps in the gift recipient’s favourite colours. E.g., if the person the gift is for likes green, pick out all green coloured stamps, or stamps with green flowers/plants on them. You have made a gift tag which is personal to them and unique, not to mention inexpensive. To finish it off, why not add some thick twine through the hole, or ribbon or raffia or anything else you have lying around. If you don’t have any of these, why not get some inexpensive threads in different colours and bunch a few of them together and tie through the hole to make a decorative finish.
Also, if you want to try selling your crafts, why not try making themed cards with your stamps, for example, all green coloured stamps, or all purple coloured stamps, all floral stamps, all cars stamps etc., and make matching gift tags. You could then sell them as a pack at local fairs or jumble sales.
Your stamps can also be used as part of your own range of wrapping papers. Instead of buying expensive wrapping paper, why not buy some cheap brown packaging paper, and decorate your gift with stamps all over when it is wrapped. Again you will have a unique, individual, inexpensive way of getting a fab look to your gifts.
Thirdly, if you know someone who likes to read, why not use your stamps to make a gorgeous, unusual bookmark for them as a gift? I am surrounded by people who love books and find myself constantly making bookmarks for them! They love them.
Take some ordinary cardstock, cut a long strip of card, punch a hole in the top or leave it whole, and decorate your bookmark. Why not practise at some fancy writing or ways to make your letters more decorative, by adding swirls, loops etc., and add their name as an extra personal touch? Decorate your bookmark with stamps and either add some threads through the top hole, maybe with a bead threaded onto them and knotted, or leave the bookmark whole for a more solid look. Twine or string looks great threaded through the top hole of a bookmark and pulled gently apart after being knotted. Adding a bead or two to the twine can also give the bookmark a more interesting dimension.
There are plenty of ways to make your own hand-crafted, unique, personal gifts and still do it on a budget.
For inexpensive backing papers, why not buy a few rolls of wrapping paper, various designs and patterns and simply cut off and use as much or as little as you need? This is a great way to ensure you have a good selection of designs and patterns for different occasions without feeling you have to skimp on the amount you use. You can be generous with your backing paper and let your creativity run wild.
So go on, grab some card and wrapping paper, find yourself a joblot of used international stamps and get crafting!
For more hints and tips and to get involved come along to http://www.Begin-Again.co.uk and check out our Blog.
Author: Fiona Teasdale
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Filed under Bead Craft Ideas by on Sep 19th, 2010. Comment.
Crafting handmade bracelets and anklets is an alternative way to update your wardrobe. Here are some of the things you need to know when you make your own fashion accessories.
- The materials you will need in making handmade bracelets and anklets are: thread or string (this can be made from cloth or nylon), scissors, beads, charms and tape measure.
- You can find beads from accessory or craft stores. There are types of beads in the market, you can choose according to material, budget and even design. There are beads made from wood, plastic, glass, stones, all the things you can think that can be included in a handmade bracelet are available. You can even use small toys.
- The first thing you need to do is to come up with a design. The internet is a source of inspiration for making handmade bracelets. This will also apply to making handmade anklets. Use the net and look for magazines to get tons of inspiration.
- Once you are able to come up with a design, get tape measure and get the width of your ankle and wrist. It’s up to you if you want to put an allowance. Just make sure that your handmade bracelet or handmade anklet will fit.
-Now that you have your beads, run the string into the hole of the beads. Make sure you follow the designs. At first, you may get confused with the designs, but as soon as you get used to it, you will realize that making handmade bracelets or handmade anklets are not that difficult at all.
- Once you are done, you can tie a knot at both sides to prevent the beads from falling out. Then try your creation first. Check if the bracelet or the anklet fits you well. You can have as many handmade bracelets and handmade anklets if you want. All you need is to come up with a design.
-Your handmade creations are good ideas for gifts. If you want to save money and you need to give someone a gift, why not make one? Just make sure to put an allowance on the string. All you need to worry about is where to buy a nice gift wrapper. But if you are creative enough, you can coordinate the design of your packaging with your creation!
- Handmade accessories are also good ways to earn money. You can make your own creations and sell it first among your friends. Put the handmade bracelets and anklets in a good-looking pouch. Another way to earn money is to sell your wares online. Simply use a good digital camera to capture your creations and upload the photos online.
MadeItMyself is a rapidly growing, unique and fun artisan online marketplace that lets you post your handmade creations and share them with the rest of the world.
MadeItMyself provides endless possibilities for the people who love art and originality and want to make a good living from their respective trades.
(c) Article Copyright – MadeitMyself.com.
Author: Marianne Navarro
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Filed under Bead Craft Ideas by on Sep 9th, 2010. Comment.
There are many craft projects where you can use beads for crafting. You will be surprised that you need not know complicated beading patterns for you to create amazing crafts because you can use beads almost anywhere and with anything. All you have to do is open yourself to creativity and resourcefulness and you’ll be amazed at what you can do.
For instance, if you wish to spruce up a simple throw pillow, you can simply add beads on it. There are two basic ways on how you can apply them on fabric. You may use a fabric glue and stick the beads onto the fabric or you can sew them on the pillow itself. Sewing the beads on the pillow may prove to be sturdier and washing it won’t prove to be so much of a chore. As for gluing the beads onto the fabric, it may come off easily as time can wear it off. Whichever method you choose, it is still easy to use beads for crafting.
If you are crafting for children, then it would be a great idea to use the beads for crafting on paper. Of course, glue would be the best medium in attaching the beads on paper. Kids will love drawing their own patterns on heavy card stock or multipurpose boards and attaching colorful beads on it instead of just using crayons or colored pens. Using the beads can also stimulate the finger activity of the child and enhance their hand-mind coordination as the child carefully places each bead on the paper. There are so many different ways you can utilize the beads and use it for your crafting projects. All that is left for you to do is explore these possibilities.
You can get more crafting ideas by heading on to http://www.issasarza.com and be inspired to live a creative life.
Author: Issa Sarza
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canada duty
Filed under Bead Craft Ideas by on Aug 24th, 2010. Comment.
Crafting with kids can be extremely important for the bonding process between parent and child. This is especially true, when the whole family is involved in the process. As well, the child develops a variety of different skills that will last him a life time. Therefore, it is important that you make time to spend crafting with your little one.
Crafting with kids it is a great time to spend some one on one time together. Kids love spending quality with their parents and doing crafts is a great way to spend that time. This is a time that can be extremely fun for both parent and child. Arts and crafts can help form a connection. If you have a child that you are having trouble connecting with, then considering sitting down and doing a craft with them. It will help the child to open up to you and create that special bond that may be lacking.
Crafting also lets a child express their creativity. Often times, kids know what they want to say or do, but are unable to express it. Therefore, while working on a craft, they are able to fully express themselves. While they are working on the craft, allow them the freedom to do that craft as they please. Even if the craft doesn’t turn out exactly as it was supposed to, your child will still enjoy working with you on the craft.
Crafting with kids is important because it can help to develop hand eye coordination. If you are working with small beads, it is a great experience for the kids to try and string all of the different beads.
Crafting with kids is important because it also helps them develop listening skills and follow directions. In order to complete a craft, they must be able to follow through with the directions. As well, they must completely listen to what you are saying and take all of that in.
Before beginning the craft, you will want to be sure that you organize all of the supplies you will need for the craft. This is a great learning experience for your little one, as it teaches them how to plan and organize.
After the craft, you will need to clean up everything. Be sure to incorporate your little one in the clean up, as it will help them learn they must clean up any messes they make. If you are working with young kids, they can participate in throwing things in the trash or putting supplies away. Just make sure to keep the clean up fun, so they will want to help.
After your child has completed the craft, be sure to display it. This will help create a sense of pride and pleasure in your little one. It will also show them that you are proud of the artwork they have created.
Crafts often make great gifts for family and friends. Grandparents particularly love home-made gifts. Therefore, sit down with your child and help them make a craft for an upcoming holiday or birthday. This will show your little one that hand-made crafts and gifts are greatly appreciated and a wonderful idea.
Crafting with kids is important for a variety of different reasons. It not only helps create a lasting bond between you and your child, it teaches them a variety of different skills such as hand eye coordination, listening and clean up skills. It also allows for some much needed one on one time. Whatever the reason you choose to do a craft, keep in mind to make it light and fun.
For more fun crafts for children visit http://www.southernmomsonline.com/categories/crafts/
Author: Susanne Myers
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Lowest Price Prototype PCB Assembly
Filed under Bead Craft Ideas by on Aug 6th, 2010. Comment.
Handicraft is described as something made entirely by hand, without technological help. This has been done in India for at least 5000 years. Although some stone and bone weapons have been found that predate the oldest handicrafts, these are not considered handicrafts. India’s history of arts and crafts is interesting, covering thousands of years and millions of square miles. Indian traditional handicrafts revolve around the needs of commoners, patrons, royalty, religious beliefs, and domestic and foreign trade.
The earliest proven archaeological discoveries of Indian handicrafts date back to the Indus Valley civilization circa 3000 B.C. At this time Indian craftsmen excelled in making jewelry, pottery, beads, terracotta, and weaving. This period represents a significant technical advancement in the field of handicrafts, as evidenced by excavations in Mohenjodaro, Lothal, Kotdigy, Dholaveera, Harappa, and others. Many artifacts have been found that reflect the burgeoning skill of the local craftsmen of the era.
The next significant advancement in handicrafts took place in the Vedic age, around 1500 to 700 BC. The Vedas excelled in weaving, wood crafting, and pottery making, and began using clay, wood, and metal in their handicrafts. Later in the Vedic period, a noteworthy development was the use of iron in weapons on a large scale. This is the period when crafts traditions became enmeshed in the culture and social structure.
Indian handicrafts came close to perfection during the Maurva period, highlighted by the advancement in stone crafts. This is the period of the great transformation of Ashoka to Buddhist reformism after hardcore imperialism, and craftsmen were now indulged in many activities. It is believed that at least 84,000 stupas were created under Ashoka, the most prominent of which can still be seen today at Vaishali, Amaravati, Bharhut, Sanchi, and Mathura. The iron pillars of Vaishali and Delhi are wonderful examples of metallurgy dating from the same period.
A period of assimilation of regional influence in Indian arts and crafts followed the Maurvan. This was a time of great political turmoil, India could not be ruled for long periods by a single dynasty. Invasions by Indo-Bactrians, Shakas, Indo-Greeks, and Kushanas turned the Indian political scene upside down. The handicrafts of this period were strongly influenced by these invasions of central Asians and others, as evidenced by Buddhist sculptures from this period found at Swat Valley, Bamiyan, Taxila, Begram, and other areas. A direct result of Greek influence at this time is the depiction of Buddha with curly hair, draped in flowing clothing. The Central Asian invasions had their greatest influence on the sculpture, leather products, metal works, jewelry, and textiles of the period.
The Gupta age, a period of efficient ruling, political stability, and consistent patronage of arts and crafts, has been called India’s classical age. Some highlights of this time are significant advancement in both art and techniques of wood and stone carving, weaving, jewelry making, and sculpture, and includes beautiful murals of Aianta. Major advances were made at this time in art and literature, but science was also coming into its own, including mathematics, astronomy, physiology, and astrology. Sculptures of metal and stone from this period represent high quality standards. The temples of Ellora, cut from rock, represent the highest standard of stone craft in India known at the time.
Development in arts and crafts shifted to the southern peninsula of India during the Medieval period. Trade and commerce based on the handicrafts of local artisans was vigorously supported by the Chola and Vijaynagara empires. This period saw the use of intricate detail carved in temples, and great importance was given to gems and jewelry. This period saw the peak of silk weaving and bronze sculpture, while in northern India Delhi Sultanate allowed wood carving, metal works, jewelry, weaving, and pottery making to flourish. Arts and science reached new heights under the patronage of the Mughal empire, with the emphasis on architecture. Painting was the hallmark under the emperors Jahangir, Shahjahan, and Akbar, while Mughal paintings influenced other regions, such as Pahari, Boondi, Kota, and more. Weaving and metallurgy flourished at this time as well, with metal working reaching several milestones during the medieval period. Evidence exists of battles fought with guns and cannons technologically advanced for the era.
We can see from the archaeological evidence the evolution of arts and crafts among civilizations of the Indus valley from 3000 B.C. to the past few hundred years. The lifestyles of the various peoples inhabiting the area reflect the integral role played by craft traditions. Handicrafts in some cases came to identify groups of people, as the caste system limited use of certain crafts to groups of people. The people confined to a certain caste were responsible for much creativity and innovation in their specific handicrafts because they relied on them for their livelihood. This contributed significantly to the prosperity of handicrafts in India. It also led to the development of new techniques in order to find ways to please the patrons.
To save on arts and crafts supplies, fabrics, and other accessories, Vince suggests using a Joann Coupon and an Oriental Trading Coupon from CouponKathy.com.
Author: Vince Nitti
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Filed under Bead Craft Ideas by on Jul 1st, 2010. Comment.
Create a gorgeous selection of sparkly accessories with buttons, beads and jewellery wire. The simple technique gives stunning results, you’ll be able to make a funky ring to match every outfit.
Filed under Beading Ideas by on Jun 29th, 2010. Comment.
Kids love to do craft projects, there is no doubt about it. But I think children, especially younger children like to have their projects less structured. I totally think this is true because they can be more creative and have more fun that way.
Don’t get me wrong, I come up with craft ideas for my daughter and we have a lot of fun with them, but she seems to have more fun creating her own craft ideas.
A few years back I went to our local good will store and bought a ton of craft supplies for very little money. I bought beads, pipe cleaners, glitter, stickers, feathers, yarn, lace, buttons, and just a ton of crafty type stuff. I put it all in a big box with some glue and glue sticks and thus my daughters crafting box came into existence.
We have since added stickers, markers, cotton balls, sequins, and other stuff we find.
I bought a big tablet of thick paper and thus her “scrapbook” came into existence. She loves to get it out and create different pages of ideas and creations. She cuts pictures out of magazines and adds them to it as well.
Sometimes she just makes her own craft projects out of the materials instead of doing her “scrapbooking” and she has a great time. The only drawback to her scrapbooking is sometimes she uses a lot of glue and we have to wait for it to dry before she can turn the page and move on to her next crafting creation.
So don’t always think structured when it comes to craft ideas for younger children. You and they will probably have a lot more fun if you let their imagination rule the project. After all it is their creation so there is no wrong or right to it. They are less likely to become frustrated because they can’t make their creations look just like they are suppose to as well.
Robin Reckard, co-founder of Jorbins.com Lifestyle Magazine, keeps busy producing, writing, and editing for the magazine as well as raising and enjoying her six year old daughter.
Visit Jorbins Arts and Crafts for more great articles and information about crafts.
Copyright 2006, Jorbins Inc. – Reprints of this article can be made as long as the article is in it’s entirety, unchanged, and the resource box with links and urls remain unchanged.
Author: Robin Reckard
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Programmable Multi-cooker
Filed under Bead Craft Ideas by on Jun 18th, 2010. Comment.
Quick & Clever Beading combines beads with other crafting mediums to create over 50 fabulous projects. Readers will learn to make a wide range of fun beaded projects including pillows and cushions, cocktail glasses, decorative journals, photo albums, candle holders and much more. Inside you’ll find: -Illustrated step-by-step instructions -Inspirational spreads that provide further ideas for using beads to their fullest potential -Information about materials, equipment, (more…)
Filed under Buy Beads Online by on Jun 11th, 2010. Comment.