Written by columnist Rebecca of RaigeCreations
Slide and above photo courtesy of kitschville

What is it that men want? And how do we find it? These are questions that have plagued women since the beginning of time. Since joining the world of handmade and its venues for showcasing handmade, this question has been in the back of my mind. It is particularly challenging to find things men want in general, and even more so on these sites. My searches to find things for my husband has led me nowhere. I expressed this frustration to him, and he finally said, “I will look and see what I can find.” He found things within minutes! I should note he is an artist, and has very specific tastes which usually makes any search to find him things he likes near impossible. So how did he find things on Etsy and Zibbet so fast?

The first and most important thing I noticed is how he searched differently than I typically do. His searches are specific to things he likes or thinks are interesting, not broad terms like I would search. Then he weeds through to find things that surprise him.

He likes motorcycles, so he searched ‘motorcycle parts’, not motorcycles as I would have. He was surprised to find this cool clock lamp made from motorcycle parts by ChromeSculptures. He likes clocks and lamps, but would never search for those things. Add motorcycle parts to these things and it goes in the cart with a simple click.

As an artist exploring sculpture, he searched ‘contemporary sculpture’, not sculptures as I would have, and found this artist, Uturn. A figurative sculpture he liked pulled him into the store, but he really found his interest in the masks, and picked this great mask to add to his collection.

A search for just ‘masks’ would have yielded too many results not even close to his tastes.

My search terms led to very different finds, and the creators I found did not lead me to items he would impulsively purchase like these things he found. They weren’t ‘man-friendly terms’. For example, a clutch to him relates to a transmission, not a handbag. I never thought of that!

His searches generally do not use the plural, mine often do. His searches used terms that were specific to his liking while still general in terminology, a method I would have never thought of. And of course, once the search results come up, what peaks his curiosity takes him to an artist, and once in their shop, he finds the “it” he has been looking for without setting out to find it. My searches seem to be less of an adventure than his, but more an end results oriented search. We end up going down completely different paths, he finds items he impulsively must have, and I find items that he should have but probably will not like.

Acting on his attraction to vintage, he searched ‘skeleton key’, and was lead to coldtententacle’s shop, and ultimately to this great pocket watch. I never thought he would be interested in keys so that search did not occur to me, but that path led him to something else that he loves to collect – pocket watches with visible mechanisms.

He tried a search on Zibbet for fine arts as he is always interested in this market. His search was 2 simple words, ‘contemporary painting‘, not a search of fine art paintings like I may have. It didn’t take long to find Laura Barbosa and her Crystal Skulls painting.

The appeal to this one for him, other than the macabre, is the freedom to re-arrange and display the pieces how you like them best. Perfect for my perfectionist husband who prefers interactive, hands-on pieces.

He also discovered, by checking a tag on an item he found interesting enough to click on, search words can be found in tags. By adding the prefix ‘high end’ to ’sculpture’, seen in a tag, he found this dresser by GArtFurniture, and before I knew it, the cart was overflowing.

The dresser, come to find out, was not actually something he wanted for himself, but for our daughter. So it is true, they will shop for others, but it does have to meet their standards and criteria. In fact, GArtFurniture has another item that does have a very good response from men, a bouquet of hand carved roses, with a secret compartment for a small gift.

Now that is a man shopping with a woman in mind!

In the end, I discovered what my man wants, and how he finds it. We search completely different, follow distinctly different paths, and find entirely different items. My husband finds an item that peaks his curiosity and instinctively follows the path to his must have item. Men seem to shop impulsively. The thrill is in the hunt. The search is following the tracks. The purchase is the kill. Women tend to gather.

Hopefully we all can learn from this and find great handmade treasures for the men in our lives. I need to remember, he likes hard materials: metal, clay, and wood. I like softer materials: yarn, fabric, and sparkly things. Perhaps it is true, I am from Venus, he is from Mars, but now I think know what he wants and how to find it.

Slide photo and article by columnist Amy of TenthAvenueSoapworks

How much garbage did you contribute to a landfill today? It’s probably not something you think about when you toss a paper towel or some packaging into your trash can, but it adds up faster than you may realize. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each American generates about 4.5 pounds of garbage per day. That staggering number becomes even more alarming when you consider that we are becoming more dependent on convenience and disposable products all the time.

There are many things you can do to decrease your landfill contribution, but one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways is by buying crafts made from recycled materials. Yes, really! The skill and creativity of handcrafters is staggering, and you will hardly believe the array of treasures that were once one person’s trash.

With a little effort, it will be easy to find products that are recycled or contain reclaimed elements. When searching online craft sites like Zibbet, use keywords like “recycled” “repurposed” or “upcycled” to find items that started out as completely different products. Look for yourself at some of these products from Zibbet.

Dote sells many charming pieces of jewelry made from recycled items, such as buttons that have been turned into necklace pendants, or earrings, like these here.

Junk mail never looked so appealing! Texas Eagle creates these colorful garlands from brochures and junk mail. Each 5’ strand would lend a fabulous touch to any décor.

Packaging, which makes up a significant amount of our daily waste, is put to a uniquely original use in the handiwork of Wrapper Fashion, making everything from handbags, pouches, wallets, and even belts.

Ragrugs takes clean, used fabrics and recycles them into beautiful rugs, mats, and runners from your home. Check out all the different colors they offer.

So check out these shops and the many others that receive their inspiration from the trash pile. You are not only giving yourself or someone special a one-of-a-kind creation, but you are also supporting artisans who will continue to design products that keep a myriad of once-useless things out of our landfills. And, your purchase will give you a boost in starting your own economical, eco-friendly lifestyle.

Edited by Barbra aka: All About The Buttons

ANNOUNCING THE INDIESMILES CHARITY BIRTHDAY BASH
EXCITING CONTEST FOR BEST PET AND BEST HANDMADE ITEM TO BENEFIT ASPCA!

Image courtesy of 1959creations

Come join our celebration starting 9/1/10! Why are we celebrating?  It’s our birthday!  Indie Smiles and its columnists have been sharing news for a year and we want to give back to the community.  

Our articles feature various Indie shops including those affiliated with specific venues such as Etsy, Folksy, Zibbet and ArtFire together with shops that are not affiliated with a specific venue and cover a variety of topics.  

Here is just a small sampling of some of the fantastic articles that have brought to you by a few of Indiesmile’s outstanding columnists that have been presented over the past year:

Inspired Mosaics by Barb from All About Buttons

(http://www.indiesmiles.com/inspired-mosaics/),

Make Your Own Boppy by Nikkie of Sugar Shox Crafts (http://www.indiesmiles.com/make-your-own-boppy/), T

The Sultan of Scrollsawings by Jay of Haffina Creations (http://www.indiesmiles.com/the-sultan-of-scrollsawing/),

Let Flyby Linda

(http://www.indiesmiles.com/let-fly/)

Collar Up (your) Pup by Donna of Glass and Wire Gems (http://www.indiesmiles.com/collar-up-your-pup/).  

Our goal is to make a difference through charity and community work as well as bring you exciting and educational articles.  

This year, to celebrate one year of contributing articles, we are supporting a nationwide charity, it’s a charity most of us have heard of, it’s ASPCA! It was the charity of choice for our Indiesmiles Charity Birthday Bash!

When she heard which charity we were supporting, Linda, one of our columnists, wrote:  I love the ASPCA. They need all the help they can get! I got my 2 babies, which includes Peanut there, in NYC along with her brother. Y’all should know who Peanut is by now if you've looked at my Etsy shop. Domino lived to be 11 yrs old and Peanut was on this earth for 20 years. Very loving and caring people work there as well. Even if they have to put some of the animals to sleep. While they are there, they get the utmost care, I think, at least the one in NYC does, that I know of. They have so many animals that need homes, it's overwhelming.  You can view the artwork Linda has created out of her love for Peanut in Linda’s shop by going to http://lindagj.etsy.com

Amy, an ASPCA member who is shop owner AmyCreates, shares the following:  My husband and I have adopted 6 cats (5 girls and 1 boy)–4 from the Humane Society and 2 from the hot Arizona streets. It's really more like they adopted us! Our 2 from the streets each came to us in the summertime (a year apart), and were "foreclosure cats," pets conveniently left behind when people moved out of their houses. That anyone could do such a thing to a precious and innocent life is just horrifying.

We never set out to have 6 cats, it just happened that way. But I wouldn't change our family for anything. We all love each other and there's a good balance, and the best part is that no matter where I am in the house, a cat is sure to be there with me!

A special thanks goes to Donna of Glassandwiregems, Nikki of Sugarshoxcrafts. They have been the coordinators for this event. Andy whose wife owns Incredibleangels has put together special programs that will allow you to upload your own picture (handmade or a pet). There is no limit top how many pictures you upload but there is a donation requirement for each pic you enter into the contest.
Also a very special thank you to 1959creations for puting together a host of images for us to use in our Charity Birthday Bash.
And a special thanks to anyone who joins our celebration by donating, entering their pics and voting! Thank you to all of loyal readers of Indiesmiles, we couldnt’ do this without you!

So get started by getting your favorite pics together because starting on 9/1/10 you can donate $5.00 using the left side donation button and go to the birthday bash handmade or pets and upload a picture. When you are ready to vote, you can go in either category and vote, vote, vote!
Plus, for more fun, the best Pet and the best Handmade item that draws the most votes will win prizes with values over $100.00! Don’t miss it!

I met Catheline of Miles of Textiles when she posted some handmade buttons on the Zibbet forums and I had to have some. She made some for me with my color choices and they are spectacular! I had to find out more about this multi-talented creator.
How did you get started?
I’ve had a needle ‘n thread in my hand ever since I can remember. My mother taught me to sew and I have a warehouse full of memories of she & I creating fun things together. We often spent Saturdays having lunch out and fabric shopping. In those days major department stores sold fabrics. So…you get an idea of how long ago THAT was! I loved making my own clothes, decorations for my room, all the macrame plant hangers on our patio, and more. I had a huge wooden wine barrel full of yarns & fabrics. I’m still wondering what ever happened to that old wine barrel.

Before you opened your shop what did you do?
Fast-forward 30 years. I took an early retirement from the foreign service a few years back. It was during those years of living in the Middle East and Southeast Asia I started seriously collecting textiles that has blossomed exponentially and is now the basis of my shop name. In New Delhi I discovered by accident the finest silk saris were kept under wrap in brown paper beneath the cash register. How any customer would know they were there was beyond me. But once I discovered this I would ask to see them and the store proprietors would roll many of them out for me to see. Soon I found myself swimming in an ocean of silk. For all my years of working with fabrics these surely were the most magnificent I had ever seen. To me, the world of textiles offers a fascinating and endless journey of discovery. You may agree as well.

What amazes or intrigues you about the textile world?
Buttons on these robes are all obviously handcrafted and in perfect proportion. I’ve tried countless times to recreate them but cannot even come close. And the robes themselves are some of the most magnificent I’ve ever seen – all handsewn hundreds of years before the invention of the sewing machine.

Your new life after the business world?
I am single and now live in Las Vegas. My 20-year old daughter has just gotten her certification as a veterinary assistant and works with a local veterinarian’s office. She absolutely loves working with animals.
I now have the freedom to create every day. Being a creative person does not just mean doing artistic activities. It is also having the ability to devise many solutions to situations that arise in our daily lives. Thinking “outside the box”, new ways of doing normal chores, etc. My head is constantly spinning with new and fresh ideas. So much so that I always have a pad of paper and pencil with me wherever I am…..otherwise I’ll forget my latest brainstorms!
Being retired from federal bureaucracy is wonderful. There is only one problem with “being single, retired, and living in Las Vegas.” You can probably guess what that might be….activities outside of the casino world is the key!

A visit to Catheline’s shop is worth the trip & you don’t have to pack! View her ready made creations or work with her with your ideas and her textiles to create a one of a kind adventure. The journey is worth it!

Article by Barbra of All About The Buttons
Slide photo courtesy of artbyjywheeler
Pin photo courtesy of Imagine247

I received an e-mail about a month ago stating that at the end of August the planet Mars would be very close to Earth. In fact, in the night sky, it would be as big as the moon and this will NEVER happen again in our lifetime…wow! Okay, not true. Mars will not be that close or that big but it got me thinking about the Moon. There are so many quotes and sayings with the moon as a symbol. I wanted to see how artists use the moon in their work. I found evidence in everything from paintings and jewelry to shoes and quilts. Here are a few samples of what I found which have plainly put me over the moon!
This is a stunning Victorian Lunar map engraving from 1892 offered by PetitPoulailler

JewelryByNorth has created a wonderful sterling silver moon pendant.

Another pendant, this time in black resin, was created by Janimie

This wonderful quilt by HMJQuiltsPlus has the moon in fabric.

And finally, what fun to be walking in these by Inkwear99

Do you use the moon in your work? Are you attracted to the night sky? And by the way, the expression “once in a blue moon” refers to the rarity of 2 full moons in one month! And that comes straight from the man in the moon….!

By Contributing Columnist Jay of Haffina Creations

Not many people know, but I am the mother of twin boys, and as such I understand how challenging it can be to be creative with twin bundles of joys dancing like a whirlwind through your house. Now let me introduce you to another mother of twin boys, who creates beautiful items whilst being a fabulous mom to her darling boys. Teri Landow is the driving force behind The Beaded Branch and my featured ArtFire artisan.

What will people find when they drop into your studio/store? What types of items do you sell?
An eclectic mix of bead jewelry, sterling silver chainmaille, Bug Bag pouches, and of course, my very own line of Present Past Treasures.

How did you come up with your studio/ shop’s name?
The name for my shop came about by combining several ideas:
1) I really love trees, and wanted to incorporate the idea of trees into my business name somehow.
2) I loved the idea of “branches” being related to arms, necks, ears, etc of a person and them being decorated with my jewelry.
3) When I started out, my designs were very simplistic bead earrings, necklaces and bracelets. I never really thought I’d expand out past the beaded branch of jewelry making. Of course, I was wrong, but I still try to incorporate beads in everything I sell.

How long have you been selling online?
I started my own online shop over 10 years ago. I ran into the trouble that so many do, though. After I got married, and started a family, the huge time commitment of having to maintain a website just got to be too much. So, I started exploring my options, and came across Etsy, then ArtFire. In November of 2008, I opened my Etsy shop, and then in May of 2009 I opened my ArtFire Studio. I still have my own website, and might actually get around to updating it now that my children are actually starting school.

What lead you to join ArtFire?
Many, many factors lead me to joining ArtFire. The sense of community was the main thing, but other than that, all of the wonderful features that AF offers. The guilds, the ability to have ten pictures of each product, the coupon and gift certificate codes, being able to edit everything in my store with a few simple keystrokes, the list goes on and on. The real clincher for me was when I made my first sale in my ArtFire Studio. I was so excited, I tweeted it on my Twitter page. When the owner of ArtFire sent me a direct message, congratulating me on my sale, that meant the world to me. I’ve never deleted that tweet, and still read it when I need a little boost. The fact that he took that time to do that was a real sign to me that ArtFire cares about the artisans that choose to sell there.

What is your favourite feature on the site?
I have to pick ONE? (lol) It’s a toss up between the coupon codes and the bulk editing feature. I love how easy it is to set up coupon codes for my customers. The fact that I can pick what code for the coupon will be is awesome, because it makes it much easier for me to keep track of when it was used.
The bulk editing feature is awesome. Being able to go in and reprice everything in my studio, or add tags to everything with just a few keystrokes, is wonderful and so time saving. It’s just so easy and convenient.

What tips/advice would you give to others considering joining the site?
Read up on how to take really good photographs of your products. Make sure your photos are nice, clear, and in focus. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Learn how to market using blogs and social networks. Figure out all of your shipping prices before you start listing. Set aside money for advertising. Join guilds and participate. Make a lot of friends in the crafting world. We are the best support to each other when sales are slow, and we need a little mental boost.

How do you want people who visit your studio/shop to feel, what mood are you attempting to create?
I try to create the feel of a cozy and relaxed slightly upscale boutique where you never quite know what’s going to spring up next.

What types of things do you do to try and create that feel/mood?
I don’t necessarily revolve my stock, but whenever I add pieces, I always try to make sure that I add an assortment of pieces in a new line at the same time, as a boutique would do when they received a new shipment, instead of one piece here and one piece there.

What is your favourite tool or material to use at the moment?
Right now, at this moment, I don’t really have a favorite. Actually, at any moment it would be hard for me to narrow down my favorite of anything to one thing. I love pearls, and would incorporate them into every piece I make if I possibly could. I’m also currently exploring materials and techniques that are new to me. Polymer clay and epoxy resins are the big ones right now, and since I’m still in the learning phase of those two mediums, I get to play with them, and learn how to make pieces that are good enough to sell.

Are there any skills or techniques that you would like to learn, or materials that you would like to work with, aside from what you already do?
Oh, several. I would love to learn to work with glass, and also I want to expand my knowledge of polymer clay, epoxy resins, metal clays, painting, and sewing. I love to learn new skills and techniques that can cross over from one medium to another, seeing how and what I can combine to create some new, unique pieces.

Are you still selling the same kind of items as when you started selling, or has it changed with time?
Yes and no. Yes, I still sell my basic bead jewelry. I’ll never fully get away from that, and wouldn’t want to. But, because I get distracted easily, and my desire to explore new techniques often overwhelms me, I switch off what I’m working on at any given moment, and my lines are continually expanding and growing. That’s the one problem with having so many friends who are so very talented in different art forms. I see their work, and think “Ooohh, I’d like to try that!”, and I do.

Which part of being an online seller do you find the most challenging, and what do you do to deal with that?
The whole process of listing products in my Studio- pricing, photographing, descriptions, tagging, all of it. It can really drag me down. The way I deal with it is to just bite the bullet and do it. Generally, I wait until I have a stockpile of products made, and I do a several day long photo shoot of everything. Then I spend another day editing the photos, and then another day or two listing. It’s a very draining week or so for me, and I always refer to them as my “necessary evil” days.

How do you balance your online and offline life?
I try to keep it balanced, but there are some days when the lure of the online world is just too great, and I’ll spend all day chatting, and drooling over my friends new works. There are other days, however, when I have no desire to go online at all, so I just check my email once or twice those days, and leave it at that. Having kids helps keep the balance, because their needs come first. So, I do have to spend time offline feeding them, playing with them, reading to them, and doing arts and crafts with them.

What kind of supplies do you always seem to buy, even if you do not really need them?
It used to be beads. Now, I have to admit, it’s pretty much whatever comes into view that I think I might be able to use. If I find a new craft that I find intriguing, I’ll buy just enough of the basic supplies to try it out. But even that I’ve slowed down on. I need to use up what I have before I buy anything more.

To see more gorgeous creations from The Beaded Branch check out her ArtFire Studio.

Article by columnist Linda aka LindaGJ
Photo above courtesy of NicoleHouff

I happen to have loved dolls since as far back as I can remember!

We all know the rage about Barbie who was born in 1959, G.I. Joe, the Army soldier born into the world in 1964, as well as many other dolls made into the replicas of famous people and action figures. The list is endless!

Historians have traced dolls back to the ancient times used in ceremonies and rituals related to religion. There are so many types of dolls, cult objects to the primitive people, well preserved dolls fashioned out of stone, wood, clay, bone, ivory, and bronze have been found in Egypt, Greece, and Rome!

Dolls were used in a symbolic way, but also as play toys for children. In ancient Greece, examples of puppets with moving arms and legs have been found to be used.

For the Roman Catholics, most crocheted dolls were considered artistic masterpieces and used as representations of the nativity.

Before the 17th century dolls were not limited solely for children, boys and girls, they were also used for adults! Sonneberg, Germany is well known for it’s wooden dolls, and later also became the hub for the heads of dolls and by the dawn of the 19th century were made of china. The Parisian’s began developing dolls that would open and close their eyes, as well as speak!

Dolls have been made out of all kinds of mediums and surely have come a long way! They have evolved into resembling humans, animals, imaginary creatures, and the latest trends and fashions. Adults and children in all cultures, of all races spread throughout the world enjoy playing with the “the little play people”!

I searched for dolls on Etsy and came up with some of my faves, but oh, there are still so many more!
Today’s dolls come in so many forms, I pretty much stuck with the human doll in this article with a few other kinds. These are all handmade and a couple of them are even a “one of a kind” handmade pattern so you can make yourself or gift of a doll!

I hope you enjoy my little journey into the doll world, especially if you love dolls as much as I do. Make sure to enlarge the screen to see these fabulous “one of a kind” handmade dolls I found on Etsy!

Edited by Barbra aka All About The Buttons

By Columnist Jay of Haffina Creations

There is something about wood, a warmth that few other materials can attain. My latest artisan feature is about a man who works with wood, shaping it into decorative and functional forms via the use of a scrollsaw. But then he gets creative, and introduces polymer clay to the mix. Let me introduce you to Chris Newcomb, aka Eaglehawk, the woodworking wonder behind C Newcomb Woodworking on ArtFire.

What will people find when they drop into your studio/store? What types of items do you sell?
I sell various handmade wooden items. Currently I have ornaments, key chains, wall plaques, decorative plates and other personalized items. I will soon be adding a chess sets to my studio. Occasionally my wife will have something to sell on my studio that aren’t made of wood those items are few and far between.

How did you come up with your studio/ shop’s name?
I couldn’t think of a name to use other than my name – C Newcomb Woodworking

How long have you been selling online?
Not very long, I had been selling handmade items to friends and family

What lead you to join ArtFire?
I chose Artfire because of their price structure I was not sure if I would be selling enough items to be able to justify Etsy’s pricing structure.

What is your favourite feature on the site?
My favorite feature on Artfire is the global editor it makes changes that have to be made to all the active products easier and quicker.

What tips/advice would you give to others considering joining the site?
Make sure that you are prepared to promote your items.

How do you want people who visit your studio/shop to feel, what mood are you attempting to create?
I would like all my visitors to be excited about what I’m selling.

What types of things do you do to try and create that feel/mood?
I offer sales frequently and try to get people to share through word of mouth about my shop.

What is your favourite tool or material to use at the moment?
Currently my favorite material is oak; it looks elegant and is relatively readily available.

Are there any skills or techniques that you would like to learn, or materials that you would like to work with, aside from what you already do?
I would love to work with some of the more exotic woods. I enjoy working with new woods it always presents a new challenge trying to learn how the saw would react to the wood.

Are you still selling the same kind of items as when you started selling, or has it changed with time?
I’ve started selling more complex items and custom items. Most of the items that I started with were only available ‘as is’.

Which part of being an online seller do you find the most challenging, and what do you do to deal with that?
Generating sales and promoting my shop. I have a hard time trying to decide the perfect balance between proper promotion and unsolicited promoting aka spam.

How do you balance your online and offline life?
Since most of my day is spent at a computer for my normal day job, I find it very easy to stay offline when I get home from work.

What kind of supplies do you always seem to buy, even if you do not really need them?
Wood and wood finishes seems to be my weakness on purchasing even if I don’t need it.

You can view more of Chris’ work in his ArtFire studio – C Newcomb Woodworking

Edited by Barbra aka: All About The Buttons

Slideshow image by James Oliver

By contributing columnist Donna Knox of GlassandWireGems

ArtFire has a new artifact that is only available to its PRO members. It is the “Certified Handmade Artifact” and it has caused quite a stir in the ArtFire community. Those who applied were waiting for this:

Congratulations! We have reviewed your application for the Certified Handmade Artifact and we find your ArtFire studio “GlassandWireGems” to be in compliance and eligible for the Certified Handmade Artifact.

Your studio has been awarded the Certified Handmade Artifact…<

ArtFire's Certified Handmade Artifact

The Certified Handmade Artifact designates a voluntary commitment to exclusively offering Handmade and Fine Art items on ArtFire. If you no longer wish to uphold this commitment, please contact….so that the artifact can be removed from your studio.

The initial announcement about the artifact included the following: 100% of the items in the Applicants studio must be listed in Handmade or Fine Art. Studios with commercially produced supplies and destash are not eligible. There are two exceptions that can be made. You may list Handmade supplies in the “Supplies >> Handmade Supplies” categories. You are also allowed to have gift certificates to YOUR studio listed in “Media >> Gift Certificates”.

Those who applied had to meet a number of pre-requisites, i.e. be a PRO member for at least 60 days, a member in good standing with ArtFire, have 100% of their items listed under the Handmade or Fine Art headings, have complete studios including an avatar, banner, complete studio policies and a Bio with a photo and their product photos had to be in-focus and of a reasonably sufficient size. In the application you had to describe your main handmade craft, explain the process you use to create your craft and provide pictures of your work space and a work in process.

Kevin, ArtFire’s Director of Social Media, answered one question about the artifact this way: The Certified Handmade Artifact is intended to designate members who are committed to offering only handmade items. You may not sell any items listed in top categories other than Handmade or Fine Art if you want to display this artifact in a studio. Members are welcome to sell their commercially produced supplies, vintage, design, or media in a separate ArtFire studio. Likewise, the Certified Handmade Artifact is not required to list or sell items and is completely voluntary.

Needless to say, there were numerous questions as the process started. Some artisans were concerned about whether or not their shop qualified and several even elected to take supplies and other items out of their shop and open a second one. James Oliver is one of those who decided to do this. He told me that: For me to qualify for the Certified Handmade Artifact I needed to remove some Pearl strands I had listed. So I opened the new studio, River Road West, to list my pearl and bead collection. The Handmade Artifact is very important to me. I take my craft in the most serious way. Truly handmade.

There were also concerns about the photos that were needed. MoonlightEternal said: For the work in progress picture, does it have to be a picture of your main category (like my main category is jewelry) or can it be any work in progress? Kevin of ArtFire answered the question this way: It can be any work in progress, though preferably one you intend to list eventually. It is helpful if it is in your main category as many sellers have a certain “style” in their work, and seeing a half made piece that already matches the style of other work helps to build the case that they are the creative mastermind behind the work in their studio.

There were questions about the approval process. Some thought that artifact was easy to get and wondered about the fairness involved in reviewing the applications. Stained Glass by Katie made this comment in a forum about the artifact: I can also vouch for the fact that the certification was not a rubber stamp deal. Kevin contacted me for additional information, and included some other helpful comments, too.

After all of the work involved and uniqueness of the process, there was the thrill of knowing that those who have the artifact are special. Michelle of Creative Critters shared the following: I love seeing all these shops going for this artifact. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be a part of ArtFire. I’m proud of my fellow artists on here, and I’m super proud to display this artifact in my studio. I never had a doubt that AF would look at each and every studio, and give advice to those that needed it in order to qualify for the artifact. They’ve been very involved with the artists on this site since the beginning.

ArtFire has created widgets for those who have the artifact to use in their websites, blogs, on Facebook, Twitter, etc. There are six different sizes. Here’s one of the widgets from my studio:

You might also want to check out James’ studio. He has taken things a step further and even mentions the Certified Handmade artifact in his shop’s banner. Others who have received the artifact have blogged, tweeted and shared their excitement about in it many ways. The Certified Handmade Artifact is the latest benefit of becoming a PRO member of the ArtFire community. It emphasizes ArtFire’s commitment to its handcraft artisans.