Are You Selling on Artfire Yet?

Do you know about the Free Ride program at Artfire?

With the ArtFire Free Ride program for a limited time, you can earn an upgraded Verified account with full functionality and the ability to list unlimited items in your Fusion Studio absolutely free for life! Just refer 12 of your friends and when they join as a Verified member you, PLUS a friend of your choice receive a Free Ride!

Well I would like to get a free ride so........the first 12 that sign up for a verified studio with the link below I will use a random number generator and give one of you a free ride. Hey they said I could pick somebody so how about somebody that helped me out.

Register on ArtFire.com

Thanks,
Blockhead

Going Green with Mom's Cafe..and a giveaway!

Last night Mom's Cafe went green and YES, we stayed on topic! Rocker and I discussed various ways you can go green and be eco-friendly and NOT break the bank! We chatted about what being green means to us, for myself I will be as green as my pocketbook allows and I respect the earth we've been given; for Rocker, she explained she just cannot stand to see things throw away, she sees potential in everything!

We shared some fantastic links, tutorials and shops you can purchase green items from if you are sewing machine phobic.

Here are some to get you started:

Links to repurposing clothing:
Men's Shirt into girls Dress:
http://therockerchiconetsy.blogspot.com/2008/07/girls-pillowcase-style-dress-from-mens.html

Neck Ties into Jumper:
http://therockerchiconetsy.blogspot.com/2008/07/neck-tie-dress-tutorial.html

Tut for Sleeves into baby pants:
http://indietutes.blogspot.com/2008/06/happy-bum-pants-from-sleeves.html

Make a kids toys from your old clothing:
http://miaoucrafts.com/jill/?p=82

Tees into Reusable Grocery Bags:
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/good-thing-t-shirt-bag
somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year

Where to buy reusable grocery bags:
Upcycled Creations
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=22851

Did you know the Average American throws away 68 lbs of clothing each year? That is insane!! Think of all the good that could come from that! Even if you are not a crafty person, think of the other places you can share your unwanted items! Freeuse, Freecycle, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Women's Shelters, Homeless Shelters, Schools, etc. There are places you may never realize would take donations..perhaps your local Head Start, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts could use some items? Police stations may take clothing and toys to use when dealing with rape or abuse victims. Donate your blankets to homeless shelters or hospitals for babies...who knows if your blanket could help keep one baby warm? Why throw it out?? Do good!

Parenthood also leads one to many Earth Friendly possibilities, reusing toys, sharing toys, handmade toys and clothing, cloth diapering, mama cloth and many reusable items for mom and baby abound!

Here are some awesome shops to find such items:

Reusable Feminine Pads, and Reusable Lunch Bags:
http://www.dominopads.com/
U.S. women landfill or incinerate 11.3 billion "disposable" menstrual products per year.
It takes approximately 500 years for one "disposable" menstrual pad to partially biodegrade.

Cloth Diapers
http://theelimonster.etsy.com
Takes 4-500 years to biodegrade 1.5 billion disposable diapers into landfill yearly!

You can reduce landfill waste from your kid’s toys by making their toys from old clothing, from the tutorial we’ve given you before…. Or you can purchase, SAFE LEAD FREE toys from that are handmade by moms who understand your safety concerns with today’s toy corporations!

Crayons and play dough, also ouchie pouchies
Turtle Mommy
http://turtlemommy.etsy.com

Play Goop, Surprise Rocks,
Leaky Mouth
http://leakymouth.etsy.com
(shop currently closed-Reopening soon! Bookmark it!)

Also check out green toys on Artfire:
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=categories&main_cat_id=33

Crafty? Follow these tutorials!

For those old broken up crayons:
http://michaelgrace.blogspot.com/2009/03/tuesday-tutorial-cookie-crayons.html
Make your own shaped crayons, or buy them on handmade venues.

Soap with enclosed Toy:
http://whipup.net/2008/01/25/tutorial-soaps-for-kids-to-make-pt1/

All kinds of tutorials for handmade toys:
http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/homemade-toys.html

Essentially, no matter what you do, where you are, you can take steps to lessen your carbon footprint and leave the world a nicer, cleaner, healthier place to live!

Want to calculate your carbon footprint? Check it out here: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

Happy Green Living..

~~Mama and Rocker

Don't forget Rocker's Super Cool Giveaway!

CLICK HERE for details!

BlogFire Lights Up BHR

AliciaMae, Guild Master of the BlogFire Guild on ArtFire was our guest co-host at Blockhead Radio Live (BHR) last evening. Her team dominated the chat room, as we discussed the nitty-gritty of this awesome blogging guild.

Bloggers on Artfire - "we blog about crafting, art, and selling online. We're on twitter too" says AliciaMae...admited control freak. However, it is only because if she does it herself, then she has no one to blame for any mistakes. Awwwww!

In addition to her eclectic artistan interests, Alicia works from home as a full-time editor for mostly technical science publications. From the White Mountains of New Hampshire where she finishing her PhD, Alicia enjoys the peace of a lifetime living with and around creative others.

"Woodburning was passed down to me from my Mom and I have always had an affinity for paint. Cross stitching was a hobby when I was a teenager and bracelet weaving was a summer camp hobby that brings back nostalgic memories. I used to play with polymer clay and always enjoyed the miniatures my aunt made for herself. Given that information, I have about 20 years experience in making these items, but am constantly expanding my horizons."

Approximately 60 members and growing, it was a joy to reunite with Alicia after a long time of being teammates on another venue.

Here Birdy, Birdy, Birdy....

Knits that is! I have met a lovely couple, James and Birdy who are the brains, heart and soul behind Birdy's Knits, a selection of great shops where you can find excellent handmade items like knitting stitch markers, patterns, knitted items, and more! Their free pattern for a Swiffer Reusable Cloth Pad has been downloaded over 800 times! Get yours HERE!

Who ARE James and Birdy really? "Birdy is a knitter and designer. She was recently featured in Knitty (http://www.knitty.com) with her flit-n-float scarf. James is the designer and crafter of our line of Duals Use Notions for Fiber Artists." Now, if you are not a knitter you may be asking yourself just what are stitch markers? (I know I was!) James explains it quite well, "Our Dual use stitch markers are designed using leverback earrings, so they make great earrings. We have some of our knitters that say they use them as much as earrings as they do in their projects. It also comes in handy when your knitting and find you need a stitch marker but can't find one. Pop there it is, in your ear. They are also usable in crochet projects. Someone even told us they used it as a cabling needle for a small cable and they couldn't find theirs. So in reality they are more than dual use, but I just like the sound of that! We also have dual use row counters that are still a bit in development, that can also be worn as necklaces or bracelets. Also still in it's testing phase are our new Dual use stitch holders. which are also wearable as a necklace, and will be in coordinating designs with our stitch markers. As we like to say, 'They're not just jewelry for you, they're for your knitting too!'" Birdy and James launched Birdy's Knits Website about 2 years ago with just knitting patterns, then added the stitch markers one year ago.

Birdy home schools their two children while James works a full time job to take care for life's' un-fun necessities and then comes home to work on all the marketing, promoting and 'business' details of running a handmade business--something many people take for granted! As James says, "There are lots of things that go into all of that, that people don't realize. Like the emails that need to be answered about products. The website changes that need to be made. The listing of the items. The pictures that need to be taken, oh don't get me started on pictures. Then there is the promoting, if you are tring to do that on a budget, then it takes loads of time to get into forums and on chat threads talking up your products. I spend about 6-8 hours a day working on just the business, and that's on top of the 10-12 hour days at the FT job, so I could use like 6 more hours a day, 4 more for family and 2 more for sleep."

Time crunch seems to be something most handmade artisans face! It is one of the main answers I get when asking artisans what their top challenges are. Along with the time challenge, James and Birdy find themselves with the obstacle of "getting your products known." James explains, "We started our business 2 years ago, with just some of Birdy's Patterns. We then expanded to our Dual Use Stitch Markers about a year ago. We got some traffic but not a lot. We didn't know how to market online. So this year we are working on expanding our marketing for our products. We started with finally listing on Etsy this year in late January, and then we started searching our Handmade venues to sell on. So we added ArtFire, Shophandmade and MadeItMyself. For us it's all about getting our products in front of people. After reading several forums and blogs we have been discovering different ways to get your name known, and we continue to work on those. The other obstacle that we have placed on ourselves, is that we refuse to go into debt to make this work. So we are funding this business on it's own funds. I work a special event each year as a contract worker, and the money from that as well as the money from the business is what funds everything. That means we are growing slower than we might sometimes like, but at the same time we are growing."

Although it may be a slow start, there have been some great moments for James and Birdy, particularly Birdy's publication in Knitty is one of their proudest moments. James says, "It was great to see so many people discover her for the first time. We had thousands of hits on our website in a matter of days almost all new, and discovering Birdy's work for the first time!" That is indeed a fantastic achievement....no matter how many sales you get, seeing your work appreciated is an important step in the work of a handmade artisan.

There work is certainly appreciated by this mama even though I cannot knit a stitch to save my life! If you want to find MORE about Birdy and James, be sure to check all these links along with the ones mentioned above!

http://www.byhand.me/birdysknits/
http://www.birdysknits.com/shop/
http://www.birdysknits.com/blog/
https://www.ravelry.com/ (Birdys Knits)
http://facebookpage

So take a break, go check out James and Birdy and their awesome creations or just drop them a line! Tell them Blockhead Radio sent you! :)

OOPPPSS!!!

Hey There,

Just found a fellow artisan that life has happened too.

"As many of you may have heard, my 3 (almost 4) year old son has broken my camera. As all on line sellers know, pics are among the most important features in our studios.

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, I am having a **BUY ONE GET ONE 1/2 OFF SALE** to raise enough money to purchase a new camera. All purchases will be greatly appreciated. If you can not purchase I completely understand as well. I know what it's like to be strapped for cash.

If there is nothing in my shop that you like, I will be happy to make you a custom order. I will also be listing later tonight.

Also, if there is anyone who has a newer/type camera at a reasonable price, please message me. I would be interested to know what you have."

Take a look at Creative Haven and Creative Supplies and help pass on the word

Have a Great Weekend,

Blockhead

Artisan Teams & Groups/Guilds Goes Wild

Little did we know that my guest co-host on last nights "Artisan Teams & Groups/Guilds" show would run almost an hour over-time! Well, I guess we should have known, it was Blockhead Rod. Admitted Control Freak (there is no patch for this one folks), high IQ, Might Might of a wife who he married two weeks after meeting, and owner of Blockhead Radio Live! Six awesome children, parrot head, workaholic, minister, and former pro-blogger who has evolved into the talented producer of his own 24/7 hit internet radio venue.

Joined by Blockhead Rod's "real" wife Annette a/k/a Huck who knows what she knows and is extremely talented, and his "internet" wife Witchy a/k/a Cassandra who was announced as Blockhead Rod's favorite BHR Host. Well, she should be after all of the history behind their joining forces and the countless hours she now spends working within BHR management for the constant forward motion and momentum that BHR has gained. Besides, who does not love our Witchy...witty, intelligent, creative, strong, and purty too!

Shared were some exciting announcements, such as the new show "Handmade Insider" hosted by the 2 & only Art Fire co-founders John Jacobs (who loves his breakfast) and Tony Ford. Tune in Thursdays 1:30 pm eastern time.

BHR's BIGGEST STALKER Win your own FREE website for a month with all of the bells & whistles, and so much more you will cry!

The Stalkers, an ArtFire Guild has launched, "experience a plus but not required. Training is provided with active membership in this Guild. We seek those with a passion for promoting Artisans and The Handmade Movement."

The evolution of Rod Gambrel from kid, to Army, to bouncer, to truck driver, to pro-blogger, and eventually to master of BHR (or so they let him believe anyway), Rod's expectations are now exceeding his dreams and we all get to go along for the ride 24/7.

Secret: Blockhead Rod has a man-crush on Adam, co-owner of ByHand.Me
Secret: Witchy hates velvet
Secret: Huck is a huge Scrubs fan

Join me next week at BHR for "Artisans Teams & Groups/Guilds" 8pm est. My guest co-host will be AliciaMae Guild Master of Blog Fire.

Friday Night Features..Texas was the Theme

Thanks to everybody who listened in last night. It was a great debut show with Chris Huff joining us live on air.

Last night we featured Death and Texas Lp by Chris Huff and Pin Oak Pottery from Artfire.

Pin Oak Gallery

Pin Oak Pottery is located in the rolling hills of north Texas. Pamela creates pottery ranging from everyday ware to imaginative mask. Each piece is handcrafted by throwing the piece on the potters wheel or hand building. High fired stoneware is dishwasher and food safe.

Artisan's Bio:
Pamela Frazier McMahon, clay artist and owner of Pin Oak Pottery .

Ceramic classes in college, workshops from nationally and locally known artist have assisted Pamela in her thought and creative process. Her mask are created using her "minds-eye". Each mask has the distinguished large nose or large ears. The clay mask can be hung in or outdoors.

I hope you enjoy each piece for the beauty it brings to everyday living. Thank you for purchasing a piece of pottery made by hand and from her heart.

My pick from her shop was the Longhorn Plate.

Product Description: Stoneware ceramic 4"x4" longhorn plate. Perfect for holding coins, food, candles, soap, spoon rest or practically anything. Dishwasher safe. Fired to 2208 degrees, non toxic glaze.

Inspiration / Story behind this Product: Longhorn cattle roam in the beautiful State of Texas. My desire was to capture the outline of the cattle for everyday stoneware vessels.

Price: $8.00 US plus shipping of $3.40.

Visit Pin Oak Gallery for some great pottery at great prices.

Death and Texas LP by Chris Huff

Carefully crafted melodic rock combining the best of jam bands with new wave Britpop into a timeless blend that is both rootsy and modern. Fun to listen to if you experience violent mood swings or hear voices.

The CD was recorded while Chris was traveling around the US and Canada freelancing with a Broadway tour. He produced several projects for members of the company, most notably for Broadway singer Randal Keith (Les Misèrables, Phantom, Spamalot).

Thank you for calling in last night Chris and sharing some of the behind the scenes of this CD. I look forward to your next project. Visit Chris Huff at his website and blog.

Tracks

1 Hey Now Now
2 Oceans Never Freeze
3 Ghosts Of The Past
4 Lost In The Mausoleum
5 For The Trees
6 Neighborhood (Ain't It Time)
7 Then We're Dead
8 The Cause

Beautiful Jewelry by Lily Wrey

When I first joined the on-line community, selling my jewelry, I felt a little overwhelmed by all of the different things to learn and to do! One thing that quickly helped me to feel more grounded was making relationships with other on-line sellers. Lily Wrey of Tulips Treasure Box was one person who took me under her wing. In fact, we eventually adopted me! I call here my cyber-aunt, and one day we hope to meet in person.

I love Lily's jewelry design, and I'm not just saying that because we are close friends! I'm saying that as a jewelry designer myself. I've also watched her jewelry design grow quite a bit in the time I've known her. She has a great imagination, and she loves to learn. Recently she's been taking classes on jewelry design, and while I've always enjoyed her work, her new pieces are even more incredible!

Lily got her start by selling on ebay, but quickly grew dissatisfied with that venue for her jewelry. She joined Etsy as Tulips Treasure Box in December of 2007, and that's where I originally met her! Lily hasn't confined herself to that site alone though. She's stressed her wings and tried out many different selling venues, more recently, Artfire, also as Tulips Treasure Box.

We spent quite a bit of time talking last night about both Lily's shop on Artfire and Artfire in general. She's very excited about what she sees developing over there, and plans on becoming even more involved than she already is!

One of the best things about Lily is that she loves others. Remember how I said she took me under her wing? I'm watched her time and time and again reach out to others around her, offering her support and knowledge. Be sure to check out her shop!

A Froggy Rocker, Mama and Big Announcement...

What? You weren't there this past Wednesday at 9 pm to hear me, Mama Possum and Rocker gab about blogs and our overall awesomeness? WELL! You will be fined two points from the biggest Stalker contest! Okay, I suppose we'll forgive you. Just remember the golden rule...there is to be NO discussing of "Lost" with me until I have seen it!

IF you missed our little show, you missed a very froggy Rockerchic and I chat about blogs and how to use them for your business. Here are a few key points:

Use widgets and tools to your benefit! Such as:
www.entrecard.com
www.feedburner.com
www.tehnorati.com
Those are just the tip of the iceberg, there are many more.

Also discussed was the cardinal sin of blogging, (particularly if you use Entrecard), NO AUTO MUSIC!! We cannot emphasize that enough! HUGE turn off for your readers, and a big no-no if you use Entrecard.

Do remember WHY you blog, if you blog personal stories, remember that if you are using that blog for business, EVERY reader is a potential customer and what you blog about can either hurt or help you. Try to avoid personal rants, complaining and NEVER EVER bad mouth another artisan. That's just bad mojo. :)

And do not miss next week's Mom's Cafe! I have a prior committment, but the lovely Witchy will be stepping in for me for more nonesense, mom/artisan info and fun!!

Have a great day!!
~~Amy the Possum

A BeWitching Find

So, I'm on one of my clicking sprees as usual. A cute little something catches my eye and I click again. All my clicking leads me to discover JooSweetie's awesome shop.

How absolutely adorable are those magnets??? (Oh yes... those will be coming to live with Witchy very soon.)

Think you'll just take a quick look? Ha! A little peek into her shop and you will feel compelled to see everything all the way to the last page. I know... I've been there! In fact I'm still kind of lost in her shop as I write this. I keep finding some little detail I missed the first go around.

The creative mind behind JooSweetie is a stay home mom with a background in graphic design. She has also found a passion for textile crafts. She says that her shop is "a result from my love of creativity, joy of motherhood and a means of keeping my occasional insanity of raising a growing baby boy."

Any item from JooSweetie is bound to bring a smile to your face. I especially adore her assortment of tissue holders! I think I'd find a sniffly nose much more bearable with one of those cuties.

I discovered this shop while browsing around Artfire (sometimes I find stuff I didn't know I needed while browsing) but also found out (from my super sleuth skills... aka her Market Hub) that she is also on Etsy and can also be found on Flickr. Checking out JooSweetie at all three locations is highly recommended! Get lost in her world for awhile :)

A BeWitching Find

If you've listened to a show (and you really should if you haven't) then you know me as Witchy. You've also come to realize that I'm completely obsessed with soap. Don't even get me started talking about soap or I may never shut up. Chances are if you've caught the Morning BrewHAHA you know I can talk. A LOT.

Recently I took the plunge into joining and then exploring another selling venue: Artfire.

Well of course I had to peruse all the lovely handmade soaps. I thought I'd take the time to share just one shop out of the many that caught my eye: Ann's Lotions and Potions. Oh the eye candy! One glance in this shop and I was captivated by the eye popping colors accentuated with some enticing swirls! Not to mention the scrumptious scents found within... Black Cherry almost had me licking the screen. I'm not afraid to admit it either.

We always tell you not to eat the soap and this shop is going to require extra restraint. Several strips of duct tape across your mouth may be needed to curb the urge. Five years devoted to honing her craft is evident in every beautiful bar. Her shop also contains lotions, lip balms, sugar scrubs and other items that are made with quality ingredients your skin will thank you for.

Mmmm... the Toasted Coconut soap is beautiful. It also contains Coconut Milk which will provide a super creamy lather. I can smell it from here (take a deep breath, I bet you can too)!

I could totally post pic after pic of her gorgeous soaps! But where's the fun in that? Head on over to Ann's Lotions and Potions, take a look around, and grab a bar... or two... or three. If nothing else admire her creations and drool over the scents. Go ahead and lick the screen if the urge strikes. Ya know you want to.

Thursday DJ Guest.....

Okay, so that's not really the guest...that is my favorite PIECE from Andrew, of Englishmaninps. Tune in Thursday night at 9pm Eastern as Ruthie of Roseworks Jewelry, DJ's with her special guest, Andrew. Hear great tunes and learn a little about this talented artisan.

www.blockheadradiolive.com

Where to find Andrew:
englishmaninps.etsy.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blurredimage
http://twitter.com/englishmaninps

Need Some Advertising?

Then you're in the right place!!! Did you know you can purchase advertising from Blockhead Radio through Etsy or Artfire?

Check out our listings, share them with your friends!! Get a great deal on advertising and raise your feedback at the same time! :)

Click here for the Etsy Listing.

Click here for the Artfire Listing.

And as always you can check out other advertising rates and offers at www.blockheadradio.com/advertising

Thus ends today's advertising announcement. We now resume normal possum activities....

Amy, the awesome possum