What Are The Most Essential Elements Of Crafting A Jewellery Logo Design?

What would have happened if you never had a name? How would people recognize you? Would there be any proof of your existence without a name? What sort of life you would be living without a name?

Think yourself as a brand which took years from birth to get it recognized and registered among your family, friends and colleagues. Your name is the unique brand identity of your own existence. Have you ever observed that people are mostly of the view that the name of a person should be unique enough to be remembered and memorized? In short, uniqueness and singularity matters a lot for the promotion of everything in this world and no one bothers to remember a common thing.

Jewelry business is of the same sort where you must have a registered name but is that enough in the prevalent ongoing cut throat competition? There must be something else to represent a company to the world. For this, brainy people came up with the idea of jewellery logo design.

These brand marks speaks volume about a jeweler shop to the world which also attract a lot of potential customers to their doorstep. What could be more wonderful than this? Would not it be amazing when someone just want to visit your shop because he was quite impressed with your corporate identity?

If these brand marks are well designed, well crafted and well defined then nobody can stop this business to reach on top. There are so many things that one should consider while designing such brand mark identities out of which some are outlined below.

1-You must first know what kind of business you are doing? For instance; some are specialized in gemstones while some are in gold jewelry. Therefore, understanding the core nature of a business is the most important part of creating a corporate identity.
2-What is your USP that is the unique selling proposition of your company or shop? What are you adept at doing? If your shop works well as compared to the rest of the shops in the shopping mall or neighborhood then you must find out the reason behind it? Why people prefer your shop over the others? For instance, some of the shop owners provide exceptional customer service which attracts a lot of customers while some provide free gifts which also helps in increasing the sale volume of a business.
3-Who is your target audience? By and large women are considered as the best target market but there is a segregation in this as well, for example, some jewelers deals in bridal jewelry which should be portrayed through the jewels logo design you will be creating.
4-Search for a professional graphic design service that has a worthwhile experience in the field while affordable and reputed as well. After finalizing the service, hire their services to get your future brand mark identity in your hands.

Therefore, you must first do your home work before getting a corporate identity for your shop because experience, knowledge and skills are the most important thing when it comes to a logo design making.What would have happened if you never had a name? How would people recognize you? Would there be any proof of your existence without a name? What sort of life you would be living without a name?

Think yourself as a brand which took years from birth to get it recognized and registered among your family, friends and colleagues. Your name is the unique brand identity of your own existence. Have you ever observed that people are mostly of the view that the name of a person should be unique enough to be remembered and memorized? In short, uniqueness and singularity matters a lot for the promotion of everything in this world and no one bothers to remember a common thing.

Jewelry business is of the same sort where you must have a registered name but is that enough in the prevalent ongoing cut throat competition? There must be something else to represent a company to the world. For this, brainy people came up with the idea of jewellery logo design.

These brand marks speaks volume about a jeweler shop to the world which also attract a lot of potential customers to their doorstep. What could be more wonderful than this? Would not it be amazing when someone just want to visit your shop because he was quite impressed with your corporate identity?

If these brand marks are well designed, well crafted and well defined then nobody can stop this business to reach on top. There are so many things that one should consider while designing such brand mark identities out of which some are outlined below.

1-You must first know what kind of business you are doing? For instance; some are specialized in gemstones while some are in gold jewelry. Therefore, understanding the core nature of a business is the most important part of creating a corporate identity.
2-What is your USP that is the unique selling proposition of your company or shop? What are you adept at doing? If your shop works well as compared to the rest of the shops in the shopping mall or neighborhood then you must find out the reason behind it? Why people prefer your shop over the others? For instance, some of the shop owners provide exceptional customer service which attracts a lot of customers while some provide free gifts which also helps in increasing the sale volume of a business.
3-Who is your target audience? By and large women are considered as the best target market but there is a segregation in this as well, for example, some jewelers deals in bridal jewelry which should be portrayed through the jewels logo design you will be creating.
4-Search for a professional graphic design service that has a worthwhile experience in the field while affordable and reputed as well. After finalizing the service, hire their services to get your future brand mark identity in your hands.

Therefore, you must first do your home work before getting a corporate identity for your shop because experience, knowledge and skills are the most important thing when it comes to a logo design making.What would have happened if you never had a name? How would people recognize you? Would there be any proof of your existence without a name? What sort of life you would be living without a name?

Think yourself as a brand which took years from birth to get it recognized and registered among your family, friends and colleagues. Your name is the unique brand identity of your own existence. Have you ever observed that people are mostly of the view that the name of a person should be unique enough to be remembered and memorized? In short, uniqueness and singularity matters a lot for the promotion of everything in this world and no one bothers to remember a common thing.

Jewelry business is of the same sort where you must have a registered name but is that enough in the prevalent ongoing cut throat competition? There must be something else to represent a company to the world. For this, brainy people came up with the idea of jewellery logo design.

These brand marks speaks volume about a jeweler shop to the world which also attract a lot of potential customers to their doorstep. What could be more wonderful than this? Would not it be amazing when someone just want to visit your shop because he was quite impressed with your corporate identity?

If these brand marks are well designed, well crafted and well defined then nobody can stop this business to reach on top. There are so many things that one should consider while designing such brand mark identities out of which some are outlined below.

1-You must first know what kind of business you are doing? For instance; some are specialized in gemstones while some are in gold jewelry. Therefore, understanding the core nature of a business is the most important part of creating a corporate identity.
2-What is your USP that is the unique selling proposition of your company or shop? What are you adept at doing? If your shop works well as compared to the rest of the shops in the shopping mall or neighborhood then you must find out the reason behind it? Why people prefer your shop over the others? For instance, some of the shop owners provide exceptional customer service which attracts a lot of customers while some provide free gifts which also helps in increasing the sale volume of a business.
3-Who is your target audience? By and large women are considered as the best target market but there is a segregation in this as well, for example, some jewelers deals in bridal jewelry which should be portrayed through the jewels logo design you will be creating.
4-Search for a professional graphic design service that has a worthwhile experience in the field while affordable and reputed as well. After finalizing the service, hire their services to get your future brand mark identity in your hands.

Therefore, you must first do your home work before getting a corporate identity for your shop because experience, knowledge and skills are the most important thing when it comes to a logo design making.

How To Improve Sales For Your Craft Business

As more and more people get into business for themselves, there are more people searching for ways to improve their sales. This is especially true for those who own a business that is arts and crafts oriented. Since most people do not need crafts, as they do when it comes to appliances and home repair items, it can be more of a challenge to make sales, especially when the economy is not doing too well. The important thing is getting the message out to potential buyers that your products are more cost-effective and beneficial to consumers. Since they will be purchasing some items no matter how bad the economy is, they can opt for handicrafts instead of mass-produced items. This will give them more value for their money. To show consumers that your handicraft options are better for them, there are a few things you can do. Start by displaying your items so it is appealing to the customer. Contact plastic bag suppliers and use jewelry display supplies to create a visually appealing way for consumers to shop. This will help lure customers to your business and help you close the sale.

Make sure you keep plenty of materials in stock and offer varied inventory. Professional artists are always creating new products and this helps get them notice. It also helps bring repeat business back to your company. If a person shops with you once and purchases your trademark item, they are likely to return for more crafts. Be sure what you offer is high quality and if someone wants more of your art and creations, be sure it is available. Nothing is worse than telling a person who wants to give you their money that you have nothing to offer.

When trying to drum up additional business, offer sales and specials. Just as a large manufacturer or store would offer coupons or discounts for special occasions, you can do the same. For your loyal customers, offer them a discount for referrals or repeat business. For new clients, you can offer a first-time buyer discount. Think of creative ways to discount your merchandise because increasing your sales will balance out the occasional price cut.

Trying to sell handicrafts and art items can be a bit more challenging than selling items that people buy on the everyday basis. If you are able to offer some personalization of your items and share your creation process with potential buyers, you are likely to increase your sales. People love personal stories and feeling as if they have a connection to what they are buying. Consumers are more likely to buy items that are special and handmade than they are to buy mass-produced items, if they feel there is additional value. Include customers in your creation process and build a relationship with your repeat customers by offering them information about the items they are buying.

Finally, consider switching to sustainable materials. In addition to being a sales gimmick, it will also help you feel better about your creations. When potential customers can feel good about buying the art you are making, it is likely to make sales easier to close.

New Scrapbooking & Paper Crafting Kits

This week should have held all things groundhog, in honor of Groundhog's Day, but it wasn't. Wednesday put a wrinkle in all of our plans for the rest of the week. So no Groundhog crafts to share.

We are, however, crafting for Valentine's Day!

What else could make up this month's Dixie Pieces kit, Dreamcicle, except for fun and fabulous patterns in pink and orange? While it is still winter and you may have snow on the ground, the patterns from Teresa Collins, Crate
Paper, House of 3, and Sassafras Lass will soon have you dreaming of the soon coming days of spring.

In this kit you will find a beautiful base palette of Bazzill cardstock in Papaya Dark, Bubble Gum, Classica Magenta, and Raven to compliment the patterns in the Dreamcicle kit. You will also find Basic Black Mini Alphabet Stickers from Basic Grey and "William" Chipboard Alphabets from Maya Road. House of 3 has given a new look to cardboard elements by including a printed pattern on top with a corrugated material on the back and Pink Paislee Artisan Elements can be easily altered to reflect the style of your project by using paint, ink, markers, or even the Ruby spray from Shimmerz that is this kit. You will also find Black Doily Transparencies from Maya Road along with the Chipboard Butterflies. Black mini clothespins from Canvas Corp are a fun addition and the Prima Black Rhinestones and the yard of sheer black ribbon from Offray add a touch of elegance.

You’ll swoon for Sweetie Pie, the latest kit from Freehand Scraps. It’s stuffed with lush, romantic papers and embellishments from My Mind’s Eye, Pink Paislee, Crate Paper, Maya Road and more. When they say stuffed, they mean it! This kit has the most variety you’ll find anywhere, including 20 different types of embellishments, 3 trims, and 2 alphabets.

Fine Craft Wholesale Shows - A Review of the Philadelphia Buyer's Market Visiting Artists Program

As a glass artist new to the wholesale market, one of my first tasks was to research wholesale trade shows.

After lonely hours culling through Web sites, I'd sip wine and recite mantras from Deepak Chopra: "There are no wrong decisions. Wherever you are is exactly where the Universe wants you, right now."

This was to relieve deep anxiety over which trade shows to choose and where I'd get the cash for the booth fees.

Then the Universe said, "Sign up for the Philadelphia Buyer's Market of American Craft Visiting Artists program at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, June 21-23, 2006." The Rosen Group runs this program during its regular trade show to help new artists learn the ropes of wholesaling, and presumably to incubate a new generation of artists for the Buyer's Market juried shows.

I wavered, fretted, reserved a hotel room, and advised myself several times to "get real" and cancel the whole thing.

Then I got into the car with my 78-year-old mother and her walking stick. As we pulled out of the tree-lined driveway, Mother asked if I didn't already know enough about wholesaling. "I've done a lot of research," I said. "But this should fill in the gaps."

Chopra was right about the Universe wanting me to participate in the Visiting Artists Program, but I was dead wrong about the gaps. What I learned filled not gaps, but chasms. The presentations by gallery owners, wholesaling artists, and the Rosen Group's own staff were invaluable. Since applying the knowledge I gained, I've made enough sales to pay for the trip, and more.

Flexibility, Language, and the Artist's Statement

Craft-marketing maven Bruce Baker and gallery owner Nancy Marcoe, both Arts Business Institute faculty members, opened the program stressing that artists must be limber and flexible in business. To embrace change is to prosper. This idea of morphing with the marketplace is cliché in the business world. But Baker and Marcoe put it in the context of fine-craft wholesaling, something I hadn't much considered.

As a former journalist, I liked their take on language. Observe the vocabulary of your markets, they advised. Employ it in ads and sales pitches. Use famous designer names as comparisons and show customers why your work is better. Update color names (it's "citrus," not "yellow"). The beauty may be in your art, but the magic is in your words.

How to write the proverbial Artist's Statement had me stumped (a sociology master's makes a miserable stand-in for a design degree). But Baker noted a key tenet of marketing: Customers love stories. And despite the workaday reality, they see the artist's life as inherently exciting, fascinating, and free.

Baker's advice for writing the artist's statement: Out go the credentials; in go stories about the accidental feline scratches in your clay. Out go the awards; in go ways that owning your art will make customers feel fabulous. Think People Magazine, or hire a writer to do so.

At mid-morning the first day, the Rosen Group staff officially oriented the Visiting Artists at the "Meeting Spot," a small room off the main lobby. Fact sheets lined the walls on everything from show planning to contracts. Binders displayed examples of good and bad product slides and booths.

Buyers and Artists Look Alike, For Good Reason

After several morning workshops and presentations, the moment most of us were waiting for finally arrived: a tour of the showroom floor - 90,000 square feet of wholesaling in action, millions of dollars in fine-craft trade, real time.

We were asked not to talk to the exhibiting artists, especially if there were any buyers in their booths. We were also prohibited from taking pictures or notes - to protect artists from the "design thieves" who apparently come from as far away as China to steal fresh ideas.

The exhibiting artists watched the spectacle of us 15 Visiting Artists promenading through the isles. This made me a bit self-conscious. But brilliantly, the tour included stops at artists' booths for Q&A sessions, which helped give us a sense of belonging.

Not surprisingly, the buyers look a lot like the artists, and often one has to look at the nametags to tell the difference.

In her "Galleries as Partners" workshop, Judie Raiford noted that many gallery owners indeed are former full-time artists. Raiford herself is an artist, and owner of the Raiford Gallery in Roswell, Georgia. As a winner of the Niche Top 100 Retailers of American Craft, Raiford urges artists to step up to the plate with highly professional business practices in order to build successful partnerships with their gallery-owning brethren.

Artists, meanwhile, come from varied backgrounds, including dentistry, writing, and production work for potters and other artists. One woman from New York was making the transition from journalism to selling elaborately beaded bracelets. She bravely displayed her beadwork for a mini critique by Wendy Rosen, Rosen Group founder and author of Crafting as a Business.

Rosen has made an energetic career of democratizing the fine craft marketplace - and not without critics. She's implicated in soiling the temple of fine craft with the ignoble souk of lowly merchandising. But Rosen slays the highborn critics with the sword of economic egalitarianism. She gives artists without trust funds a fighting chance. Her presentation was gem-packed.

Afterward, clutching their treasure boxes full of creations, several artists crowded around Rosen's table to watch her generously give one-on-one critiques well through the lunch hour. I found it well worth starving through.

Later, we were allowed to walk the aisles of the trade-room floor independently. The Muses were on my side as I ran into a glass artist from my hometown - a person I'd wanted to meet for some time. He turns out to be one of the nicest people I've ever met, offering for me to call him later for advice. He said he'd never had a chance to mentor another artist, and now would be his chance.

At another booth an artist displayed sculptures of dichroic glass and plastic, the former being the material that first enticed me into kiln-working. As he described his work, I realized many moons ago I'd met him via email after stumbling upon his website during a late-night stint of Internet research.

Across the isle, a maker of whimsical wall clocks said she'd lost money on her first show. (Fortunately, the customers are buying now.) Here was a real-life example of what some of the presenters had been telling us: Artists may not realize profits with the first couple of trade shows. It can take two or three shows for a new artist to establish buyers' trust. It drove home the point that this business (perhaps like any other), requires a start-up investment and a year or two of ramp-up time.

Someone will Always Buy Orange

In the rainy Saturday twilight, I quickstepped passed several of Philadelphia's Market Street panhandlers. They are a sign of America's dwindling middle class, a downward slide that is pushing fine craft into the upper-middle, "everyday luxury" market.

Waiting at the historic Reading Terminal Market was the trolley shuttle-bus to the "Coney Island Party," a gathering the Rosen Group had organized for exhibiting artists and buyers. Onboard the trolley, a local fine-craft gallery owner sat beside me. We set out for Dave & Buster's Restaurant and Arcade.

I told the gallery owner about that morning's fascinating lecture by Michelle Lamb (of Trend Curve), chronicling current and upcoming trends in colors, forms and motifs. I had walked away from Lamb's talk convinced that artists should pay attention to color trends.

The gallery owner had his doubts.

"There's always someone who will buy orange," he opined, adding that his business model focuses on "high volume and variety."

Later, at the cash bar, the hometown artist I'd met introduced me to a smartly dressed buyer from a prominent Southern gallery. He also introduced a Toronto glass artist and a Canadian couple more than 20 years into wholesaling. It was encouraging to see that people really can make a good living this way.

Online Resources:

Philadelphia Buyer's Market of American Craft - Visiting Artists Program [http://www.americancraft.com/BMAC/artist/visitingartist.html]

Bruce Baker (tips for wholesaling and retailing artists)

http://bbakerinc.com/

Michelle Lamb - Trend Curve

http://www.trendcurve.com/

Arts Business Institute

http://www.artsbusinessinstitute.org/

The Top Five Art and Craft Events in Asheville

If you visit Asheville you shouldn't miss seeing some of arts and crafts this area has to offer. The top on most peoples lists to do and see in the area are the Biltmore Estate, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and touring the shops. Downtown and Biltmore Village in particular have many beautiful galleries full of local art and crafts that are truly special. Its a treat to be in town during one of the big festivals or studio tours, where you get to see the artists in action and ask them questions.

These are really in no particular order, though the Southern Highland Craft Show is the biggest of the year and probably deserves the number 1 spot.

Southern Highland Craft Show: this event happens twice a year; July 15th-18th and October 21-24th at the Asheville Civic Center. This is the largest craft display in the Area, with two full floors of crafts on display. Artists come here from all over the Blue Ridge, including Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. You will notice a particular abundance of jewelry, fiber art, mountain pottery, and woodwork, which are plentiful in this area.
Weaverville Art Safari: this is an open studio event for artists living in or near Weaverville, Barnardsville, and Alexander, communities just north of Asheville. The event happens during the last weekend of April and the first weekend of November. Its a beautiful drive during that time of the year, so it makes a good excuse to get out on a Sunday. Don't forget to visit the studio of Lee Davis, where he has been creating hand painted mountain pottery for longer then he'll admit. He's quite a character.
Toe River Studio Tour: If you are interested in a longer trip up into the Blue Ridge north of Asheville, then this studio tour is a great option. The dates vary a bit from year to year, one in the summer and one in the fall. This tour is centered around Spruce Pine and Burnsville and offers some real out-of-the-way travel in the mountains. This area is home to the Penland School of Crafts and features hundreds of artists.
LEAF: Lake Eden Art Festival in Black Mountain. Though a bit pricey, over $100 for a ticket, the beautiful venue and multitude of quality music and craft displays is worth the price, especially if you can make it for the whole weekend. Price includes a camp site for two nights; first come, first served. This festival happens in May and October, with fall being the bigger of the two.
Bele Chere: It's hard to even include this festival known more locally for its libellous revelry, but there is no doubt that many local artists participate in the event. Its fun to get to walk around the streets of Asheville without any traffic. The sheer size and amount to do at Bele Chere makes it worth the fight for a parking space.

Online Craft University - Craft Web Sites Invite the Best Instructors Into Your Home

Now that the Internet can bring the world to your laptop, it is not surprising that art web sites have become a resource for techniques from today's "masters". Now, instead of just buying arts & crafts supplies online, it is possible to learn a new techniques on the web too!

The internet provides online craft universities that help a person nurture his or her passion for creativity, design, materials and technique. By introducing their visitors to the creative world of artists and craftspeople, these sites collect and distribute independent instruction videos. By purchasing these videos online, visitors are able to learn a new skill at their own pace, and also save and print out PDF instructions for later use.

What is really nice about learning online is the ability to get instruction from expert artisans around the world. In fact, many of the videos are available in multiple languages. While it may seem a little awkward at first to be learning a craft while on the computer, it makes perfect sense to do this online. Here, the technique can work with the imagination of the viewer, resulting in unlimited possibilities. An additional benefit is that you can learn at your own pace that fits your household and work schedule any time of the day or night.

If you have ever wanted to learn a new technique, share your crafting techniques with others, or just get ideas for future projects, then search the internet and check out the art instruction available online.

The Influence of Arts and Crafts on the Development of Language and Problem-Solving Skills

Children develop with or without enriching activities however without them their development is short-changed. Arts and crafts are enriching activities that contribute to several developmental skills which include, among many, cognitive, motor, language, verbal problem-solving, and goal-setting skills. Covered in this article is the positive influence of arts and crafts activities on language and verbal problem-solving skills. Other skills mentioned here will be covered in future articles.

Expanded Vocabulary and Object Recognition

As soon as children are born, language skills begin to development. A baby's babbling turns into single syllable words which become more complex and expand to multiple word sentences. Without verbal interaction with others, language skills would be severely lacking. So what does this have to do with arts and crafts? Interactions between the child, adult and other children involved the art and craft (or any activity) benefit language development. These benefits include expanded vocabulary and object recognition skills, development of verbal problem solving skills, and increased communication skills through discussing and describing while creating their project. To facilitate these benefits, participate in creative activities with your children.

While participate in the activity with your child, continually talk out loud about what you are doing. Name objects as you pick them up. Ask the child to hand you an object, especially if they do not know what it is. In addition, if an item or process is known by different names interchange the use of them. For example, popsicle sticks are also called craft sticks. Other words for gluing are adhering, attaching, binding, connecting and so forth. Mix up your vocabulary and labels.

While conversing with your child, especially with younger children, it is important to keep directions tailored to their age or skill level however do not "dumb" down the conversation or use "baby talk". Speak in a tone you would use with an older child or adult. Add in words and labels the child does not know. Give the meaning of the word only if the child asks otherwise you risk a response such as, "I know what that means. I'm not dumb."

Verbal Problem Solving

Do not do all of the talking. Ask the child to explain what they are doing and why. Have the child teach you how to do something. You could remark that you like how they completed part of their project and ask them show you how to do it. Ask questions as they direct you. If you don't understand, tell them so. This will give them a chance to clarify their directions. If you see the child struggling, ask them to explain what it is they are trying to do. Ask questions such as, "What do think will work?" or "What have you thought about trying?" Jumping in and offering to help will deprive them of the chance to solve their own problem and decrease their frustration tolerance. If the child immediately asks for help, asks the previous questions to guide them towards solving their own problems.

As you work, make comments on decisions or problems you encounter as you work. "I need to get this bead to stick here. I am not sure how to do it. Maybe I will try this." If it doesn't work, continue to talk about what else you will try. Demonstrate what steps to take with a frustrating problem you cannot solve. "Darn. This bead is making me angry. It will not stick here." Can you help me with this, please?" This is a positive demonstration of feeling recognition, problem-solving and helping skills.

Given the opportunity to participate in enriching arts and crafts activities, children can increase their language and problem-solving skills with the right environment. This sets up a situation where you are able to show the child instead of telling the child. The added bonus is that the learning becomes effortless with fun-filled arts and crafts activities.

Why Card Making is a Great Way to Get Kids Into Crafts

You've probably done plenty of crafts with your kids (or if you're like me, with your kid sisters). From sand sculptures to finger painting to macaroni art, I've attempted to keep my younger siblings busy on long afternoons with every messy and colorful kit I could get my hands on at the craft store, but you know what they always liked the best? Drawing. So I thought to myself, why not funnel their love of scribbles into something valuable (instead of an entire legal pad with one wavy line on each page)? And thus was born our family's local card-manufacturing business.

Now, I don't want to fool you. We aren't anywhere near Hallmark as output, production and quality go. We use recycled paper and our mediums are crayons, colored pencils, and if I'm feeling especially kind, watercolors. But we do have a lot of fun. Although one sister is now 23 and well into her own adult life (she has given up cards and moved on to cartoon blogging), my youngest sibling is only ten and still adores the printed medium. She's the one who has really made it into a profitable business (she's quite the go-getter). She designs all the cards and has a wide array of subject matter. Her favorite seems to be depictions of little girls with long, blond braids (suspiciously similar to her own) engaged in various activities from dancing to soccer to flying. But she also does animals, landscapes, and the occasional musical instrument (forget dogs playing cards, one of her best sellers was a large black dog playing violin!).

Now, many kids will create cards for special occasions like Valentine's Day, birthdays, or the winter holidays. But my sister prides herself on making blank cards that could work for any occasion (although some have a definite "celebratory" theme). And what she has done with them is really something special. We help her scan the images onto the computer and print out copies. She then mixes them into boxes of ten, which she sells for five dollars to friends, family, and members of our church. But you'll be really amazed by what she does with the money. Half of it gets donated to a charity of her choice (we thought the Red Cross would be a good idea) and the other half she puts into a savings account at the local credit union. I don't suppose a 10-year-old has much call for cash in her pocket, but I am still surprised that she doesn't hold any back to spend immediately.

Although I am proud of her for starting this enterprise (with very little prodding) and I marvel at the money management skills she has adopted (I didn't learn to budget until I was over twenty), I think the best part of introducing a child to crafts of any sort is that they are constantly surprising us with their creative spirit and ingenuity. In many ways, she has taught me a lot about what it means to be an artist, and how to appreciate what I create. You'll never hear her say that her art is "not good enough". In her eyes, it's always perfect.

Art and Craft Stores - Making Money With Mega Orders

Arts and crafts stores are a one-stop shop where you can get anything and everything you need made by hand. There are a list of arts and crafts stores where you can purchase one-of-a-kind handmade products. When you mass produce a product for your customers, you start making money with mega orders.

Are you an artisan or craftperson looking for places to sell your arts and crafts products? Let's say you have created one very popular item that you want to sell in mass quantities. What you want to do is take mega order for this product. Prior to contacting the vendors, you must be able to produce the item in large quantities. Make sure you have the resources and people to help you make the products. As you know, creating a product in your mind or on paper is one thing, but actually making it is another. Some of the places to consider contacting to get mega orders for your arts and crafts products are listed below:

1. Craft Malls - http://www.artcraftmall.com

2. Form a Craft Co-op

3. Rent-a-Space Shops

4. Remote Sites and Consignments

5. Fairs and Shows

6. Furniture Stores

7. Studios and Workshops

8. Boutiques

9. Bed & Breakfast

10. Home Craft Parties

11. Medical Offices

12. Hospitals

13. Schools

14. Retirement Centers

15. Retail Stores

16. Interior Designer Galleries

17. Groups and Organizations

18. Special Interest Clubs

19. Art Galleries

20. Hotels

21. Cable TV - Home Shopping Channels

22. Selling through Reps

23. Museum Shops

24. Boutiques

25. Mail Order Catalogs

26. Department Stores

27. Clothing Stores

28. Jewelry Stores

*Mega orders are great for companies such as a mail order business, and television marketing, but you must be able to mass produce in quantity to fill these orders.

Copyright © 2007, Dr. M.E. Waters. All Rights Reserved.

Are you interested in taking my online courses?

To the new and experienced entrepreneurs, getting help with your small business is very crucial to your success. Getting the right help will cause you to avoid costly mistakes, and it can also help you to save a lot of time, money and energy. You will need to get the right help to form the legal structure of the business, financial, management, procurement/certification, marketing, pricing products, preparing a business plan, and more. If you are a business owner who is wondering if you can take your business to new heights, contact Dr. Waters at tina.waters@waienterprises.com

Getting Started With Arts And Crafts

Arts and crafts are a great hobby to do. If you are thinking of buying some arts and crafts first of all plan an area to keep them in such as a storage box of a cupboard or draw this way you will start off organised and know what items are running low on supply ect.

Keeping everything neat will make it much more enjoyable to get everything out. Labelling draws on a storage system is a nice way to keep things looking neat and tidy.

?Set up a desk of area that is flat and spacious, cover wood or glass with a simple old sheet to clean up spillages. A good workspace needs to have a good light supply so you can see clearly especially if the materials are tiny and small to use.

Art and crafts sets can be sold in different levels from kids designs to beginners up to the more experience person.

There are many arts and crafts sets around to buy to start you off from craft shops to high street store. They sometimes come with books and magazines with step by step guides on how to make things properly.

Arts and crafts can come in all sorts of variations from decorating glass to building homemade card and kits. Some arts and crafts are not just simple designs and decorating it can be making photo frames to designing furniture too.

You can go for the option of not buying a kit and starting from scratch by planning and devising the equipment and tools you need by having a look online for ideas and tips, sometimes this option can work out cheaper especially if you are buying in bulk.

Some people start to make a small business out of there hobbies by selling some of the items they have made.?

Tell the World About Your Unique Handmade Crafts

If you would like to sell your crafts online an online craft mall may be the perfect solution for you, but there is more to selling on the internet than just opening up an online shop, when you open up your online shop keep in mind that this shop is a real business and needs to be tended. The same marketing principals apply for your business both on and offline if you want your business to be successful.

Marketing your New Online Shop

First you need to let all of your regular customers know about your new shop in the Craft Mall, tell them that you will now be open for business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for their convenience. You can encourage them to visit your new online shop by offering them a discount when they buy their first product.

Another way to market your unique handmade crafts is to place small classified ads in publications for crafters, usually these types of publications are read by people who are interested in buying handmade arts and crafts.

Online there are endless places to advertise your new craft shop without it costing you large amounts of money. You can place ads in free craft classifieds, craft forums and craft directories. If you spend just a couple of hours a day promoting your new online craft shop you will soon see a steady flow of new customers coming to your craft shop ready to buy your handmade products.

Another way to grow your business is to attend some of your local craft shows. Be careful when deciding on the craft shows you attend, ask question before you register, find out how many visitors they get each day at the show. If you decide to register for a show make sure you have your business cards and flyers with the web address of your new shop in the online craft mall ready to handout to potential customers. Invite new and regular customers to sign up for your monthly newsletter, this will give you the opportunity to contact these customers at a later date when you have new product or when you are having a sale.

Selling in consignment shops can be another outlet for your crafts and a way to let more people know about your new online craft shop, but make sure that the owner will allow you to place a display with your business cards, flyers and the web address of your new online store.

Kids Crafts

Types of Crafts:

One of the best crafts for kids is finger painting. Most kids enjoy being able to create beautiful, colourful pictures with their hands. Often, finger painting involves allowing kids to create whatever kind of painting they want, without having to conform to certain standards. Just letting the kids paint according to their own whims will reveal some memorable pieces are painted as a result.

Children also like making things out of clay. They enjoy using their hands to make all kinds of shapes. Teachers and parents can use clay to teach children about shapes, for instance, by having the children create circles, squares, and triangle shapes out of the clay. Working with clay also helps children release any negative feelings or emotions they may be experiencing.

Children also love decorating Easter eggs, because this craft involves the use of colours. Kids love dunking the boiled eggs into the water tinted with food colouring and marvelling at the way the eggs change colour. Many children will use their own creative tendencies to make multi-coloured eggs.

Pipe cleaners can be used in a variety of crafts. Pipe cleaners are soft and stretchy and children love touching them and working with them. Making pipe cleaner crafts is an excellent way for teachers to educate children about many subjects. One of the most popular examples of pipe cleaner crafts is to make pipe cleaner animals, which can provide an opening for teachers to start a lesson about the kinds of animals that live on a farm, or in the zoo, for instance.

One of the most popular children's crafts is any craft using dried macaroni pasta. There are all sorts of crafts that children can do that use this kind of pasta. One of these is to make a macaroni necklace by stringing the pasta on a string. But children can dress this necklace up by painting the pasta different colours. They can also create macaroni pictures by gluing coloured macaroni on paper. Children can easily make pictures of smiley faces, or even rainbows, or whatever image comes to their mind.

Benefits of Crafts:

Because these kinds of crafts require a number of different skills of children, these and other crafts are beneficial to a child's brain development. Arts and crafts help children develop their visual and tactile skills. It has been proven that these types of activities make the synapses between brain cells stronger. The arts in general open up the neural networks within the brain, in addition to strengthening the existing neural pathways, and these crafts are no exception. As a result of enjoying crafts and participating in the arts, children can become better at problem-solving.

Crafts designed especially for kids not only help children cognitively and developmentally, but they also tend to inspire children to be more imaginative. The more they see that their creativity is welcomed and encouraged, the more likely they are to express it. Crafts can improve and stimulate a child's self-esteem, as well. When a child creates something of his own from scratch, he or she often feels a sense of pride and accomplishment. When they feel good about their abilities and get to see firsthand what their skills are, they are more likely to feel valued and confident.

Winter is Perfect for Children's Crafts

Cold weather can be tough on you and your small child when they can't get outside and play. It can sometimes be difficult to find things for them to do indoors that will keep the interested and occupied for any amount of time. Children's crafts can be a great option!

Doing crafts with your child gives you the opportunity to complete a project with them, encourages their creativity, and lets them practice skills like coloring, writing, and using scissors. Following the instructions included in children's crafts will also help your child learn to follow steps. If they are able to read, it will help them practice their reading also. Completing a project gives your child a sense of pride and accomplishment in what they have made.

Children's crafts also make great gifts for any occasion. Let your child make their own valentines to send to family and friends. You can help them make each card, personalize or sign them, and take your child to the post office with you to mail them. All mothers love to get gifts made for them by their child on Mother's day. This could be a great activity for Dad and child. Your child could create a collage, color a picture, or make a small craft for his or her grandparents. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of children's crafts ideas online. You can easily find one that you and your child will really enjoy.

You can also keep a group of youngsters busy by doing some children's crafts. It is a great group activity, because it encourages sharing among the children. They can learn from each other and help each other. Parents should be there to supervise and help where need, but let them really get into their project and create something individual.

As you gather supplies and get ready to start your children's craft project, there are some things that you should keep in mind. Always read the labels on the art supplies you will be using. Try to find glue and markers which labels read "low odor" or "safe for children." Look for paints or crayons that are non-toxic. Avoid any product which says "Danger", "Warning", or "Caution". Look for warnings like "Harmful if swallowed", "May cause skin irritation", or "Keep out of the reach of children." Another way to keep kids safe, do not take art supplies out of their original containers, because that container is going to have important information about ingredients.

There should always be a parent present to supervise children's crafts. Besides offering help and ideas, they can make sure that no art supplies are eaten or used in an inappropriate manner. For instance, smaller children just love to draw and paint on themselves. One of my infant son's favorite pastimes is to eat his sister's crayons. So, supervision is a must.

Whether it is for a gift or just for fun, done individually or in a group, children's crafts can be a great activity for you and your child. Try your hand at creating great children's crafts today!

Copyrights, Patents, & Trademarks for Selling at Craft Shows

Copyrights, are common concerns for craftspeople. If you've

invented a unique product, you will more than likely want to

protect it from others who can create knock-offs of your craft

show gem at cheaper prices. Although it may be flattering to

have created a craft item others want to duplicate, it can also

be a nightmare to see your distinctive creation on the Home

Shopping Network! The United States Patent and Trademark

Organization Web site (www.uspto.gov) is a good place to learn

the differences between trademarks and patents and to learn what

is best for your situation. For more information and to apply

for a copyright go to http://www.copyright.gov.

Although attorneys may be costly, some offer free 30-minute

consultations, so you may be able to find one who can tell you

what's the best protection for your craft show product. If you

find the costs are prohibitive for you to secure a trademark,

patent or whatever you find you need, you'll just have to take

your chances without one. Again, check with other crafters

through shows and forums, as well as your craft organizations to

find out what they've done to protect their crafts. Those who

have come before you can ease your way so you don't have to

reinvent the wheel.

Your Copyright

"A copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of

'original works of authorship' including literary, dramatic,

musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, both

published and unpublished. The 1976 Copyright Act generally

gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to reproduce

the copyrighted work, to prepare derivative works, to distribute

copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work, to perform the

copyrighted work publicly, or to display the copyrighted work

publicly. This includes your craft show products.

The copyright protects the form of expression rather than the

subject matter of the writing. For example, a description of a

machine could be copyrighted, but this would only prevent others

from copying the description; it would not prevent others from

writing a description of their own or from making and using the

machine. Copyrights are registered by the Copyright Office of

the Library of Congress." (www.copyright.gov)

Most people think of copyrights for books or music and not

creative arts like paintings or crafts, but a copyright can

protect all forms of creative expression and visual arts. Visual

arts are defined as original pictorial, graphic and sculptural

works, which include two-dimensional and three-dimensional works

of fine, graphic and applied art. Some examples are:

Artificial flowers and plants Artwork applied to clothing or to

other useful articles Collages Dolls, toys Drawings, paintings,

murals Enamel works Greeting cards, postcards, stationery

Jewelry designs Mosaics Needlework and craft kits Original

prints, such as engravings, etchings, serigraphs, silk screen

prints, woodblock prints Patterns for sewing, knitting, crochet,

needlework Reproductions, such as lithographs, collotypes

Sculpture, such as carvings, ceramics, figurines, molds, relief

sculptures Stained glass designs Stencils, cut-outs Weaving

designs, lace designs, tapestries

A copyright gives the creator of the product exclusive rights to

produce, sell and distribute the item. When your work is

created, it is automatically copyrighted, however, for optimum

protection, it's best to apply for a copyright. When obtained,

you can add the copyright symbol (c) on all your materials.

Copyright your designs, so you have legal proof in case someone

copies your work. A copyright does not automatically keep

someone from stealing your designs--you'd have to find the

culprit and enforce your rights, which may not be a simple

matter and will require an attorney. Having the copyright,

however, may deter someone from copying you, so at least that's

a good place to start--and it only costs $30 per copyright!

Art Craft Tutorial - Jump-Start Your Crafts Business With an Art and Craft Tutorial

Learning a new skill is never easy, especially when it requires a lot of practice. When you are looking to start a crafts business and need to develop some new areas of expertise, there is nothing more valuable than an art and craft tutorial.

Art training may not seem like a natural "fit" for the online classroom, but the Internet can be one of the best places to get craft guidance. In a classroom setting, an instructor usually shows the class how to do a certain technique a few times, and then moves onto something else. However, when you are learning online, the same art and craft tutorial can be watched again and again. When you really need to master a new skill, this is the type of craft teaching that works best.

Whether you are looking to learn a new method of caning polymer clay, the best techniques for painting a realistic-looking landscape, or the basics of the color wheel, there are craft training videos available for you online. Craft training videos allow for a more comprehensive art and craft tutorial, with close-ups and instructions that are easy to understand. Plus, most of these videos come with PDF instructions for additional craft guidance.

Another way to use an art and craft tutorial is in a teaching situation. If you run a craft teaching business in your home, you know it is often much easier to teach your students a new technique when they can watch a video about it first. This gives you the ability to provide a step-by-step art and craft tutorial before starting a new project. It also shows them what the end result can look like.

No matter how you use them, craft training videos can be an invaluable tool for your crafts business.

About the Author Donna Kate is passionate about art and is the owner of CraftEdu Online Art University. She is the author of 3 books and has multiple shot videos and dvds.