Blog Feed: Craftdom.com

Free WordPress Training - Webinar Summit

Published on 2013-02-21 12:18:00

WordPress is a great solution for profecional-looking websites. I've been wanting one since long but felt intimidated by the complexity of the website-building. Then I found WordPress Academy and things started looking less scary. Now they offer a fr

A Different Approach To Tackling Low Sales

Published on 2012-04-06 14:49:00

"Tapping Into Ultimate Success" is a free video I watched yesterday and it helped me change my attitude to many issues regarding my work. After watching it and tapping along with Pamela Bruner and Jack Canfield (yes, this is the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" guy), I not only worked more efficiently than normal but also got a few unexpected sales from my online shops. In other words, I had to share:-)Pamela Bruner is a certified EFT practitioner specializing in utilizing tapping for clearing the in [..]

Etsy Pick: a Reversible Floral Bag

Published on 2012-04-04 03:53:00

I really liked this lovely bag by Star Bags on Etsy. It is made of previously unused vintage upholstery fabrics and is reversible - it's as if you get two bags in one:-)

Update on IntoStores and Greg Avila - Be Cautious!

Published on 2012-03-14 05:40:00

Back in June 2010 Craftdom informed you about spam emails sent to many crafty people with the promise of helping them get their handmade goods in retail shops.IntoStores has remained active in their attempts to lure people into signing up for their paid service. They claim to work with many retail shop owners and buyers, who can't wait to start stocking your produce. The main scheme is exactly the same as 2 years ago and they continue offering one-time discounts on the set-up fee, which seem to [..]

DaWanda Pick: The Most Unusual Clock I've Ever Seen

Published on 2012-03-07 04:20:00

I love it, I absolutely do.At first I couldn't figure out what it was, it just looked nice and the idea of recycling a circuit board sounded intriguing. Then I realized that it was a fully functional clock, one that you can put in your room or office and use as any other clock.It could be seen in the DaWanda shop of Debby Arem Designs. Debby is born and based in the US. She is a trained silk-screen artist, who later turned to beading jewelry and eventually embarked on a journey of creating uniqu [..]

Etsy Pick: an Exclusive Wire-Wrapped Pendant

Published on 2012-03-06 05:31:00

This gorgeous pendant is made from Croatian designer Ivona Posavi Psak. It is handcrafted from scratch with exclusive materials such as 925 and 999 silver, opaque red ruby and rhodolite garnet. I found it in Ivona's Etsy shop (it's called IMNIUM) and was absolutely stunned. Hope you'll like it too!More of her work could be found in IMNIUM's Facebook page.

A WOW Giveaway for Wire-Crocheting Lovers

Published on 2012-03-03 16:18:00

You might not believe it but Yael from Yoola is giving away a wire crochet online class AND kit!It is a spot on her online class for beginners (worth 170$), which will focus on the construction of 3D objects using a tiny crochet hook and copper wire - and the materials needed will be shipped to you by post.In order to participate, you should go to Yael's blog and comment about your favorite item in her Etsy shop. You also get additional points for spreading the word about the giveaway.The winner [..]

A Giveaway for Tea Lovers

Published on 2011-11-01 04:09:00

"Skulls and Ponies" might sound scary, but it is a young British lady's lovely blog about sewing and other passions. Her name is Fran and right now she is holding a giveaway, which you might like to check out - especially if you happen to be a tea lover (or know someone, who is one).One lucky winner will receive a make up bag with teacup pattern, teapot ipod/iphone case and a hand embroidered badge 'I love tea', which are all lovingly handmade by Fran.The giveaway is open worldwide and ends on [..]

Pre-Christmas Value Pack from River Grace

Published on 2011-10-10 06:01:00

Hi there, it's River here. I normally don't use the platform of Craftdom for promoting my own gem angel jewelry, but now I have a special offer and wanted to let you know about it.With Christmas coming up, I put together an Advent Calender value pack of 24 gem angel charms. It is a mixed package of many different stones, and you do have a say when it comes to the choice of crystals and colors.When ordered separately 24 gem angel charms will cost over 120 Euro, but the pack price is lower than th [..]

Stitch Holders Giveaway, Ends October 17

Published on 2011-10-05 11:00:00

Lisa from Button Bliss is giving away 5 of her handmade stitch holders. They are absolutely adorable, don't they? I looked through Lisa's website and loved her cute creations, so make sure to check them out too.Now, these are the stitch holders she is giving away:The thread holders are approximately 76mm square and fit well in a stitching bag. They have smooth edges in order to protect the threads, and 10 holes - which means plenty of room for all threads required for a day or weekend away stitc [..]

My Memories - Digital Scrapbooking Software Giveaway, Ends October 16

Published on 2011-10-05 06:11:00

Gabriella from Principessa Gabriella is hosting a giveaway for a digital scrapbooking company called MyMemories. My Memories WebsiteGabriella had the opportunity to try out the software and you can see some examples on the contest page in her blog. My Memories could be used not only to make cute displays of your own photos, but also to help you when creating custom cards, calendars, gifts - or when blogging.The giveaway ends on October 16th. If you prefer to buy the giveaway, Gabriella is also o [..]

Quilts From Wales by DeAnne Hartwell-Jones

Published on 2011-08-11 08:17:00

While in Wales, I visited an exhibition of beautifully crafted quilts. It was surprising to see the spacious Minerva Arts Centre dedicated to textile crafts in a relatively small town, called Llanidloes. However, it turned out that Llanidloes was the place where Laura Ashley opened her first shop and later transformed her business into a giant empire offering everything from furniture and home decoration to clothing. There were two exhibitions taking place simultaneously in Minerva Arts Centre, [..]

Craft Giveaways, End August 9 to 15

Published on 2011-08-08 07:20:00

The Sewing Directory and The Eternal Maker are giving away a beautiful bundle of organic Birch Fabrics Avalon collection and a spool of recycled thread. Prizes must be shipped to an address within the UK or Ireland. All entries must be received by 6pm on Tuesday 9th August 2011. Click here to go to the competition page.To Sew With Love is giving away a floral pattern dress, size 4-6 US, 34-36 EU. The giveaway will be open until August 9 and a winner will be drawn the day after. Click here to go [..]

Machinations and Timberkits from Wales

Published on 2011-08-04 09:20:00

Machinations is a visitor centre in Mid Wales and the only permanent exhibition of contemporary Automata (mechanical moving models) in the UK. What is more, most of them are created and hand-crafted by the centre's founder and director Eric Williamson. Eric Williamson with one of his models. This one, called The Three Musicians, was severely damaged when a 14-year-old visitor climbed on it. It is now under reconstruction but will take a long time to repair, because many of the mechanical parts [..]

Are You Blaming Others Because You Don't Have Enough Clients?

Published on 2011-08-02 08:43:00

The following article is by Fabienne Fredrickson, a successful coach for small businesses and client attraction mentor. It was published in her latest ezine and gave me such a profound "aha-experience" that I printed it out to read again in more detail and work on the assignment. Although Fabienne's work is not dedicated to craft businesses, I felt that the article might be helpful for many of us.AreYou Blaming Others Because You Don't Have Enough Clients?"Themore you say to yourself, 'I am re [..]

Craft Giveaways: August 4 to August 15

Published on 2011-08-01 08:17:00

Paper Whimsy is offering a generous giveaway to one lucky winner - ten (10) free collage sheets (value up to $50) of the winner’s choice from the Collage Images category in their online shop. The giveaway is open worldwide, with the following stipulation: if the winner is located internationally you would have to select the option to download the collage sheets. People within the US can can choose either the download or printed paper option. Deadline for entries is August 4th at 11:59 pm Ce [..]

Fabric With Love from the UK

Published on 2011-07-08 01:34:00

This British company's slogan is "Beautiful fabrics chosen with love", and this is exactly how it looks like when browsing their website. They offer a broad range of quality 100% cotton fabrics by Red Rooster, Free Spirit, Michael Miller, P & B Textiles, Classic Cottons, Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner, Moda and many more. The company specializes in fabrics for quilts and crafts, such as patchwork, home furnishings and accessories. Fabrics are sold by the meter, or in packs - jelly rolls, [..]

Facebook Tricks: How To Import Your Blog Feed To Your Facebook Page

Published on 2011-07-05 09:36:00

This tutorial can be used by everyone who wants to link their blog to their Facebook page or profile. The blog feed will appear as part of your Facebook Notes.Step 1:If you want to import the blog feed to your page, start by switching your Face

Craft Giveaways, End July 5 - July 12

Published on 2011-07-04 08:13:00

Promotional Frenzy Team on Etsy is giving away over $300 in handmade goods from different team members. The prizes will be divided between 3 lucky winners. All entries must be received by July 5th, midnight Eastern time. Click here to go to the givea

Handmade Eco-Friendly Wooden Toys by Imagination Kids

Published on 2011-07-01 07:29:00

Imagination Kids on Etsy is a great place for parents, concerned about the quality and safety of the toys they give to their baby and young child. All items are handcrafted from sustainably harvested wood, AP Certified non-toxic paint, and homemade n

Sewing Supplies by Fresh-Squeezed Fabrics on Etsy

Published on 2011-06-29 02:48:00

Randi from Fresh-Squeezed Fabrics loves... well, fabrics - ever since she was a little girl and her grandmother carted her to the fabric store every weekend. Nowadays her love materializes in an Etsy shop full of gorgeous textiles.Fabric bundle, mixe

Tutorial: How To Make A Car CD Holder

Published on 2011-06-28 03:27:00

Georgia Leigh is the person, who created this beautiful design of a car CD holder - and she even wrote a tutorial to help you make it yourself! It looks colorful and fun, plus you can use leftover scraps from your favorite fabrics.Click Here to go to

Craft Giveaways, End June 28 - July 7

Published on 2011-06-27 02:25:00

The Sewing Directory and the Fabric Loft are offering 7 lucky winners the chance to win a pattern of their choice. All entries must be received before 6pm GMT on Tuesday 28th June 2011. Prizes can be shipped to addresses within Europe. Check out th

Blogs To Love: Suzy Sewing

Published on 2011-06-24 06:24:00

Suzy Sewing is an account of a young woman's creative journey. She started the blog in June 2010, happy that she had just received a sewing machine and learned to use its basic functions. It is amazing to see the projects with which she is challengin

What NOT To Do When Running a Craft Business

Published on 2011-06-23 06:54:00

Only sell products that are handmade by you.This sounds like a very obvious rule, but apparently there are folks who do not follow it. I recently featured an Etsy seller and even asked her for an interview. She never responded to my message, but abou

Stunning Crochet Patterns by Lisa van Klaveren

Published on 2011-06-22 00:50:00

I found Lisa van Klaveren while researching shops for my baby shoes series. She is a crochet designer who likes sharing her knowledge and expertise with others. Her Etsy and Ravelry stores are full of patterns with easy to follow instructions (accord

Tutorial: How To Make A Tutu Dress

Published on 2011-06-21 00:19:00

Here you will find the best tutorials for making a tutu dress, which Craftdom found on the web. All photos are by the authors of the tutorials. Jamie from Prudent Baby guides you how to make a classic ballet tutu attached to a tank top (or a t-shirt)

Craft Giveaways, End June 20 to June 30

Published on 2011-06-20 08:46:00

With The Lucid Dreamers you can win a website design starter bundle worth $675! The giveaway is open worldwide and will run through June 23rd. Click here for more details. BRP Designs offers the glass pocket vase with magnets on the back you see on t

Online Venues for Selling Crafts and Their Alexa Traffic Ranks - Update 2011

Published on 2011-06-17 09:05:00

Etsy is the most popular online marketplace for handmade goods, but there are also other alternatives. Last year Craftdom posted a series of three articles on this subject, describing in detail 20 popular online selling venues and putting them in ord

Baby Shoes for Boys by Pink2Blue

Published on 2011-06-16 08:52:00

Nowadays it is easier to find pretty clothes and shoes for girls, while boys are often left with less creative outfits. Craftdom made the effort to look for quality and nice handmade baby shoes for boys, and found Pink2Blue on Etsy.Lucas Golf Baby Ca

Baby Shoes by Bobka Baby

Published on 2011-06-15 15:15:00

Bobka Baby is a mother and daughter team, who design and handcraft baby shoes. They like to say "shoes" rather than "booties" and strive to make them as much "real shoes" as possible for a soft shoe. I find the finished creations absolutely swe

Tutorial: How to Make a Shop Banner or Blog Header Using Picnik

Published on 2011-06-14 00:37:00

If you are just setting up your online business with handmade products, or need to watch your expenses, you might prefer to start with a self-made shop banner. Danica from The Nerdy Penguin has put together a very user-friendly tutorial for making

Craft Giveaways, End June 13 to June 24

Published on 2011-06-12 23:10:00

Team T International comes up with an awesome offer - you can win a whole Etsy Treasury worth about $190! The giveaway is open until Monday, June 13. Click here to enter.The Sewing Directory gives away 4 copies of David & Charles latest hit Get T

Handmade Wedding Products - Overview

Published on 2011-06-10 08:51:00

Craftdom recently posted a series of articles about handmade products for weddings. Here you will find a brief summery, meant to make searching easier. Click on the titles in order to view the full texts.Where To Find Wedding Dress Patterns?Making yo

Why Online Coupons and Deep Discounts May Be Bad for Business

Published on 2011-06-09 07:22:00

Travel mug with lid by LorrieThis article is written by Lorrie Veasey from Lenny Mud on Etsy. She is a pottery artist with experience in crafting and selling handmade products. Here she shares her thoughts on the topic of huge discounts, provoked by

Tutorial: Baby Cocoon

Published on 2011-06-08 07:45:00

Click Here to go to the tutorial pageCocoons make great photo props and keep your baby warm and cozy. There are ready cocoons to buy, but you could knit one yourself. I recently found this lovely tutorial by Alicia, who is a stay at home mom to

The Answers: Why People Want To Craft

Published on 2011-06-07 09:21:00

The question came via Craftdom's search keywords and I am grateful that some creative people took the time to answer. Why Do You Enjoy Crafting?Rainbow Heart by Clara LunaClara Luna from The Rainbow Room: I HAVE to, I have so many ideas going round m

Crafty Giveaways, End June 7 to June 14

Published on 2011-06-06 15:12:00

28P gives away handmade wedding garters. The giveaway ends 7th June 2011. More details are available here. Concertina Press is offering a set of Seabird Thank You notes. The final drawing will be held Friday June 10th. Click here to go to the giveaw

Romantic Ring Pillows

Published on 2011-06-02 05:02:00

Craftdom's previous wedding-related post was about handmade rings, so it feels natural to continue the theme with ring pillows.Ivory Bloom on Green Silk Wedding Ring PillowWoomi Pyo is a South Korean designer, specialized in bridal accessories. She g

Why People Want To Craft?

Published on 2011-05-29 13:55:00

I check Craftdom's stats every now and again and find the search keywords especially interesting - these are the words/ sentences people typed in Google before landing on your page through one of the listed links, which came as result. However, there

Exclusive Handmade Wedding Rings

Published on 2011-05-25 09:44:00

14K rose gold ring with inlaid fresh water pearlsIt took a while to find distinctive handcrafted wedding rings on the web, but the result was worthy. And while Ilan and Oded's rings are not your usual wedding bands, they are highly original and capti

Crafty Giveaways, End Between May 25 and June 4

Published on 2011-05-24 09:12:00

The Sewing Directory offers two giveaways, in which a total of 6 people can win fabric packs from Makower. Both competitions are open worldwide. All entries must be received by midnight GMT 25th May 2011 for the first giveaway and 6pm GMT on Tuesday

Exceptional Crafts From Germany

Published on 2011-05-23 03:56:00

Whenever possible, I like to visit the craft shows I might be interested in before sending off my seller application. So yesterday we went to a show in a romantic Bavarian castle. Schloss HöhenriedThere were many jewelry, felt and textile artists. T

Blogs To Love: A Lemon Squeezy Home

Published on 2011-05-19 09:49:00

A Lemon Squeezy Home is a beautiful crafty blog packed with well-presented tutorials. Most of them are sewing-related, but you also find instructions for other handmade lovelies. Christie is a stay at home Mom of three lovely children, who amazingly

Paper-Cut Wedding Stationery and Decoration by Mama Tita

Published on 2011-05-17 15:19:00

Wedding Invitation SetI searched both Etsy and DaWanda for interesting handmade wedding invitations and found many nice examples. However, Mama Tita's designs left me speechless with their elegance, creativity and sophisticated usage of precise

Flower Girl Dresses on Etsy

Published on 2011-05-16 03:23:00

Keeping up with our Wedding Special, we will view some beautiful examples of handmade flower girl dresses.This white ruffle dress by Dress Baby Beautiful is not just adorable but also made of organic cotton. It hangs down to below the knee and has sp

Wedding Tiaras and More by Bridal Blooms

Published on 2011-05-04 09:30:00

After researching sources of wedding dress patterns and presenting an interesting designer who can custom-make your bridal gown, Craftdom continues its (handmade) Wedding Special with a post on tiaras.Etsy's Nancy Velazquez, aka Bridal Blooms, has a

Custom-Made Bridal Gowns by Sue Harold

Published on 2011-05-03 16:41:00

Yesterday Craftdom shared an article about wedding dress patterns. However, most of us are not talented seamstresses and would never consider making their own bridal gown. Shopping around for a ready dress is an alternative, but a further opportunity

Where To Find Wedding Dress Patterns?

Published on 2011-05-02 15:34:00

Wedding Dress Pattern by McCall'sMay marks the official beginning of the wedding season and Craftdom is planning a series of posts on this subject.Making your own wedding dress could be a way to save money and still have the dress of your dream

A Very Crafty Royal Wedding

Published on 2011-04-28 16:55:00

The Royal Wedding is taking place on April 29, 2011, so I decided to check in what ways it has inspired the crafting community. What I found was a major tendency to tag almost everything containing the British national flag, as well as the colors red

Stunning Crochet Jewelry by Lavender Field

Published on 2011-04-28 08:59:00

You only have to glimpse at Lavender Field's lovely designs once to realize that crochet is not restricted to being an old-fashioned granny pastime - it can be creatively used to make trendy jewelry instead. Victoria is the creative force behin

10 Great Tips for Your Jewelry-Making Workshop

Published on 2011-04-26 09:05:00

This article was written by Jenny Holmer from IRLA. Jenny is a Swedish-born and German-based jewelry designer with vast experience in teaching jewelry-making classes.Offer your first workshop to a group of friends. It will lower the pressure and help

Lauren Alexander and her Beautiful Sunlit World

Published on 2011-04-25 03:45:00

Lauren Alexander's watercolors give you the happy feeling that the sun is constantly shining. Saying that, I certainly don't mean that yellow is their predominant color. It is rather connected with the combination of soft pastel nuances, artistic us

Tutorial: Embroidered Eggs

Published on 2011-04-20 14:41:00

Click here to go to the tutorial pageEaster is approaching and many have either painted their Easter eggs, or about to do it. While I was busy researching possibilities for coloring eggs with natural materials, others have been creative.This amazing

Tutorial: Scrapbooking and Sewing United

Published on 2011-04-18 14:43:00

Click here to go to the tutorial pageThis lovely tutorial is by Megan from The Crafty Cpa. Her idea to trace a favorite scrapbooking paper design onto fabric and use it to create something new is simple, but opens the doors to many possibilities.The

Tweedle Dee Designs and Fairytale Parties

Published on 2011-04-14 17:06:00

Brandi from Tweedle Dee Designs is passionate about everything party-related. What is more, she is a talented graphic designer with adorable ideas about party decoration. The clean lines and statement bright colors of her work are an ultimate e

Sell Beyond - A Legitimate Company or Yet Another Scam?

Published on 2011-04-11 15:49:00

Last year Craftdom reported about an online marketplace called Into Stores, which boasted to connect sellers to retailers and ultimately turned out to be a scam. A few days ago I received an email from another company, "Sell Beyond", that remind

Design a T-Shirt for Queen

Published on 2011-02-20 20:29:00

If you are a Queen fan and a fashion designer, illustrator or graphic designer, the following news will surely thrill you: you have the chance to design a t-shirt for the band's 40th anniversary! The ultimate winner will be chosen by Brian May and Ro

Have a Blessed New Year!

Published on 2011-01-08 16:50:00

Happy New Year, everyone! May it be beautiful, joyous and rewarding for all of you!And this is my New Year's message for you: The picture above is the New Year's "greeting card" I made using an image of one of my handmade gem angels. Being an absolut

Perceiving Nature With the Eyes of Love

Published on 2010-10-18 15:27:00

I find it impossible to look at Kerri Farley’s photography without falling in love with it. Kerri is a nature-lover with an eye for the details. Her shots of birds, butterflies, insects and flowers are truly amazing and inspiring.She manages to cap

Shaolin by Leob - Clothes for Free-Spirit Women

Published on 2010-09-28 14:10:00

Kati Bieselt's clothing line is inspired by the art of Shaolin Kungfu, which she also practices herself, and by the beauty of the active human body. She designs, creates the patterns, and sews each and every item herself from her studio in Hamburg, G

5+1 Reasons to Love DaWanda

Published on 2010-09-23 08:06:00

I sell my gem angel jewellery on DaWanda, and have many reasons to like the site's services.DaWanda is the most trafficed online selling venue for handmade products in Europe, and Nr. 3 worldwide after Etsy and Ecrater (Ecrater is not a dedicated han

From The Editor

Published on 2010-07-15 11:14:00

I haven't been posting here for a while. Unfortunately, there is a certain discrepancy between my desire to work on this site and the physical time that I have for it. I had to come to peace with the fact that right now keeping up with a 5-posts-a-we

Beware: Into Stores or Out Of Hard-Earned-Money?

Published on 2010-06-20 09:30:00

I just read this email, sent to my Craftdom mailbox. Apparently I have received it on Wednesday, but as it was in my Spam box, I only saw it a few hours ago:Do you wholesale your crafts? We work with thousands of buyers from boutiques, gift shops,

Reducing The Stress Level After Craft Shows

Published on 2010-06-11 08:59:00

I already wrote an article, called "7 Things You Want To Know About Craft Shows" and now would like to add something, which helped me lower the stress factor.I simply stopped taking the items listed online to the craft shows! When I first launche

Tutorial: Homemade Stamp Cleaners

Published on 2010-05-31 02:27:00

I found this (video) tutorial on Linda Heller's blog. Linda is an authorized Stampin' Up Demonstrator and, most of all, a stamping lover. If you are a scrapbooking and/or card-making enthusiast, her blog would surely be interesting for you. She is al

Eco-Friendly Shoes - Vegan and Lovely

Published on 2010-05-22 07:06:00

Christy's handmade shoes look absolutely fabulous and, on top of that, they are good for you and good for the planet. So let me walk you through her world of eco-friendly vegan shoes for women, kids and men.The Generation shoes are handmade from 100

Backstitch - Designer Fabrics And Patterns

Published on 2010-05-14 12:19:00

Backstitch is a new UK-based online store selling fabric and patterns for quilting, craft items, clothes, accessories and homewares.I like their sellection of designer patterned fabrics by Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner, Erin McMorris, Kaffe Fassett,