Taking Advantage of Unique Marketing Opportunities

by Liz Stewart of Lush Beads

Sometimes, unique and fun marketing opportunities fall into your lap. This happened to the group of artists at the Western Avenue Studios recently, when we were asked if we would be interested in participating in Lowell's City of Lights parade. It is an annual event that kicks off the Christmas season. The parade brings thousands of visitors into the city each year, so it was a great opportunity to show off our creativity and hand out postcards about our upcoming
Holiday Open Studios event (happening 12-5pm December 6th and 7th, and
13th and 14th).

Rather than make a float, we decided to march as a unit and show off our musical talents...with kazoos. Yes, we had a kazoo band. A very colorful and creatively dressed kazoo band....
Here I am with my part-time employee Bailey:
Over the course of the parade, we played several songs and handed out hundreds of postcards to parade watchers. Even if only 10% of those people come to our Open Studios event, that's still between 50-100 new visitors! In addition, this parade is televised on the local cable
access channel throughout the holiday season.

While "marching in a parade" isn't my first thought when it comes to marketing, it turned out to be a great idea! I'll be keeping my eyes open for more unique marketing opportunities in the future.

By Kiki of All the Numbers

Hi everyone! I'm so glad to be a part of this vibrant team and I can't wait to meet all of you! Alright, so this is my first ever blog post of any kind, so please be lenient with me. I thought I would answer a few questions about myself and hopefully when we do get to meet you'll feel like you know me a bit.

Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, personal stuff):

My name is Kiki Fluhr. Not really. Really it's Kristin Fluhr but I'm not crazy about Kristin so you can all me Kiki. I've grown up in Quincy and after college at Brown and a few years in California and Mexico I live here again with my fabulous husband. I grew up on the water and though we can't afford that any more I miss hearing the waves when I fall asleep. The name of my store is from something my mum would say every night. She would say, "I love you all the numbers!" (Like, I love you infinity.)

How long have you been doing your artwork/craft?

I have always loved to do things with my hands. I learned to stitch before I could read using yarn and Styrofoam food trays while sitting in on the counter in the kitchen with my Mother. She tried to teach me to sew, like, really sew, when I was 12 but I was having no part of her "patterns." Instead I made lots of ill conceived pillow dresses and necktie skirts. I wish I had paid better attention. I began sewing again last year when I was recovering from a long illness and needed to feel productive. I found Etsy, and the rest is history! *dreamy sigh*

Describe your work:

I started making things for kids because everyone I know had a baby at the exact same time. (I'm not even kidding.) I had been crocheting blankets for them but when the babies started coming fast and furious I needed to find something that wasn't as time consuming. I bought a few vintage patterns and made some tiny dresses, and I kind of fell in love with the squeals I would get at baby showers. I made my first quilt when the idea popped unbidden into my head - I had all these great red fabrics and they just screamed to become flowers. I love making quilts for people because it is something that they can use everyday; it can become a real part of their life. And I love the milestones that are associated with items for children - I have sold dresses that were worn on the first day of nursery school or kindergarten, and had moms tell me that because of that they will save the dress forever. I love that!

Why should people buy handmade?

In a world where you can find cookie cutter everything, handmade offers one of a kind things that break the mold. Everything I have bought on Etsy has a story, and whether I know that story or not, I feel like it makes my life richer.

How long have you been involved with Etsy and what have your experiences been?

I opened my shop in June and didn't sell anything for 6 weeks. Then I entered a dress into the Handmade Kids contest and it won First Place! That opened so many doors for me and my sales kind of took off. I love Etsy and everyone has been so kind and lovely.

Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups:

This is always my favorite part of the featured seller articles!

Books I love:

Sandman by Neil Gaiman (the best books ever written)

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Woman Warrior by Maxine Hing Kingston

Pride and Prejudice

Movies I love:

All the Real Girls

Garden State

Amelie

Lost in Translation

Donny Darko

Music:

Rilo Kiley and Jenny Lewis

The Pixies

MIA

Tilly and the Wall (They have tap dancers instead of drums!)

Regina Spektor

Other things I could live without but would be very sad about it:

This American Life

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Is there anything about you that would surprise people to know?

When I was little my fondest wish was to be a trapeze artist. Man did I ever want to fly.

Celebrate At Boston Handmade Downtown TONIGHT

Join Boston Handmade for a reception with the exhibitors TONIGHT,
Thursday, December 4th, 5:30-7:30pm
at our holiday retail gallery in Boston's Downtown Crossing shopping district:
505 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02130
right across the street from Eddie Bauer

See the one-of-a-kind and limited edition fine art and craft up close and meet the local artists and artisans who created each piece by hand.

Refreshments will be provided by Ivy Restaurant

Collage Everywhere

by Linda B. Dunn

Sometimes a new idea comes on like spontaneous combustion. Was it a marathon of Mad Men episodes? Or the aprons from my mom's house? Or the pile of print scraps I started to use for fabric printing? Some how these combined to become Altered Aprons.I start with beautiful vintage aprons: clean, hardly used, many hand-made. Then I rummage through my stash of images and words, looking for something that "rhymes," that makes the apron sing.
I applique words and quotations. I add photos and prints. Sometimes I print directly on to the fabric. Then I stitch around all the edges, by machine or by hand, and add buttons or lace for punctuation. Women are snapping them up at my shows. "I'm going to wear this to work!" one laughed. Many tell me about their own memories of Mom and her aprons. I love the feeling of connection from one generation to the next.

Open Studios THIS SATURDAY!

Open Studios with Kirsten Bassion

Once a year the studio I co-own with my friend Doreen opens it's doors to the public and gives all of our artists-in-residence an opportunity to show and sell their work.

This is the third annual Lydia Pinkham Open Studios. Come see the artist of the North Shore Clay Studio (www.nsclaystudio.com) and all the other artist in the old factory building who will open their doors as well. There will be pottery, sculptures, paintings, collages, and illustrations.

So come support your local north shore artists!
ONE DAY ONLY!
December 6 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The Lydia Pinkham Building
271 Western Ave.
Lynn, MA 01904

Workspace Wednesday...

with Kirsten of Kirsten Bassion on Etsy.com

This is my workspace right before our annual Open Studio Sale last year. This year it will be on December 6th from 10-4pm. The space is in the old factory of Lydia Pinkham Products, a cure-all tonic for women. (271 Western Ave, Lynn, MA 01904) If you had any "female" problem you just take the Lydia Pinkham tonic and you were cured. She was a huge hit during the turn of the century until they were forced to revile that the tonic was 18% alcohol! Now the building is full of artist and small businesses.

The North Shore Clay Studio which I started with my friend Doreen is now a thriving clay studio for students and independent artist like myself.

More info on the Open Studios and NSCS here, and see here for more info on Kirsten Bassion's work.

Craftland 2009

By Beth of Elizabeth Brennick Designs

As we were preparing for the opening of the Boston Handmade store in Downtown Crossing another store south of here was doing their share of renovation and decorating. Craftland is an annual retail craft show in a unique consignment store format in downcity Providence, RI. The show is in their seventh year and features a fantastic assortment of fine craft and handmade kitsch.

I stopped by there recently to drop off my inventory, put in my work hours, and pick up some cool postcards designed by Jen Corace. Another Boston Handmader Jen Paulousky of Blue Alvarez Designs will be showing her knitwear and clothing at Craftland.
Craftland is located at 235 Westminister St. in downtown Providence, RI. It's open December 5th to the 24th. Open seven days a week from 11 am to 6 pm and 11am to 8pm Thursday's and Saturday's. You can go to www.craftlandshow.com and view the amazing vendor list. Also check out the events they will be hosting there. Some include a book signing with Faythe Levine, co-authur of Handmade Nation and the Buy Art Night sponsored by Whole Foods.

Here's an assortment of some of my goods that I dropped off: craft aprons, appliqued onesies, bibs, baby caps, wrist pin cushions, felt brooches, felt bird hair clips, sunglass cases, button tacks, button hair elastics, and the list goes on and on. So take the pledge and buy handmade this holiday season.

Monday Mosaic

Back to basics this gray Monday morning in Boston with a black and white inspired mosaic featuring images from Boston Handmade members:
Sea Glass Things
K. Hawkins PhotographyYarn Obsession
Breton Blue
Fraske Designs
The Hole Thing
Linda B. Dunn
Lush Beads
MaJenta Designs
Vintage by Crystal
Stonehouse Studio
Christine Marie Art
thirteenthstory
Mimi K