Article by columnist Christina of Ume Origami
Photo courtesy of ScreaminMonkeyCircus

Those of us that are good with our hands are not necessarily the same people who are skilled with computers. Nevertheless, the more handmade marketing is taken online, the more important it is for artisans to understand the ins and outs of web lingo if we want to be successful at this crazy thing called ecommerce. I spend a lot of time on handmade forums of all shapes and sizes and one uniform comment that pops up on all of them is “What the heck is a widget and how do I use it?”

“Widgets” are useful little things that can make a huge impact on your blog or on your shop venue. To cite Wikipedia,

In computing a web widget is a portable chunk of code that can be installed and executed within any separate HTML-based web page by an end user without requiring additional compilation. They are derived from the idea of code reuse. Other terms to describe web widgets include gadget, badge, module, webjit, capsule, snippet, mini, and flake.

Let me break that down. A “widget” is a tiny piece of code that you can copy and paste into a website in the appropriate spot in order to display a small piece of information. It comes from “code reuse” because many people will copy and paste that particular piece of code instead of having to figure it out all by yourself. It is basically fancy HTML made easy. You do not need to understand what it says, but you do need to understand what it does and where to put it. One thing that makes a widget different than the rest of the code on your website is the widget is usually hosted by the provider. That means you don’t need to upload images or components to make it work.

Photo courtesy of PortableGraffitiGraphics

Blogs usually have a place to put widgets. They are the little buttons and features you often see on the sidebars of your favorite blogs. Do you see a little Artfire shop? A miniature Facebook? A little Twitter account? How about the current weather in Tulsa, Oklahoma? As you can see, widgets come in all shapes and sizes. Some are definitely more useful than others (a mini shop venue might help a reader purchase from you while the weather might just annoy someone who doesn’t live in your area!) Even IndieSmiles.com uses widgets! See that donation section on our Charity Birthday Bash so that you can contribute money to the ASPCA? Yes, that is a widget too!

Image courtesy of CtrlAltDeviant

Although widgets can be a great tool, be careful not to use too many. Make sure you are picking the absolute best widgets for your site. If you keep it minimal, the widgets you do have will become more effective. Here are some major sites that will allow widgets.

Artfire: To use widgets on ArtFire, you need to be a “Pro” member. You can find the screen to input your code snippets by going to “My Studio” and then to “My Widgets.” Just click “TEXT/HTML/FLASH”, paste widget code, and save.

Zibbet: To use widgets on Zibbet, you need to be a “Premium” member. Go to “My Zibbet,” “Customize Your Shop”, and then “Widgets.” Paste the code, and save.

Blogger: Click on “Template” tab, and “Add a New Page Element.” Choose “HTML/Javascript” and then “Add to Blog.” Give it a title, paste widget code, and save.

Wordpress: Under the “Appearance” section on your side bar, click “Widgets.” You will want to drag a “Text” box to your sidebar if you want to paste in code. Remember, Flash and Javascript do not work on Wordpress.

Now that you know what a widget is and where to put it, tune in for the next post where I will go over some popular widgets for your site.

Edited by Barbra aka All About The Buttons

Article by columnist Pam AKA: Electric Penguin
Photo titled “Keep Talking” courtesy of HartelArt

Have you ever bought a handmade item on-line, and hear nothing from the seller until it arrives in your mailbox? And were you frustrated by that? It’s happened to me and I definitely was frustrated! I didn’t know if my orders had even been received, or when to expect them. I had one small order that arrived almost four weeks later from two states away, even though the seller’s policies stated it would ship within two business days. It didn’t get lost in the mail either – the shipping label was only printed a couple days before I received it. Why it took so long for them to ship remains a mystery. There was another silent seller I finally followed up with to see when it might arrive. I never heard a word back from them about my question (!!!), but the item arrived very soon after. Coincidence? I think not.

Now to some of you, I’m sure none of those things would matter. But there are those of us who do like a little bit of personal attention with our orders!! And for me, that can translate into not buying from that seller again.

Communicating to your buyers doesn’t have to be fancy or take a long time to write. For new orders, I have a canned email set up that thanks them for their order of xxxxxxx and tells them when it will ship. That way, when I get an order I just update the email and send it to the buyer. Simple, easy, and they’re happy. This also gives them an email address to contact you with, in case they have any questions. I have a lot of new buyers, many of whom don’t understand how to convo on Etsy. So an email address they can use helps a lot.

If there’s a reason why you won’t be able to ship an item on time, tell the buyer! People are very forgiving – if you let them know ahead of time. I once had to stall an order while I desperately shopped for a matching clasp because the one it was made with just didn’t work with that design. The buyer didn’t mind waiting when I told her what the problem was, and was really happy with the change.

Photo courtesy of LizzysLabels

If someone asks you a question via convo or email, please be courteous and answer! Even if it’s a “Thanks, but I’m not interested” answer, it’s still an answer. I have asked other sellers for generic info about their products, things like what coating they use and where did they get a certain size bracelet blank. Some have been willing to share, some understandably have not – but all did respond. That’s all I want!

The one thing I hope you take from this article is this – think of how you would feel if you were the buyer of your item and communicate accordingly. It could, no, it will affect your business!!

Slide photo courtesy of Studio21
Edited by Barbra of All About The Buttons

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!

By Columnist Pam aka ElectricPenguin
Orange spiral disc photo courtesy of FlameCrazy

Have you ever ordered supplies on-line, only to find that when they arrive they aren’t anywhere close to the size you thought they were? Sometimes it’s a good surprise and sometimes it’s more along the lines of “whoa, that’s a very large bead!!” I have to admit this happens to me much more often than it should!! You’d think after a while I’d be able to closely estimate how big a 10mm bead is, but nooooo. I finally found these two things help me keep the surprises to a minimum:

First, I have a clear ruler that has both inches and centimeters on it, along with outlines of 2mm to 12mm circles. Mine was a freebie from a supply shop, but I’m sure you can find them for sale (probably at supply shops!). This gives me a visual representation of how big that elusive 10mm is. For most people, that would probably be all the information they need to order correctly. Unfortunately, that didn’t always work for me! There were still times I ended up with things that were the exact size they were advertised as – but not the size I wanted.

Photo courtesy of GenerationsLampwork
So, my solution was… actually have a bead of the size I want on hand while ordering! Seems pretty obvious, right? It really does give me a much better idea than a flat ruler.

I do most of my ordering during lunch at work. In my desk drawer I have a string with round glass beads of 8mm through 16mm on it. All are marked with permanent marker (the 8 was fun to do!) so I don’t have to remeasure them or anything. I also have short lengths of .5mm, 1mm and 2mm string. No labels but those are easy to remember. Now all I have to do is pull the string or bead samples out of the drawer, compare it to the item on-line, order, and the size I really want arrives in my mailbox!!

MiaBellaCollection

Hopefully these ideas will help prevent you from an unexpected surprise in your mail!!!

Slide photo courtesy of SassyPantsGlass
Edited by Barbra aka: All About The Buttons

By Columnist Suzanne aka Nurses Naturally

Since ancient days rings and jewelry in general have represented wealth, power and status.The Greeks and Romans broadened the scope including cultural icons as more detailed designing evolved.

For as long as precious metal and gemstones have been used to create jewelry it has existed as a sign of wealth. Jewelry has also played an important part of religion denoting membership and status within the religion as well as various social groups

During the Medieval period is when rings became popular. All classes of people wore rings from the poorest to the richest. Rings were typically made of iron, copper, silver, and gold. The material of the ring worn usually indicated the class of the wearer.

Here is an interesting example in lovely leather by Dragonskins.

Leather Ring

Mary of Burgundy became the first known recipient of a diamond engagement ring from the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. The history and tradition of the engagement ring began with this gift in 1477. Depending on the culture and country, engagement and wedding rings may be worn on different fingers.

One of the best known designs is the Irish Claddagh that also has an intriguing story attached to it.

Richard Joyce was among the crew of a fishing boat from the village of Claddagh, Ireland that was captured. He was to have been married that very same week. During slavery Richard Joyce was put to the trade of goldsmithing. Through the years of capture neither married. Richard Joyce created a ring for his love with a heart for love, a crown for loyalty, and two hands.

After Joyce escaped, he returned to the village of Claddagh and was overjoyed to see his love again and to know she had never married. She always knew he would return to her. He gave her the ring that has become known as the Claddagh ring. If the Claddagh is worn on the right hand with the crown inward (toward the wrist) the heart is not yet committed. If it is worn on the right hand with the crown turned outward the wearer is committed to someone. Finally, if it is worn on the left hand with the crown outward it means “Let our love and friendship reign forever, never to be separated.”

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-History-of-Rings&id=51128

This example is from the shop of clodaghmjewellery.

She says of her experience and this set “I am an Irish, Dublin based Jeweller. I have a degree in Craft Design and Metal work from the National College of Art and Design and my work has been purchased by the National Gallery of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin. I have always had a love of Irish History and Culture. I first thought of using reference to the historical design of the Claddagh, when I was asked to design jewellery for a Jewellery manufacturer here in Ireland. While looking through their range of traditional Claddagh Jewellery. I thought I could make a modern version without losing the essential elements of the Claddagh. Love, Loyalty and Friendship. What I produce is a ring that can be instantly recognized as a Claddagh ring but can be worn by the modern and discerning jewellery lover.”

From Rickson Jewellery we find another version of this timeless ring. Rickson is an independent jewellery artist and designer who creates high quality, unique creations in precious metals and gemstones. She works exclusively with the lost wax casting technique which means she carves her ideas in wax and then casts them in the desired metal.

She says of this ring,”…the classic design has the hands holding the heart in what I consider a very detached manner. When I was commissioned to create a ‘funky, modern’ claddagh ring I was so excited, I wanted to find the ‘essence’ of the Claddagh ring. Since it’s about love, closeness, loyalty and faith, I finally settled on the position of the hands cupping the heart in a more intimate manner. I love my Claddagh ring design because it melds the traditional elements of the hands, heart, and crown, into a modern, heartfelt, artistic ring. ”

Puzzle rings, are also sometimes called Turkish Wedding Rings or Harem Rings. The story is told that in ancient times a Turkish nobleman was so in love with his wife that he wanted to be sure she was faithful to him while he was away. He asked his jeweler to make a puzzle ring for his wife that would fall apart when removed, and he would not tell her the solution.

A traditional puzzle ring is a type of finger ring made up of four, six, eight, or twelve interconnected rings. Contemporary designs include rings of three, five or seven bands. Puzzle rings often appear to be endless knots.

From the shop of nellyvansee: I got interested in puzzle rings when I found an ancient puzzle ring in an antique shop. It’s so old the person didn`t have any of the modern tools to make it. Everything was hand made, even the wire was just hammered down. I looked at how it was made for months trying to figure it out. It took us about 2-3 months too come up with a functional puzzle ring design.”

Another category of interest includes gemstones and birth stones. It is difficult to determine with any certainty in what country precious stones were first worn as ornaments, but the consensus of opinion seems to point to India.
Around the world and throughout the ages, people have noticed and appreciated the beauty of gemstones, often assigning these gems special powers. Many, like amethysts, have interesting histories and the details may be found through various museum, geology and internet sources.
Remember next time you put on or purchase a ring…there may be some great history behind it.
Slide photo courtesy of cavaliercreations.

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By columnist Pam of ElectricPenguin
Photo courtesy of Gigglebot

Are you one of the world’s worst typists? Do you type words that your spell checker thinks are legit, but you don’t? Have you copied a listing description multiple times only to find that there was a very obvious typo, and now you have to edit 10 items to fix it? I plead guilty to all of the above. In fact, I recently discovered that my shop title had the word “jewelry” misspelled in it!!!! How embarrassing!

Even professional print shops can miss things. I once saw an announcement card for a doctor’s office that was relocating. It was being sent to all of their patients, suppliers, and referrals. The word “Batter” in the title had three t’s!! It had gone through multiple reviews too, so it was kind of surprising that no one saw it until after it was printed. That was a very expensive typo to miss!

Photo courtesy of DinkyDaisy

So I’m here to stress proofreading your descriptions, titles, tags, profiles, announcements, etc. Appearance is everything in the on-line world, and your photos, titles, and descriptions are what draws people into your shop and keeps them there. Let’s also realize that mistyped words may mess up Google Analytics.

The first step is to spell check – if you have access to a program that does that. Unfortunately, it can’t catch things like “tot he” for “to the” and “from” instead of “form” (my most common typos!). Oh, but I wish it could!!! Next, you should SLOWLY reread everything to be sure. Does it make sense to you? Is the grammar correct? Do you read it and wonder if maybe you typed it in your sleep because it’s so bad? If you have the Google toolbar, there is a spell check there. It comes in handy when you are writing while on-line.

After you’ve double checked it, have someone else give it a once over. You’d be amazed what other people see that you might skip over! I’m notorious for skimming over words like “not.” Sometimes that can be vital to the sentence! One seller I talked to had her 10 year old son proofread. He was really good at it too! If you’re a member of a team, you could ask them to take a look. They also might see important things that are missing, such as size or color of an item.

Hopefully this gave you a few tips to help improve your shop!

P.S I had 5 typos in this!!

Slide photo courtesy of sbartist
Edited by Barbra aka All About The Buttons

By Columnist Nina aka: mamaslittletreasures
Image courtesy of free-slideshow

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” We’ve all heard it before, and we all understand that if you ever want to get anywhere, you have to get started by taking that first step. But sometimes we feel so overwhelmed by all of the information, options, opportunities, and possibilities that bombard us everywhere we look, that it is common to feel completely confused. And when we get confused and overwhelmed, we just don’t do anything at all. Too many choices. Have you ever gone into a store and even though you really wanted to buy something, there were just so many choices that in frustration you just walked out without buying anything at all? That’s one of those times when you really need a list!

Perhaps you have also heard these words of wisdom: “The way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.” That’s the image you need to keep in mind at all times when you are trying to reach your goal . . . whatever YOUR goal might be. Probably YOUR goal is not to eat an elephant – but whatever you see out there in front of you might seem just as huge, just as overwhelming, and just as impossible as eating an elephant.

So HOW do you reach your goals in life, when everywhere you look you see obstacles that seem insurmountable? One thing that has kept me focused at times when life felt confusing and uncertain is this one little thought: “Just do the next thing.” I know that seems rather simplistic, but when you can’t see beyond the next thing, right in front of you, THAT is one thing that you can do.

What does that look like in reality? Here are a few things that have helped me sort through the explosion of information that sometimes makes me feel as if I’m drowning in words:

1. Make a list. How obvious is that? But don’t just make a list, break down your goals in measureable increments.

* For instance, say you want to start a business making bean bags. Here is how your list might start out:

A. Design five different bean bags

B. List all necessary supplies to purchase.

C. Schedule a specific time to shop for supplies.

D. Schedule a specific time to create 20 bean bags (4 ea. of 5 different designs)

2. Create inventory. Set aside one afternoon to make as many beanbags as you can to get started. Then schedule another specific block of time to make another batch.

3. Set up online shop to list and sell inventory (Etsy, Zibbet, Bonanzle, eBay, etc.)

A. Create personalized banner / brand

B. Stock your shop with inventory you have created

4. Establish online connections to promote your product:

A. Facebook fan page

B. Twitter account

C. IndieSmiles where you can participate in Happy Made Tweets at www.happymadetweets.com

D. LinkedIn account

E. Other social marketing / networking websites

5. Continue creating more inventory, stock your shop consistently, post your sales, promos, discounts, etc. regularly on your FB page, Twitter, and IndieSmiles.

6. Anywhere along the line in this list of “next steps” that you don’t know HOW to do something, simply ask for help! There are lots of people here at IndieSmiles who can either help you with a task or we know someone who can. Just let us know!

Now this is obviously a very simplified version of what it takes to reach your goals . . . . but if you simply don’t know WHERE to start, this is a great way to get going. Why? Because all of the projects on the list are SPECIFIC. That’s what it takes if you want to “just do the next thing.” You have to know what the “next thing” is! When you make your list, it might be different than this one, but here are the requirements for putting together a list that will work for you:

* Everything on your list must be SPECIFIC – don’t put down “make stuff someday,” but instead put down “make 20 beanbags on Thursday.”

* Everything on your list must be MEASUREABLE – again, don’t just put down “set up online shop someday,” but instead put down “set up Etsy shop Tuesday night.”

* Everything on your list must be “CHECKABLE” – what that means is that you need to be able to KNOW when something is finished / completed, so that you can check it off of your list. Why is this important? Because then you will see your progress!

So, list-making is not easy for all of us, but I promise you if you can learn how to be a successful “list-maker” you can reach any goal, simply by “just doing the next thing” on the list. And since I’m such a great “list-maker,” I would be happy to help you with your specific list-making project. Just shoot me an email and I’ll see what I can do to help you get that list started and get you on your way to reaching your own goals.

Slide show photo courtesy of PreciousKnitsShop
Edited by Barbra aka: All About The Buttons

Article by columnist Linda aka LindaGJ

“My favorite subjects are drawn from nature, my imagination, childhood fairy tales, dreams, and occassionally a combination of all the above.”

Deborah Hill grew up in the Appalachian foothills of northern Alabama and she has been living and working in Houston, Texas since 1992.

“Art has always been a part of my world. My grandmother was a bird watcher and I enjoyed sharing that knowledge as a child. We would sit on her front porch and draw birds together, talking about the color of their feathers and the different calls each bird made, what color eggs they laid, and which one migrated. I found it all fascinating and still do.”

“My grandfather was a storyteller and could spin a yarn so well that my head would fill with images of talking animals, trolls and pixies.”

“My Dad is also quite the talented artist even though he never pursued it as a career. He would often sketch us at the table when we were doing our homework.
He’s especially good with the human figure. He knew so much about the natural world as well and would point out specific characteristics about trees, plants, animals, and their habits. He’d also talk about the changes that occurred with the seasons. I really appreciate having learned how to observe nature from my family; it has a huge influence in the art I produce today.”

Deb grew up in the country at a time when there were no computers or gaming gadgets. The television was black and white and there were only two channels, so naturally she spent a lot of time reading in the summer. She read in color!

“It was great fun to “redo” the illustrations in storybooks to me, Grimm’s Fairy Tales is and incredible source for the imagination. Authur Rackham remains one of my favorite artists/illustrators. I was enthralled with Frank Frazetta too. He did all those wonderful covers for the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan series and I read them all! Then I would try and copy the art from the book jackets or paint pictures of other passages from the book.”

“You know when you used to ask children what they wanted to be when they grew up? The girls would say ‘a nurse’ and the boys would say ‘a fireman’. I knew when I was 5 years old that I would be an artist. It is my personal opinion that we are all born creators of some sort and as we grow older we forget that important part of ourselves.”

After Deb went to college, she began painting large outdoor murals, billboards, and faux finishing for two decades! She was also taking private watercolor classes with Wayne Spradley, which is now one of her favorite mediums!

“I enjoy working with acrylic in thin layered washes in much the same manner as watercolor. Mixing various water media, such as watercolor, gouche, inks, and acrylic continue to fascinate me. I’m most comfortable working with acrylic, but prefer the challenges that watercolor presents. I’m also a wee bit compulsive about adding ink to my pieces.”

Trees, with an unique quality of Deb’s, are actually her very most favorite subjects to paint.

“My preferred time of year to observe trees is in the winter. This time of year, when the leaves fall, I miss that. Oh I love the shade summer trees provide and the beautiful colors of fall, but there is something starkley majestic about a tree with all it’s limbs exposed and spread against the sky. I think I must have something to do with the feeling the quietude and patient anticipation of the coming of spring. Trees are my favorite subjects to paint. I have a few old friends I watch through the seasons around the neighborhood.”

Deb has participated in several group shows in Houston, has artwork and murals in private homes and public institutions. She lives with her husband, Greg, and a menagerie of pets, paint, and adult children flowing in and out of their home.

To see more of Deb Hill’s work please go to:
www.DebHillArt.com

or DebHillArt

Check out Indiesmiles “Happy Made Tweets“

Articled edited by Barbra aka All About The Buttons

Article by columnist Barbra aka: All About The Buttons
Photo courtesy of Card Maven

The great grand-daughter of the etiquette queen, Emily Post, said recently that with the new technology of this century many of the old rules still apply in communication and yet, many new questions and situations arise. When is a ‘thank you’ called for? Why is it important? What is an acceptable amount of time to respond to an e-mail? Let’s tackle these questions and maybe others in the future.
Many people on-line share and write about other artists for no compensation. They do it because they love it, as with the columnists here at Indie Smiles. Sadly, many have encountered silence with their e-mail communications on both sides. People are just not answering legitimate communication. Longer than 24 hours to respond is rarely excusable. How can you run an internet business if this area is ignored? On the other side, when articles, interviews, treasuries, blog posts, etc. are published, gratitude is not apparent. Someone attempted to spotlight you and your creations in the hopes that more business will be driven to your shop….isn’t this what you want? And for free!!! The other day I received an e-mail from a spotlighted artist thanking me for the traffic that evidently was tracked from one of our articles to her. I felt great. She felt great. Win-win! And on the same day I received permission for a photo 5 days after I first communicated…too late!
In the world of handmade and internet selling, communication is huge. Do you want to be so busy that you can’t say “Thank You!”? If an e-mail goes unanswered, you may have lost not just one customer but all the ones that trickle down. If you don’t say “thank you” when appropriate, again, another potential loss. I’ve seen on the Etsy forums that some people have a “Do not buy from” list…do you want to be on it?
We all work hard and are over the moon when a sale comes through and hopefully express gratitude to our customer. The impact of good manners runs deep and we all need to recognize how deep the absence of it can go. So answer those e-mails, thank your customers, comment on blogs, appreciate treasury makers and move on to greater selling.
It will make someone’s day!
P.S.~ Six days ago I contacted 4 active (shops open) artists for photo permission. I received 2 responses…ugh! Sincere thanks to those who responded.♥

Slide show photo courtesy of IzzysPlace