Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

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In this show:

- If you want to make your living in craft, are there other ways besides opening an online store selling handmade goods? You bet there are! Jennifer Chau did it - learn more about her business, Label Tulip.

- Consider all the skills you've learned in your various corporate jobs. Any of them could be applied in a crafty context - and this opens a lot of new opportunities up for you.

- Learn how Jennifer did just that - used her corporate-world skills to find a great crafty business.

Links:

- Check out Jennifer's business, Label Tulip.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

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In this show:

- With so many blogs, so many projects, and so much crafty Goodness on the web every day, how can we hope to keep up? Rachel Klein, of One Pretty Thing, gives us some tips.

- Learn how Rachel manages to read over 4000 blogs and websites each week, rounding up the best links for her amazing website.

- Apply Rachel's strong organizational skills to your craft projects, too.

Links:

- If you haven't already, do visit One Pretty Thing. It's a fantastic resource, week in and week out.

- Also, Rachel mentioned this Design*Sponge article about running an advertising program on your blog.

Chocolate Moelleux, photo by Kathy. NOM NOM NOM.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

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In this show:

- An interview with Kathy High (aka Adoxograph), a professional chef who approaches cooking from an almost crafty perspective.

- Find out how food inspiration can be found everywhere - even science fiction.

- Learn what you need to stock a good pantry, and make amazing food regardless of the season.

Tasty Links:

- Visit Kathy's blog, Gelatin Sheets, especially this recipe for Chocolate Moelleux, which will pretty much guarantee you a happy life. And also, this one for Rhubarb Ginger Ale.

- ...And in this video, she makes gougeres look easy.

- Catch up with Kathy on Twitter - always a good time.

And here she is on Facebook.

Bon Apetit!

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

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In this show:

- An interview with Pat Riesenburger, who works with brick-and-mortar craft store owners. She writes a great blog: The Crafty Retailer.

- Get an interesting glimpse into the world of crafty retailing: competing with big-box stores, a tough economy, and the internet.

- Learn some ways to support your favorite local craft stores.

Links:

- Check out The Crafty Retailer, and recommend it to your local store owners.

- Pat's two businesses are Access Crystal and Aussie Threads & Fibers.

- I love these Portland indie craft stores:

Twisted Cool Cottons Gossamer Collage The Knittn' Kitten

...What are your favorites in your city?

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- We celebrate CraftyPod's 100th episode! My partner Katin interviews me, asking questions provided by you.

- Conversation ranges from the ins and out of podcasting to the wider world of the craft community.

- And, I say Thank You.

Links:

- My thanks to everyone who submitted a question on this show:

Wendy Osborne (Please let me know if I can add your link!) Kim Frazier Harley Dee Meg Moynahan Dorothy Walker Elise Bond Alice Merlino Rachel Hobson Katie Vandeur Michelle Jones Kim Werker Dawn Anderson

- If you'd like to see all the questions and answers that didn't fit in the podcast, they're right here .

- News on the big prize drawing for questioners is coming soon!

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- Patricia Zapata talks about how graphic design affects her crafting, and vice versa.

- Some discussion of how design principles can be beneficial to a small crafty business.

- Suggestions for developing your "design eye."

Links:

- Check out Patricia's craft blog, A Little Hut.

- You might also be curious about Patricia's graphic design business, Zapata Design.

- ...And check out Patricia's book, Home, Paper, Scissors.

  A set of Ryan's new photo blocks

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- Some straight talk about crafty publishing: what's it really like to have a craft book published the traditional way? And what's it like to publish a crafty ebook?

- Plus, a short interview with June Gilbank, who sells self-published crochet patterns, and has a print book in progress, and has just released a crafty ebook.

- If you dream of writing a craft book, this show aims to bring you solid information and perspective.

June Gilbank's Links:

- You may be familiar with June's wonderful crochet patterns . Have you also seen Folding Trees, the blog she co-authors on paper craft?

- June's ebook, The Punchneedle Handbook, provides high-quality instruction. And she's designed a lot of cute punchneedle patterns, too.

Self-Publishing Links:

- Sound advice for authors, from Seth Godin, via Publetariat.

- (And by the way, Publetariat is itself an excellent resource.)

- Self-publishers will also find tons of great blog posts, links, and podcasts on the subject at The Creative Penn.

- An interesting Wall Street Journal article for the curious: Hoe the E-Book Will Change the Way We Read and Write.

Some Crafty Ebooks:

- Needlepointer Janet Perry offers a series of ebooks on the craft.

- Leigh Ann Tennant has released an ebook of sewing projects for new mothers, called sewExpecting

- Lee Meredith has an ebook of 10-yard knitted cuffs.

- Did I mention that I have a couple of them as well?

A set of Ryan's new photo blocks

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- And interview with Ryan McAbery , who was a top seller on Etsy, and then decided to walk away from it.

- Learn what drove Ryan to leave her business behind, and what's bringing her fresh inspiration now.

- Gain some perspective on the benefits and drawbacks of having a very busy handmade business.

Links:

- Visit Ryan's new Etsy shop , and see her photography blocks and pendants.

- In Ryan's blog, All Things Littleput, she shares new designs, snippets of her now-balanced life, and some musings on starting over in business.

- Check out Ryan's current home - Portland Saturday Market.

- This "Quit Your Day-Job" article on The Storque about Ryan's top-seller business was published in September 2007.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- All about needlepoint, with Janet Perry, who's on a mission to change the way we think about this craft.

- Some discussion of why needlepoint is a perfect craft for today, and why it doesn't seem to get the respect it deserves.

- Lots of great ideas and resources to get you started needlepointing!

Links:

- Check out Janet'sNapa Needlepoint website, where you can find...

- Janet's self-published books: Needlepoint Trade Secrets and Bargello Revisited

- Janet's frequently-updated series of ebooks

- ...And, Janet's blog, Nuts About Needlepoint

- Janet also offers a free email needlepoint course for beginners.

- A book Janet recommends highly: Bargello, by Elsa Williams, published 1967.

- A book I recommend highly: Better Homes and Gardens Needlepoint, published 1978.

- Definitely check out the Modern Needlepoint on Flickr - it has lots of stunning work.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- An interview with Paul Overton, author of the Dudecraft blog. This conversation was inspired by this post.

- Some thoughts on the difference between crafting for money and crafting for passion.

- How does handmade work change when it's made solely for profit?

- What happens when independent craft businesses start flooding the online community with marketing messages?

- What does it mean when a handmade item has "mojo?"

Links:

- Dudecraft is well worth reading - be sure and check it out!

- Paul recommended Hammermakrs as an example of a blog that offers both value and commerce.

- We also talked a bit about Gary Vaynerchuk, who absolutely nails the idea of offering value to your audience. I recommend this short interview as a quick way to get familiar with his philosophies.

- Paul is also a big fan of Meet Me At Mikes.

- Another blog Paul mentioned: Aprons and Hammers. (Man! Those really ARE amazing shoes!)

- ...And we also went a little fangirl (and boy) on Jeff Rudell .

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- A whole bunch of people answer the question, "Why do you make things?" I recorded these interviews at Maker Faire.

- ...And a bunch of my Twitter buddies added their two cents as well.

My thanks to everyone who contributed to this show: (Listed in the order they appear, by the way...)

- Christina Lee

- Adrian Messenger

- An extremely nice lady who's name didn't get recorded. This is entirely my fault, and I feel like such a doofus for it. (She's the one who talks about baby blankets.)

- Alexa Westerfeld

- Crafty Chica Kathy Cano-Murillo

- Bea Owen (aka @bibia)

- Kirsty Hall. (Remember the podcast she and I did?)

- Kym Randall (aka @coffeemamma)

- Angela Mabray. (aka @craftygoat)

- Jared Graves (aka @orime)

- Janet Perry (aka @napaneedlepoint)

- Bill Ward, President of the Bay Area LEGO Users Group

- Kelly Day (She writes her blog, by the way, with Shayne Rioux)

- Rory Loeb

- Megan, of Sanourra Designs (aka @sanourra)

- Nancy Ricci (aka @gettingpurly)

- Paul Overton (aka @dudecraft)

- Barbara Forbes-Lyons (aka @penguintrax)

- Eleanor, aka undeadgoat

- Nicole Vasbinder , who also owns StitchCraft

- Vincent Pacheco

- Kristin Roach

Image from the Google Reader Blog.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- The comments on this post tell me that the number one question folks have about craft blogging is, "What should I write about?" So this podcast attempts to answer that question.

- Learn why your blog is not really about you, and what it should be about instead.

- Understand why passion and value are two key elements of a great craft blog.

Good Bloggy Links:

- Check out the ebook I wrote about craft blogging. It covers even more techniques for finding topics to write about.

- How to Find Your Hidden Talent, on Skelliewag. A good exercise for those who need help identifying their passions.

- 7 Questions to Finding Your True Passion - a solid starting point to exploration.

- Watch this video: Gary Vaynerchuk absolutely nails how passion is crucial in the internet age.

- Julia Cameron's The Vein of Gold has been helping creative people find their passions for years.

- Don't miss this ProBlogger post on How to Write Great Blog Content.

- This ProBlogger post on developing a blog strategy is more about blogging goals than content, but great food for thought for new bloggers.

- If you're more of a photographer than a writer, you can tell your story on Flickr.

- If you're a person of few words, you might prefer Twitter or Tumblr

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- Juliann, aka TheSickChick, tells us about how crafting helps her cope with chronic illness.

- Learn something about how crafting helps in managing pain, anxiety, and depression.

- Find out how the craft community is a lifeline to Juliann, providing support and friendship under challenging circumstances.

- Be absolutely inspired by Juliann's determination to stay positive and crafty.

Links:

- Visit TheSickChick.com to learn more about Juliann's current and upcoming internet projects.

- You can also read the archived entries on Juliann's blog.

- ...And, follow her (and chat with her) on Twitter.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- An interview with Bernadette Noll and Kathie Sever, co-owners of Future Craft Collective. They offer craft projects for families and kids that also teach creative reuse and self-reliance.

- Tips on designing good crafting and learning experiences for your children.

- Thoughts on how crafting can also become a way to learn more about sustainability.

- Bernadette and Kathie share their lessons learned through crafting with their own kids and their students.

Links:

- The Future Craft Collective website offers lots of projects to do with your kids, and lots of great links.

- Kathie's line of clothing is called Ramonsterwear. You may also know her from the Back and Forth Project.

- Bernadette has a great blog for parents, and be sure to check out her other project, Slow Family Living.

- Kathie and Bernadette recommend Crafting a Green World as a good source for sustainable craft project ideas.

- They also recommend The Story of Stuff, a short film about production, consumption, waste, and reuse.

The fantastic cardboard dress Sarah brought to CHA.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- An interview with Sarah Hodsdon, a successful designer who has a lot to say about how that profession is changing.

- What's the difference between a business and a glorified hobby?

- How does the influence of the web (and how easy copying and stealing ideas becomes there) affect a designer's livelihood?

What is the role of a designer in a global, digital economy?

nbsp; Two designs from Sarah's work for Mrs. Butterworth's. Link below! Links:

- Lots of inspiration to be had on Sarah's blog.

- I highly recommend following Sarah on Twitter. She gives great tweet.

- Here's Sarah's store on Cafe Press.

Speaking of crafty McGyvering, check out what Sarah did with Mrs. Butterworth's bottles.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- Margot Potter talks to us about creating a strong brand for your crafty business.

- Understand how building a brand can help you create new business opportunities.

- Learn some ways to go about figuring out what your brand is.

Links:

- Check out Margot's main website, including those hair don'ts we discussed in the interview.

- You can see Margot's craft-branded side at her Impatient Crafter blog. Or, see another side of her at her Impatient Blogger blog.

- Here's a list of Margot's books at Amazon. (Well, okay, except for the Peter Rabbit ones.)

Check out Margot's crafty videos at her YouTube channel.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- An interview with Victor Domine, Public Relations Manager of the Craft & Hobby Association.

- Victor's take on that inaccurate Indie Craft Report that circulated at the January CHA show.

- Some thoughts about how CHA is working to bridge the gap between indie crafters and the craft industry.

- A bit of perspective: we are one market segment among many.

Links:

Visit the CHA website to learn more about membership and benefits.

You can find the full text of that indie report here. (Published at Creative Leisure News, but written

- Here's my, original post about that report.

Margaret Roach in her garden. All images courtesy of Margaret.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- A conversation with Margaret Roach: about her work with Martha Stewart Living, and about her creative adventures these days.

- Some wonderful ideas on creative collaboration - I love how Margaret speaks about this.

Margaret and her sister, Marion.

- And yes, a peek into the craft world at Martha Stewart Living.

Links: Goodness, what a beautiful garden!

- Margaret's well-known garden blog, A Way To Garden, is filled with beautiful images and plant-y inspiration.

An image from the Mason-Dixon Knitting Gallery on The Sister Project.

- Brew yourself a cup of tea and spend some time exploring The Sister Project. The Gallery show of Mason-Dixon Knitting is lots of fun. And here's my Gallery show.

- . . . And don't miss The Crafts Dept., a new blog by the crafting team at Martha Stewart Living. Great read!

The Ranger Ink booth at CHA - always packed!

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- An interview with Mike Hartnett, publisher of Creative Leisure News and veteran watcher of the craft supply industry.

- Thoughts on where the craft industry has been, and where it's headed.

- A fascinating look at the trends that have risen, fallen, and shaped the way we craft.

- Discussion of how the emerging indie crafter community fits into all this.

Links:

- Be sure to check out Creative Leisure News - the archives are free, or you can sign up for a trial subscription.

- This was the CHA and the Indies post here on CraftyPod that got this discussion started.

- Mike mentioned the CPSIA in the interview. Modern June has an excellent roundup of CPSIA-related links.

- Another piece of legislation affecting indie designers is the Orphan Works Act. There's a very nice breakdown at Public Knowledge.

- We also talk some about the Craft & Hobby Association.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- An interview with Emily Johnson, whose Family Trunk Project involves designing knit garments to represent each member of her extended family.

Links:

- Visit the Family Trunk Project online and see Emily's beautiful work.

- You may also be interested in the fiber CSA Emily mentioned in the interview - Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm.

- Here's a nice interview with Emily, at Ysolda.

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- Ideas, suggestions, and musings on how to craft can make a positive impact on the world.

Links:

- Follow Futuregirl's progress in her pledge to craft with what she has in 2009.

- Read about craft supply swaps here, here, and here.

- Genius crafty recycling goes on at RePlayGround.

- Lee Meredith is also a crafty recycling genius.

- Be sure to check out Crafting A Green World for great information on supplies and sustainability.

This to That is a great place to research the toxicity of your glues.

- Here's some info on the toxicity of paint pigments.

- A great post: How Safe and Green Are Your Crafting Supplies?. (And Part 2 is over here.)

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- An interview with Kim Werker, a talented woman who built an amazing career in craft. She tells us how that happened and what it looks like.

- What made Kim leave a dream crafty job? What comes next?

- And how will the current economic mess affect people who make their careers in craft?

Links:

- Keep up with Kim's new year at her blog.

- Here's a page of Kim's books.

- If you love your hook, do not miss CrochetMe.com, which Kim started on a whim. It's a huge community, now stewarded by Interweave Press.

- Until recently, Kim was also editor of Interweave Crochet.

- If you haven't already, do check out Kim's interview with Joss Whedon!

- If you want to get really fired up about the new year, check out Gary Vaynerchuk. Arm-waving is optional. :-)

A Daily Drawing by Kate Bingaman-Burt

Welcome to the CraftyPod, a craft podcast all about making stuff.

Click the “Play” button at the bottom of this post to listen!

In this show:

- An interview with Kate Bingaman-Burt, who makes art out of consumerism under the brand name Obsessive Consumption.

- So many interesting ideas about how we look at the things we buy.

- Great food for thought on money, debt, spending, and art - especially during the holiday season.

Obsessive Links:

- Visit the Obsessive Consumption website.

- Check out those daily purchase drawings at the Obsessive Consumption blog, aka What Did You Buy Today?

- Get zines, pillows, and other handmade stuff at the Obsessive Consumption Etsy Shop.