Market Day Iowa

Whats the difference between a reproduction and an original? by The Full Time Etsy Crafters Team →

6 things I learned while trying to buy your stuff online by The Fluent Self →

How to price your handmade goods from CRAFT Magazine →

4 ways to drive traffic to your booth from Indie Fixx →

The Number One Reason Why We Buy Handmade by papernstitch →

Oh Hello Friend has another round up of booth display inspiration -- and they all go oh so vertical. →

display ideas, merchandising, crafting, indie craft, craft shows 

Oh, Hello Friend posted a fab roundup of wood-themed display ideas. Our favorite? This booth from Terri Planty. →

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Every great metropolis in history had a strong tradition of creative arts. A tradition of craftsmanship and, most importantly, of discussion. Cities are built and broken on the ability to have lithe, flexible, exchangeable ideas and debates. A city which stagnates dies. Dead cities don’t innovate. They are sealed in the coffin of abandoned industries and worthless factories. Even in our very modern world these cities can be wholly abandoned, suddenly, sometimes less than a century after their greatest boom times.

Creative culture is the lifeblood of a thriving city. Art exists in a realm where crazy ideas can flourish. The greatest “what ifs” can emerge, be tested, and sink or swim. Art is the original viral meme generator — and the new ideas it generates can’t help but trickle down or overflow into business, commerce and city government.

If we care about our city, we have one easy additional “to do” item: Embrace the arts. Weave them into our lives. Pick one event a month and go. “Doing our part” can be as easy as having opinions about what we see and sharing them with others. I hope you’re ready, because art season is opening.

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— Cat’s article for Juice Magazine, September 21, 2011. 

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When we posted a link to WhattheCraft’s “Why Handmade is so Expensive,” Market Day vendor Brandi Powell responded with her own input on the cost of handmade goods. 

Totally makes sense. 

But the more we’ve thought about it, the more important we feel it is to say: You know what? Handmade isn’t that expensive. You can buy small prints from Sweet Harvey for $25! Last I saw her big prints, I think they ran about $40? That’s pretty damn reasonable, considering Target’s got the shitty stuff for $15-$60.  

We have strong feelings on Target art. 

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How to build a tabletop softbox for around $30

“On his wesbite, Mawoca, Frank shows us how to make a tabletop softbox, which can help photographers - as well as crafters - take pictures of their smaller work in the best possible light. Frank uses his softbox to take food photos for his wife. He paid about $30 for parts, and the results are fantastic.”