Make It

A Novel Idea for Business Cards

Via Orange Beautiful

Design Magazine Void

This just in: Michelle of Rubie Green announced yesterday on her blog that she is launching an online-only decorating and lifestyle magazine this September called Lonny. In a post-Domino and post-Blueprint world, there's definitely a niche to be filled. I wish her the best of luck.

I'll be watching with great interest and hoping for Lonny to succeed.

On Stationery and Wealth

Via Linda and Harriett I found this NY Times article about custom stationery and the resurgence of letter writing. After finishing the article I was disappointed by its narrow-minded approach to the topic. Only wealthy society women were interviewed, leaving the reader with the impression that these are the only types of people who give a hoot about stationery these days.

That's simply not true, take a look at the 40,000 items tagged stationery on Etsy for starters. Yes wealthy women have lots of exquisite stationery, just like they always have and always will. But that doesn't mean paper-lovers don't come in all different socio-economic levels, especially given the recent surge in interest in all things handmade and the many blogs that promote them. Stationery is accesible to all people, the only hurdle is whether or not you decide that it's something you want to spend your money on.

Do You Blog Your Business?

Modish Biz Tips has an article up today covering 7 reasons why you need to blog if you are a shop owner. Check it out here.

How Not to Use Twitter to Promote Your Business

On Twitter, you can use the hashtag (#) along with a word or phrase to make it easy for people to search for that phrase within Twitter. For example, over the past few weeks, news regarding the Iranian election has often been tweeted with the tag: #Mousavi. (Mousavi is the name of the candidate who many believe actually won the election.) This makes it easy to enter the phrase #Mousavi in the Twitter search and only turn up relevant results. It's a way to guarantee your Tweet will be seen by people looking for news on this specific subject. And, with interest in the Iran election running high, it's a way to guarantee your tweet will be seen by lots of people.

As business owners, we all want to raise awareness of our brand, but surely no company would be so tacky and tasteless as to write tweets promoting their store and include the #Mousavi tag so that it turns up under this heavily searched term. Right? Well unfortunately one UK-based furniture company did exactly that, exploiting the Iranians struggle for demorcracy in order to sell home accesories.

In some of the worst hashtag spam we’ve seen in a long time, European furniture maker Habitat has been caught spamming Twitter to increase signups to its customer database.

More specifically, the retailer was caught adding topics from the trending topics – from #iphone to #Mousavi – to the front of Tweets trying to get people to sign up to a customer database. One Tweet read: “#MOUSAVI Join the database for free to win a £1,000 gift card.” The cheap trick has led many Twitter users to ask: what does selling furniture have to do with the situation in Iran?

Read the full article at Mashable. It's the absolute wrong way to use Twitter and has tarnished the brand's reputation in my mind. Take note.

African Fabrics

So I've really been wanting to make some clothing lately but I just haven't made the time and cleared off a space on my messy worktable to do it. I've had some mildly succesful forays into making clothing and I think a simple shirt or dress is definitely doable (no buttons or zippers!). The other day I was overcome with the desire to sew with African printed fabrics. A quick Google search turned up The African Fabric Shop, where I found the two fabrics above. A Twitter exchange with Chelsea of Frolic turned up another site, Vlisco, where I found the samples below. The prices look reasonable but both sites are in Europe. Any recommendations for stateside shops?

Boxing Kitten and Duro Olowu are two fashion companies that have made these prints their signature.

Soaper, Blogger, Reporter

I've been neglecting the blog over the past week and a half, working on an article for a local online newspaper. I've mentioned before how I'm interested in doing some more writing. I pitched the paper a few ideas and they were interested in one so I've been working on the story and it's now online! http://annarborchronicle.com/2009/06/24/subterranean-start-ups/

Say Say Say

As a card carrying member of the MTV Generation and music video fanatic once upon a time, the loss of Michael Jackson is still too shocking to comprehend. I've spent hours on YouTube watching my old favorites and discovering some new-to-me ones. Here's one of my faves. I love the song and also love how silly and upbeat the video is.

Yellow and Khaki

I've been enjoying this color combination lately

1. Rifferaff
2. Up in the air somewhere
3. Carta, Inc.

Wren Handmade Wedding

Lovely handmade details at the wedding of Laura Normandin aka Wren Handmade. Images via Martha Stewart Weddings.



The cards used for the invitation suite are from Michigan artist Gwen Frostic.

Saturday

Top: Fabric purchased this morning for $.75 at the thrift store
Bottom: Some of our container garden out on the apartment porch.

Valid points about Etsy wrapped in inflammatory rhetoric

It's too bad this Slate/Double X article about Etsy was written in such an inflammatory manner (ahem, the title is "Etsy peddles a false feminist fantasy") because there are some legit points raised. Including the way the site exerts a downward pressure on prices, and how hard it is to really make a living in this way. Even for so-called "success stories."

Even the success stories don’t seem to be generating all that much income. Rikrak, one of the featured 50, boasts of having had more than 1,500 sales on Etsy since she opened her “store” in 2007. But her wares are mostly small-scale quilts: placemats, napkins, coasters, and the like. The last time I checked, her most expensive item was listed for $21. Many sell for as little as $4.50—meaning the available margins for profit are almost non-existent. Assuming, generously, that every one of these 1,500 sales was for $21, she’s earned just $31,500 in two years—or roughly $15,000 a year—and this is before time and materials and Etsy’s own cut. In her profile, Rikrak says she also sells to boutiques, and credits her presence on Etsy with helping to score some of these accounts. Still, it’s hard to see how, with margins this microscopic, anyone can generate much of a profit on the site.

Jezebel took issue with the tone of the article as well.

Not only does [the author] fail to address the sizable population for whom Etsy is a sideline rather than a get-rich-quick fantasy, but fails to acknowledge that it might be, not just a source of modest income for those affected by the recession, but a means of empowerment in a demoralizing market. In this sense, the modesty and unique handmade nature of the typical crafts (and price-points) on Etsy are uniquely well-suited to this economy. If one were so disposed, one could certainly choose to regard the site's popularity as empowering, and such objections as manufactured.

There's lots of commentary and debate on both articles, click the links above to read more.

This Will Make You Smile

There's definitely some kind of lesson to be learned here about marching to the beat of your own drum. (It gets good around the 1:12 mark)

Using Flickr photos on your blog

I'm not the best or the most prolific photographer, but I know it's good blogging practice to include a photo with every post. When I don't have a personal photograph to supply, as in the post below...and this one, I turn to Flickr. Flickr is a great resource for a wide range of photos, but you can't just use them willy-nilly, even if you credit the source. You might get away with it, heck, you'll probably get away with it, but if you want to make sure you're always in the clear, read on.

Here is an informative and well-written blog post that demystifies the confusing (to me, at least) world of copyright and Creative Commons. An excerpt:

The kind of photos you want to look for will depend on where you want to use them. Flickr images either fall under a traditional copyright or Creative Commons license.

You’re forbidden to use Flickr images marked as copyrighted (or ‘All rights reserved’) for your own purposes unless you get explicit permission from the author. Most of us don’t have the time or the patience to put up with the hassle. Here, I want to focus on Creative Commons licensed photos.

Read more here.

My take on the matter? I'm definitely guilty of pulling images from Flickr without following the proper copyright procedure. I'd always thought if I cited the source, it was ok, no matter where it came from. I've never really payed attention to those copyright settings, even on my own photostream which I now see is "all rights reserved" even though I'd be totally fine with someone using my photos as long as they link back. The craft and design blogging world is a little more insular and, dare I say, nicer than the blogging world at large. I've never had any complaints about use of photos and I imagine most people are similarly ignorant about the copyright laws and don't mind the use of their photos in appropriate ways.

So what will I do know that I know the official rules? Well my practice for using images from craft and design blogs will remain the same. Like I said, it's an insular group and in general people are fine with proper citation of the source. When I choose to use an image outside my little bubble of the blogosphere, where I won't have any connection at all to the photographer and am simply looking for a specific image to illustrate a concept, I will follow the Creative Commons licensing rules. How about you?

(Photo via Flickr)

Help A Reporter Out: Craft Edition

Get some press for your biz if you fit the profile for these queries. If you've got some good Father's Day products, now is the time to try to get some press. Not in magazines which have long since wrapped Father's Day issues, but online and newspaper publications will still be on the lookout:

Summary: Two-job entrepreneurs
Name: Kira Bindrim
Category: General
Email: kbindrim@crainsnewyork.com
Title: Reporter
Media Outlet: Crain's New York Business
Specific Geographic Region: Y
Region: New York City
Deadline: 05:06pm EASTERN - 11 June
Query:Looking for entrepreneurs that have more than one job, whether they own two or more businesses or maintain their day job while running a business on the side. Must be NYC-based.

Summary: Fathers Day Ideas - Gifts from "Kids"
Category: General
Name: Dani Gurrie
Email: dani.gurrie@tots2tweens.com
Title: Owner
Media Outlet/Publication: www.tots2tweens.com
Anonymous? N
Specific Geographic Region? N
Region:
Deadline: 05:06pm EASTERN - 12 June
Timezone: EASTERN
Query: I would love to put together a great list of ideas for kids to buy
(inexpensively) or make for their dad for this Father's Day. We
will be publishing one (or more) idea(s) each day starting on the
15th. Tots2Tweens is a free, online resource for parents in Maryland, DC
and Northern VA. We currently have more than 7,000 parents a month
who use our website.

Summary: Educational toy/gift guide
Name: Maura Keller
Category: General
Email: maurakeller@yahoo.com
Title: Freelance Writer
Media Outlet: Grandparent Times
Specific Geographic Region: N
Region:
Deadline: 05:06pm CENTRAL - 16 June
Query: For a toy/gift guide for the Sept/Oct issue of Grandparent Times, I'm looking for suggestions of EDUCATIONAL toy/gift products that can be featured in the guide. These products should cover infants through teens.

Summary: Toys for Kids Ages 5-15
Name: Merilee Kern
Category: Lifestyle
Email: Merilee@JustLuxe.com
Title: Executive Review Editor
Media Outlet: JustLuxe.com
Specific Geographic Region: N
Region:
Deadline: 01:06pm PACIFIC - 30 June
Query: I am the executive review editor for The Luxe List, a syndicated column published by JustLuxe.com, among the Internet's leading luxury lifestyle portals that connects more than 2.1 million affluent consumers worldwide each month with suppliers of elite goods and services. I am looking to review the hottest "Toys for Tots" (kids ages 5-15). Items should be available to consumers nationally throughout the United States or internationally. Please send information and *low-res* images to me via e-mail. Please put "HARO: Toys" in the subject line. Some of my prior Luxe List reviews may be accessed here: http://tinyurl.com/merilee.

Feeling Daydream-y and Unfocused

I'm having a hard time getting focused on Rifferaff lately. I don't know whether it's the summer or just difficulty of getting back into a routine after so much travel lately, but I find myself very unmotivated. It's a little bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy: I don't put in as much effort so the shop slows down, and as the shop slows down I don't feel any urgency to pay attention to it. I need to break the cycle so that activity will pick back up again.

Any recommendations for what I can do to get back on track. How do you deal with spells like these?
(Photo via Flickr)

My Other Half

Learn a little more about my boyfriend Matt at The Other Half on Heart Handmade today. Thanks to Marichelle for featuring us!

The versatility of custom rubber stamps

I have a soft spot for rubber stamps. When you get custom ones made, they're the perfect way to personalize stationery, stamp your return address onto a bunch of packages, and create business cards and product packaging on the cheap. They've got a rustic, handmade look but can still appear quite crisp and professional. I've gotten custom stamps made from stampmaker.com and loved them. Here are some of my favorites from other bloggers.

The Black Apple

Cafe Cartolina

Anna Melcon Bond

Lena Corwin

How to Be Happy in Business

I've been experiencing a little bit of career indecision lately and a re-evaluation of my goals and skills. So I appreciate this diagram and blog post from what consumes me. Click through for detailed descriptions of the Venn diagram circles.

One more trip

We've been criss-crossing the country all summer going to weddings. The final one is this weekend in Boston but we're heading out soon to drive there. I'm looking forward to heading back to the city for the first time since moving last August. (Peonies picked up at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market on my birthday, Saturday. Bottom photo taken today.)