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.

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

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.

Homemade Art and Craft

Whenever any special occasion comes, it also came with the celebration at that time. No celebration is considered complete with party and no party is complete without gift. Gift doesn't mean buying expansive thing and deliver it to the host. A gift indicates the love and care that you have in your heart. If a homemade or self made gift is presented to the person, it seems more valuable.

Gifts that are homemade not only reveal your ability it also indicates your love and affection. Homemade gifts are inexpensive but they are fun to make, also, it is priceless for love and creativity that goes into them. To make homemade crafts you need not any special and expansive things. You can make your gift even with the waste things and with vegetables. Some of the effective methods with the list of items are mentioned below.

Vegetable craft
Vegetable art is a simple and less time consuming. Even children can make different and beautiful items with the help of vegetables. For making crafts you need some vegetables, a piece of cloth and fabric colors. It is your option you can make length or breathe wise slices of capsicum or any vegetable that is chosen by you. You can make beautiful patterns with the help of vegetable.

Take a capsicum and cut in two pieces. Take fabric color and apply the paint on cut edge of capsicum. You can take any color of your choice. Now, make the petals of flower with this by pressing it on the cloth. Take lady finger and cut in length wise apply green color to it for making leaves of petals of flower. You can punch this flower design any side of cloth either in center, middle or side of the cloth.

Valentine Craft - Express You Love in a Unique Way

Valentine's Day is a special day for the people who are in love. This is the most awaited day of the year as people express their love to their beloveds for first time. And those who have expressed their feelings of love on earlier occasions they express it again as to strengthen the existing relationship. Most of the lovers present gifts to each other and thus express their love. There are end number of things that could be presented as gifts. But the pre-requisite of gifts is that they must carry some love value or message. Some intense lovers use some unique ideas to express their love like valentine craft. When you make some special artifact through your own hands to be presented to your valentine, the craft is called valentine craft.

Some Valentine Craft Ideas are written below:
1. Heart Shaped Pillow or Cushion: To make a heart shaped pillow or a cushion for your sweetheart is a lovely idea. The dark red color should be the preferred color. If the fabric used is velvet, its smoothness will be adored by your sweet heart. The stuffing of the artifact should be cotton or similar soft material so that it gives comfort to the user. Some amount of embroidery on the surface of pillow or cushion will aggrandize the beauty more. If the furnished valentine craft is light and soft enough, it may be used as a soft toy too.

Valentine Cards:
2. You can use your valentine craft talent in making beautiful cards too. Since cards have two basic features of beauty as well as unique message, their significance is great. You can take a piece of paper in proper dimensions, and then you may draw some wonderful love symbols like rose, heart, cupid's arrow etc. You can choose any theme of your choice to be drawn on the card. But message is the most important part of the valentine cards. It should be written very carefully and from the heart. This message will convey the intensity of your love and your hard work in making the card will be paid off.

2. Scrap Book: Making a scrap book is also an attractive valentine craft idea. You can paste your most precious moments spent together or the things that your sweetheart adores on this scrap book. The manual treatment done in placing those precious pictures and the efforts put to make the scrap book look beautiful will always be rewarded in form of unbounded love of your beloved.

Where to Find Inexpensive Art and Craft Supplies

You are a Hobbyist and find crafts very fulfilling. However, engaging in arts is also expensive. What to do then? Where to go for cheap art and craft supplies? May be somewhere mentioned in the following list!

Local Library: For old, colorful magazines and books that can be used in collage, mixed media and altered art.

Recycle Groups: Join the groups in your area on some recycle websites. You might get a bag of fabric scraps or some old leather item for your next project.

Online Communities for Classifieds: Check the network of online communities, featuring free online classified advertisements. You might get something at lower prices.

Thrift and Resell Stores: Most of them have a section of art and craft supplies. Otherwise too, you might find other items that you can turn into craft supplies especially when you need fabric or books.

Family, Friends, and Neighbors: Check with them. Exchange items among yourselves. What is a waste for them, might be useful for you and vice versa.

Local Shops and Decorators: Upholstery, furniture shops and decorators might be willing to sell their scrap to you at very low prices. Don't hesitate to ask them though politely. Grocery shops can also give you wooden crates etc.

Local Dollar Store: Not all will be quality material but it's a good location to look at and stock up on some basics like paint brushes and storage containers.

Children's Discarded Stationary: Look into the discarded stationary items, pencil boxes, bags etc. of you own or relatives, friend's children. You might find craft paper, crayons, paints etc. from there.

Discount Websites: There are many discount websites. Check them, see what online bargains can you get. You might find promotional codes and free shipping offers, saving yourself a lots of money.

The Benefits of a Craft Activity Kit

Whether you make your own or you buy one, it's always a good idea to have as many of your arts and craft materials in one place. The Chadwick Ultimate Activity Kit gives you a great start. It comes in an A3 plastic case for easy transporting. Because it is A3 size you can also use it to keep your art work safe. If you make your own craft activity kit it's always best to start with an A3 size carrying case as A4 size probably would not be big enough.

The most important item in the kit is something to create upon - either paper or card - or better still a combination of both paper and card. As well as plain white it's always a good idea to have a mixture of colours as these will add contrast to your children's craft ideas.

Colouring pens are probably the next most important thing so that your children can draw out what they want. Stencils are also useful, especially if your child isn't that artistic. With a bit of practice and patience, stencils allow any child to create beautiful shapes.

Plastic scissors are also useful for your child to cut the coloured paper and card up, but even better would be pre-cut gummed shapes and stickers. You can get animal shapes or simple geometric shapes. Your children can add a third dimension to their art works by building up the shapes on top of each other.

Of course glue is vital for the things most children like best - buttons, stars and sequins. Along with pipe cleaners these can make a good art work great. Bits of tissue paper or crepe paper can really look good as well. Working with small fiddly objects can really improve your child's concentration.

Once you have the basics, you can go even further by adding things like pom poms, holographic paper and fluorescent shapes. Foil stickers and metallic card can also work wonders. Foam shapes are also great for three dimensional works of art.

As well as normal art works for display, your children could create their own cards. It's easy to find blank cards and envelopes. Just one reminder - make sure you have bigger envelopes if your child is making a 3D card. You also need to watch out for postage in the UK as prices have gone up for anything that's thicker than 5mm.

Once you have a craft activity kit, you can use it at home to store all your art and craft materials in one place. If your children know where they should store something they are more likely to tidy up after themselves. It's always useful to keep packets, especially for the small items, such as sequins and stars as they will get lost easily.

The activity kit can also be used on journeys and away from home. Because it's lightweight it's easy to carry about. On a journey, it will make time fly by. If you're in an unfamiliar place, it's always useful to rely on a craft activity kit to entertain your children, especially if the weather turns against you. Even at home, your children will have hours of fun if it's raining outside and it's much easier to have everything in one place.

Here is a list of some of the best items to have in a Craft Activity Kit:
A3 Plastic Carrying case
Coloured Paper
Coloured Card
White Paper
White Card
Colouring Pens
Stickers and Pre-Gummed Shapes
Stencils
Plastic Scissors
Glue
Pipe Cleaners
Buttons
Sequins
Stars
Pom Poms
Felt Shapes
Tissue Paper
Crepe Paper

Phulkari Art of Punjab - A Novel Indian Craft

Punjab is a happening place in India. Various craft forms often synchronize with the popular folk music and produce an enchanting effect. People of Punjab are said to be very hard working and diligent at their vocation. Phulakri is predominantly a handiwork of the female folks of Punjab. The literal meaning of phulkari is flowering. This craft involves the embroidery of the flowering patterns on dupattas, shawls and other garments.

Evolution of the Craft:
Phulkari is done with huge interest and enthusiasm by the women. They started doing it in the backdrop of remaining free at home while their husbands were working away in the fields. It started off in the sixteenth century as amateurish disposition and evolved to a developed craft in 19th century.

How Phulkari is Done:
This craft is done as making artistic small darn stitch over the cloth. These stitches are done in innumerable designs making the cloth immensely beautiful. When the stitches are made all over the body of the cloth, the prepared piece is called "Bagh". The base cloth used for this purpose is home-spun, locally-woven and dyed khadi. The thread used is silk yarn also called Pat, that is imported from the various corners of Kashmir, Bengal, China and Afghanistan.

Colors and Designs:
The popular colors used in making phulkari are golden, yellow, crimson, orange, green, blue and pink. You may get to see plenty of designs in geometrical as well as natural patterns. Among figures, prominently of flowers, leaves, birds, animals and of human are popular. The figures of vegetables, pots, buildings, rivers, sun and moon are also displayed quite often. The baghs carrying dhoop-chhaon (sun-shade) patterns are very popular all over Punjab. Similarly, Dhaniya bagh (coriander), Motia Bagh (jasmine), Satranga Bagh (rainbow), Leheria Bagh (wavy) etc. are also very famous. Most sought after phulkaris are said to be Sainehi Phulkaris that carry the scenes of rural Punjab.

Significance of Phulkaris:
Phulkari craft has played a significant role in defining the popular mood of Punjab. The phulkari designing and the scenes displayed on the clothes has been inspiration for various folk songs and other cultural activities. They show the feelings and emotions of the people. Phulkari done garments are exchanged in the familial ties essentially. It is said that bride when leaves for the house of groom, she is given many sets of Baghs to be worn in the in-law's home. They have some religious significance too. They are used as the canopy over the holy scripture of Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib.

Online Tips For Kids Craft Ideas

You might know this already, kids love craft projects! And lucky for you, finding them isn't hard to do. Yup, that's right! Thanks to the internet, with few clicks in your mouse, you'll ideas, patterns and instructions. But the tricky part is you just have to know where to look!

Here are few tips to get you started.
1. Thank God, we have Google! Use a search engine, Google, Bing, or Yahoo to find ideas and patterns. Type in few keywords to initiate the search, such as "kids crafts","craft patterns" or "craft ideas". You should find a few of the online sites based from those keywords.
2. Hey, those are lots of sites, you know? Right! And you can always further narrow your search by adding age-specific words like "kindergarten, children or teenagers". You see, there are tons of sites categorize their collection of craft patterns, how-to articles and ideas by age and gender.
3. You find the site? Well, okay, once you have located an online site that offers craft ideas, first you have get this site to bookmark! Then you should spend time to browse through all content inside of it.
4. You find those ideas? Yup, when you get the ones which are right for the age group or activity you're searching for, then save them! Yeah, save a copy to a folder on your computer for future use.

Have a wonderful time? While you're online, you might think to check out At Kinder Art, Craft 4 Kids, Amazing Moms, or Exciting Scout Crafts. You'll find these websites are great recourses teachers, home schools or anyone who wants to teach their children about art.

You'll find huge collection of kids crafts, art lessons, cross curricular art, seasonal kids' arts and more. They got pictures, a list of necessary items and detailed instructions. And the contents are for various age and talent levels. Yup, you'll find many kids crafts to choose from!

Learn About Indian Art And Craft Online

India is a land of culture. It is also a land of multi ethnicity. As people of different religions, castes and communities, India has a wide variation in its culture. Not only the Indian culture but also the art works and the craft forms of India show its diversity. The art forms and the craft works of India have received immense popularity among people. For a time immemorial the Indian art forms have attracted the attention of people from all across the globe and they are interested to know more on this subject.

In the recent years, many students have selected Indian art and craft as a subject of their study. They have travelled all the way to India to get a better idea of the art and craft works. Indian art forms as well as the craft works have a uniqueness of their own. If you are interested to get a better idea of this art form, you will have to check out for the history of this art work. When you are considering about the art forms of India, you should note that it has a rich history and it will not be possible for you to understand the subject if you do not check its history.

If you can travel all the way to India for conducting research work on the subject, it is quite obvious that you will have better chances of presenting an excellent research work. However, if you are interested to know about the Indian arts and crafts work just for your knowledge, traveling all the way to India is not a necessity. You can collect the basic information about Indian crafts and art works from your own place. Several books are available on this subject. You can purchase any of those books and read them thoroughly for understanding the depth of the subject.

You can also check out different e-books that are available online. If you search the internet thoroughly, it will not be a big deal for you to find different books written by experienced authors. When you are looking out for different books written by the experts, it will always be better for you to trust the authentic ones. All the information provided on the internet might not be useful for serving your purpose. So, you should check the authenticity of the source before trusting it. By checking the authentic sources, you may also be able to get relevant information on art and craft ideas.

Many online libraries provide complete details of the Indian art works, craft works and painting. In the online libraries, you will not only be able to find several books but also you will be able to get hold of several old manuscripts. If you check out these manuscripts, you will be able to form a better idea of the beginning and development of Indian art works and craft works. To get the relevant information online, you might have to spend a few dollars but do not make compromises with the authenticity of information for money. Compromising the information for money will only be a waste of your time and effort that you have invested for the work.

Masters of Their Craft - The Art of the Barista

Mastering the processes of coffee and espresso in particular, is actually considered a genuine art form. And those artisans who've perfected their skills to expert level hold the distinguished title of 'barista' for they are certainly masters of their craft.

Barista Trivia
The word barista is in fact, an American English term derived from the Italian word for bartender (baristi, male; bariste, female), in as much as coffee servers typically brew and serve from behind a café counter, or 'bar'. But don't get the wrong impression from that definition. Baristas are truly so much more than glorified coffee servers. These men and women have perfected the art of brewing and are highly knowledgeable in everything having to do with their profession including roasting, grinding, tamping, brewing, pouring and more. They are also designers in their own right, as they create innovative variations based from more traditional recipes and also illustrate amazing images in the foam-topped cups by utilizing special techniques obtained from hours of practice.

The Cream of the Coffee Crop
Another interesting factoid about baristas is that there are competitions held all over the globe wherein these aficionados showcase their skills for all to see, taste and smell. Can you imagine the wonderfully aroma-filled air you would experience walking into one of these judging arenas? And every year, one auspicious artisan is chosen as the 'best of the best' at an internationally renowned contest known as the World Barista Championship or WBC, for short. Originating in Norway, the WBC is quite a spectacular event and one that provides a great place of coveted honor - not just for the champion, but to all those who partake in the event as well.

To Be a Barista
Achieving barista status takes time - and a respectable sum of it, there is no doubt. A barista possesses a passion for the coffee products he uses and produces, and views it as much more than a 'job'. It is a true profession and one that is admirable as well. If you aspire to become a barista, either at-home or world-renowned, strive to achieve as much insight, knowledge and skill of all things coffee as it will greatly assist your artisan endeavor.

Silly Crafts - Craft Making is a Special Bonding Experience For Families

Making silly crafts is a fun way for families to spend time together. Craft time is always a special bonding time for families, and making things silly livens this time up even more!

Wiggle Sunglasses
You'll need a cheap pair of sunglasses (plastic and colorful are best, try the local dollar store), wiggly eyes (of assorted sizes, they come in different colors also), and glue. Simply glue the wiggly eyes on the frame of the glasses. Let dry. All eyes will definitely be on you when you wear these glasses!

Slime
For this project you'll need water, food coloring and cornstarch. Mix 1 cup of the cornstarch with 1 cup of the water. Kneed with your hands until smooth. Make it a little less slimy by adding a second cup of cornstarch. Either break down the batch to smaller batches and create a whole rainbow of slime, or use the one batch for one color using the food coloring. This, the stickiest and slimiest of all silly crafts, will have your kids using their best (read: grossest) creativity imaginable!

Putty
Who doesn't love silly putty? A mainstay of every child's toy box, silly putty can be made at home and also stored in a colorful egg. You'll need 2 cups of glue, 1 cup starch, optional food coloring (you don't have to color your silly putty), and colorful plastic eggs. Pour the glue and add food coloring (if desired), mix the starch in with your hands slowly. Using your hands, continue mixing for 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container, or a plastic egg!

Hats
You can pretty much make hats out of anything - a perfect base for a silly crafts project. Gather all of the objects you can think of that might make a silly hat like paper plates, construction paper, aluminum foil, baskets, fabric with buttons, bowls and let the kids have at it! For the objects they can decorate, offer markers, crayon and even paint.

Silly Pens
The items you'll need for this project are a ballpoint pen, chenille (wire-free), tacky glue, 10mm wiggle eyes, and turkey feathers. Drop a thin line of glue near the pen's tip, then attach the chenille, wrap the glue around the pen and spiral the chenille up around over it, all the way to the top of the pen. Snip off excess at the top, then secure the remainder to the top of the pen with glue. Glue the wiggle eyes to one side of the pen, then the turkey feathers to the other. This is one of the silly crafts projects that is perfect for kids or teens!

Reindeer Head
This project is perfect for babies and preschoolers. Any time children get to take off their shoes they are in heaven! Items needed are red and brown construction paper, scissors, a pencil, glue, and either crayons or makers. Trace the child's hands and one foot over the brown construction paper, then cut out. Glue to another sheet of paper by placing the foot cutout as the head of the reindeer, and the hand cutouts as the antlers. Let the child decorate with crayons and markers!

Bamboo Crafts - Best Art and Craft Gift Items

Handicraft is an art form which is acquainted for the livelihood and support for human beings. Bamboo crafts has always been played a vital role in Indian culture. At present scenario, handicraft products are highly acclaimed for the decorative purposes which is quite popular amongst the generation of present scenario. Bamboo crafts manufacturers render a huge variety of furniture and other decorative items which are made out of bamboo sticks. As per the ever-changing market trends, various B2B portal have been included a huge variety of bamboo made products. You will find an immense variety of different kind of bamboo made products in numerous styles and design patterns in the form of furniture, decorative items, mats, basket, lamp shades, table top item and many more. Bamboo crafting is the oldest traditional art work which is mostly practiced by the rural people. In ancient time, It has been used for multiple domestic utility purposes for keeping goods.

There is a broad marketplace of handicraft products in the global marketplace. Bamboo crafts manufacturers introduce you an enticing range of Eco-friendly products which are extremely used for its unique yet stylish appearance. These are usually known as a clean and pure product so that highly used for religious purposes mostly at holy places. It has its own significance which is available in the market at most affordable prices. Bamboo crafts manufacturers are offering a huge variety of versatile handcrafted products that exhibit the true craftsmanship of artisans.

Market leading manufacturers have been found the marketplace for displaying their products, at B2B portal where they cannot just display their products but also introduce the special features of their products. The visitors can also get the informative knowledge of all listed products which has been displayed on any portal. The organizations also get the business profit through these B2B marketplace. Visitors can also get the complete detailed information of any company and their products along with the contact number so that one can directly deals with them. These products are extensively used for various purposes and also appreciated for its unique yet aesthetic look as well as light weight.

Dokra Craft - Dokra Art Travels to London, Paris and Milan Fashion Stores!

Since time immemorial, Indians have associated particular tribal districts of Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh with the folk art of Dokra or Dhokra. Dokra craft is a type of metal craft falling under the genre of brassware handicrafts. And this humble Indian handicraft is now making its way to foreign shores and earning fame for itself on its own terms in the fashion stores of Paris, Milan and London.

Why has Dokra craft suddenly become so highly coveted?
The reasons for this are plenty. Dokra craft, just like any other type of Indian handicrafts, was dying a slow death. Even a few years back, it was difficult to find quality or even accomplished Dokra craftsmen and metal smiths.

The dearth or paucity of skilled labor resulted in dwindling supplies and the prices of the end products sky rocketed upwards. Naturally, the demand also went down because of the escalating prices. Even the designs and patterns on Dokra items had become outdated.

But there has been a turnaround for this industry, which was nothing short of a wonder. And this wonder has been brought about by latest and advanced technology, adoption of latest product designs and patterns and newness/innovation of motifs. The line of products has undergone sea change and there has been a sudden burst in manufacture of beautiful napkin rings, serving sets, good quality vases etc.

The proliferation of new design developments along with the latest technologies have enabled the Dokra craftsmen to bring out lines of Dokra products that are usable and which can be put to good use by clients in the contemporary world markets.

A new design artist called Mukul Goyal is helping out the Dokra craftsmen in their endeavor to develop altered and contemporary ranges of Dhokra art and Dokra craft. The Dokra craftsmen are also being helped by Mr. Goyal in the marketing of Dokra items in foreign markets. These people have together developed and brought out 10 new ranges or product lines.

Some of those items in the product lines are door handles, flower vases, napkin rings, lamps, food grade etc. There are however limitations to the art, as practiced by these Dokra craftsmen. All the Dokra art pieces are hand crafted, and so the finishing isn't of excellent quality. So, those Dokra products which have to be exported have to undergo detailing and final finishing by machines in some other place.

Dokra Craft - Dhokra Art of Bengal Unveiled For You

Dokra craft is tribal in origin - this is perhaps something that we are already extremely familiar with. Dokra craft is supposed to be cast in metal using the lost wax technique or cire perdue as it is popularly known in France. However there is something individualistic about Dokra craft.

Although Dokra figures and figurines are cast on metals like brass, bell metal etc, there is a hidden layer of clay core concealed within the mold. The most unique characteristic of Dokra craft is that you will never find two similar pieces of Dhokra art for each and every single piece is unique.

You will find Dokra/Dhokra castings in religious figures, tribal folklore symbols, religious figures and figurines, chains, lamps, lamp holders, religious animals etc.

Dhokra metal craft which basically has a tribal origin is abundantly found in the tribal pockets of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Vindhya hills and in Bengal. In Bengal, you will find the Dokra kamars or metal smiths settled in the tribal belts of Midnapore, Bankura, Birbhum, Purulia and Burdwan.

In Chhattisgarh, the Dokra artisans are settled in the districts of Bastar and Raigarh. The Dokra artists of Bastar can be distinguished by their use of coiled thread technique, not seen in any other Dokra settlement or Dokra figurines. The two places famed for being Dokra manufacturing units are Ushegaon and Chittalbori in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh. The Dokra figurines of this region are characterized by uniqueness and individuality.

This individualistic touch is due to the hand crafted dexterity and skill that these Dokra artifacts boast of. However, although metal casting is used in Dokra craft, they are different from other types of metal craft. Although it is mostly brass scrap and bell metal that are used to manufacture Dokra craft, there remains a hollow core inside the metal casting consisting of a clay core.

It is a matter of grave concern that in spite of being an art form that involves high skill labor and out of the world creativity and in spite of its huge demand in international markets and among discerning art lovers across the globe, the government in India isn't doing much to encourage or patronize this slowly dying Dokra craft. But a strong demand in foreign shores has resulted in a new found resurgence and resurrection of Dokra craft in Bengal.

Paper Craft - The Art Of Making Paper For Gifts

We often consider making paper to be a very complicated, skilled process and of course, that can be true. But it's not hard to craft paper yourself at home with very little equipment. The only special item you'll need is a mould. This is a wooden frame with a mesh stretched across it to act as a filter or sieve. It's very simple to make your own mould - just fasten four pieces of wood together in a rectangular shape to make the frame. Use 3/4" x 2" wood (20 x 50 mm) and make the inner dimensions of the frame the size of the paper you want to make. The frame needs to be about 2" (200 mm) in depth. Then cover the frame with tightly stretched mesh - mosquito net or just a piece of net curtain is fine. Make sure it's securely fastened to the edge of the frame. You'll also need a large container to hold water, about the size of a baby bath.

Now you're ready - let's get started! To make the pulp collect together a variety of unwanted paper (this craft is great for recycling). avoid newspaper (not pretty) and glossy magazines (the gloss makes them unsuitable) but you can use tissues, art paper, envelopes, discarded letter paper or copier paper - these are all suitable. Then tear the paper into about 1" (25 mm) square pieces and soak it in water. The soaking time depends on the paper you're using. Tissues will take under an hour, while high quality paper may take up to 3 days. Using hot water will speed up the process.

The next step is to macerate the paper in a blender or food processor. Add a couple of cups of water to each small handful of the paper. (225 ml). You only want to blend until the fibres separate, so be cautious and use short bursts. If you blend for too long your paper will be very smooth and you won't have that rustic, handmade quality which is so attractive. Put the blended pulp into another container. A blenderful will make about 1 letter-sized sheet, so continue until you've blended as much as you think you'll need.

Now comes the even more fun part - making the paper! You can add all sorts of small things to give your paper an individual feel. For a country theme add some tiny feathers or pressed leaves and flowers. For Christmas or a child's party you can add sparkles, or tiny foil shapes. If you'd like to colour the paper, you can use natural dyes like blueberry or beetroot juice, onion skins, turmeric or coffee grounds, or you can purchase commercial dyes from craft stores. Just stir your dye into the pulp, adding a little at a time until you have the colour you want. Remember though, the colour will lighten as the pulp dries.

Stir the pulp well and dip your frame vertically into the far side of your container then, in one smooth movement, tip it towards you so it's lying horizontally beneath the pulp and lift it out, holding it level. Then, quickly, before the water's drained away, give it a little shake to even it out. Don't wait too long before doing this or the paper will become too dry and tear when you shake it. If this happens, just scrape it back into the container and try again.

Leave your frame to drain, then place in a warm place to dry out. This will take anything from 2 - 24 hours. Then peel it from the frame using a palette knife. That's it - you're done! Crafting your own homemade paper is a great family activity - why not get the kids involved too?

Don't forget to wrap up in aprons to keep them clean and dry, do take a look at these great designs for kids. You can use your paper as a whole sheet, or fold it to make cards and matching envelopes. Crafting home made paper is a wonderful way to recycle - and if you enjoy recycling and vintage products, check out our vintage linen aprons, all made from genuine antique European linen.