With the country’s financial system in turmoil, everyone is looking for ways to save a few bucks this holiday season.   While some Christmas shopping might be inevitable (Just make sure you shop handmade when you do shop!), there’s no need to spend more than you can afford. Listed below is a number of easy gift projects which can be completed at home with minimal costs.

Craft Your Presents in the Kitchen

If you your passion lays in cooking, you might try baking a festive treat for friends and family. Christmas sweets and candies tend to be a big hit in any crowd, whether they come in the form of yummy stocking stuffers or a delicious snack to munch on. Try giving peppermint bark or frosted cookies to family members, friends, or co-workers as x-mas gifts this year. Or if cooking isn’t your area of expertise, you could try packaging ingredients in fun jars as a kind of “future cooking project” and distributing them as presents!

A Picture is worth a Thousand Words

For the visually minded artisan, try making a special family photo album or recipe book. These gifts are full of shared experiences and memories and can make for a treasured possession. You can also try crafting up a fun scrapbook, showing a recent event or trip you took with family or friends.

Get Your Festive Craft Spirit on

Tree decorations make for a delightful holiday gifts, plus you can have a fun time just making them!  Handmade ornaments can be crafted out of old art supplies or goodies you might have laying around the house like beads, buttons, fabric, salt dough, even old light bulbs! Get creative and experiment, the more expressive your ornaments are, the better.  Make special decorations for everyone, maybe even matching them to fit that person’s character.  Or if you’re feeling especially inventive, craft mini versions of your family members or friends as gifts!

Try a Traditional Homemade Gift

If you like working with your hands when you craft, you could try making fun seasonal candles as special holiday gifts. If you lack experience making candles, just buy a low-price kit from a nearby craft store. These kits usually produce a handful of candles, so you only need a few kits to craft enough gifts for everyone on your list! Add embellishments to your presents to make them festive and unique. Mix crushed flowers into your wax before letting it cool, Mold your candle into an unusual shape, or paint on festive patterns!

Thanks for reading, and remember to buy handmade this holiday season!

-Sara

www.artfire.com


 

We’re launching an “Artisan Stimulus Package” and we want all business-minded crafters to be a part of it.   Times are tough, and here at Artfire.com we’re looking for any chance we have to help the handmade artists of the world. That is why the next 5,000 users to sign up or upgrade to a Verified Artisan seller’s account on Artfire will be given a special discount: only a $7 monthly fee for the rest of their life.

Artfire is an online craft marketplace, full of eager art business owners looking to profit from their handmade goods. We have two membership levels, basic and verified. Basic members can list up to ten items at any time for completely free.  There are no fees at this membership level, no sign up fees, no listing fees, no final evaluation fee, no fees at all!

But some artists want a whole lot more than 10 listings at a time. They want more interactive features, and full functionality of their artisan studio. For these members, we have the Verified Artisan membership level. Normally, Verified Artisans on Artfire would pay $20 a month to access all the cool features, including shop customization, studio statistics, blogs, forums, guilds, unlimited listing space, and so much more. But we’re offering it to you now for only $7 a month. That’s less than $0.23 a day, and you have full access to all functions of Artfire.com.

There’s really no catch here. This deal lasts as long as you want. Artisans can cancel their account with us anytime. There are no upfront fees or hidden fees, just $7 a month for the rest of your stay here on Artfire.  You get access to all of the same features Verified Artisans normally enjoy. But once those 5,000 members have signed up, the deal is over, and I can’t guarantee we’ll ever have a special like this again. So hurry and take advantage of this offer while there’s still time!

Please click here to learn more about the Artisan Stimulus Package.

Remember to buy handmade this holiday season!

-Sara

Many crafters are eager to do just a little bit more with their handmade goods this holiday season, and have begun donating craft profits to charity. These artists are helping to make a direct impact with their handmade products, and desire appreciation for their generosity.

If you’re an online craft vender, there’s no reason you can’t be part of this growing movement. But before you start selling charity crafts, there are a few things you need to know. To begin, check that the company you’re supporting is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. This way you’re sure that your entire contribution goes directly to the cause, and you can receive tax credit for your donation. You should also do research on the charity you pick, so that you’re 100% sure that you’ve picked the best organization to support. There are countless different non-profit companies in existence, and it can be hard to find the absolute best one for you. You could always choose a couple of charities and just let your shoppers pick the one they want to support after purchasing a craft item.

When you get ready to place the item for sale, be sure to mention that the product is a charity craft in as many different locations as possible. Place it in the item description, the title, or even try organizing a special charity category in your craft shop. You want shoppers to be aware that they have the chance to support a charity organization by buying from you.

In reality, not all artisans can afford to give away all of their profits, even if it is to a worthy cause. But giving even a portion of sales revenue is still beneficial to society. Every penny counts and shoppers will still be willing to help make a social impact!

So if you’ve haven’t tried donating your craft profits to charity, give it a go this Christmas. You might just enjoy it so much that it becomes a habit!

Thanks for reading, and remember to buy handmade this holiday season!

Sara

www.artfire.com

Let’s be honest with ourselves, we all want to change the world for the better, but have absolutely no idea where to begin.  After all, it’s not like we’re millionaires, with vast amounts of time and money on our hands to spare making a global impact. Most of us are just struggling to get by, and when it comes to helping others, yeah, maybe we’ll get to that after the bills are paid and the dishes are done and the kids are put to sleep.  After all, one person can’t make that much of a difference right?

Wrong. The important thing to remember about changing the world is that lots of people doing small deals independently can make a difference. And this difference doesn’t need to involve much time or money. All it takes is a simple gesture of kindness.

And now, Artfire is going to help you make that impact. With our new Top Ten Ways to Change the World Right Now at Your Computer article, you’ll find a variety of options for making an impact. All of these ways can be completed without ever leaving the comfort of your home, and provide the opportunity to make an immediate change in the world around you.  So go check it out and take the first step to changing the world for the better!

Check here to read the article 10 Ways to Change the World Right Now at You Computer on Artfire.com.

Thanks for reading, and remember to buy handmade and support local artists!

-Sara

www.artfire.com
 

Managing a green crafts business can be good for both the planet and for your wallet. Listed below are 3 easy moves that will help turn your artisan business into an eco-friendly one without forcing you to change your working style.

-Shut off your electric equipment when you’re not using it.  Countless fax machines, copiers, and personal computers remain powered on overnight around the world. Turning off your electrics when you’re finished working can help cut your energy use by 50%.

-Recycle your paper.   Most businesses throw out old printer paper by the masses on a daily basis—don’t make the same mistake! While some papers hold sensitive material, most of the waste generated is just ordinary paper. Try tossing old documents into the recycling can rather than the trash can whenever you can.  If recycling isn’t possible for your home business, try double siding documents to save what paper you can.

-Buy paper made from recycled materials. It is just as good as ordinary copy paper, and it is more environmentally friendly.  Sure, it may look a little different, but since most documents you print will be used for business filing, who cares what color that paper is?

I hope these tips have helped you to run your artisan business the green way! For more information on going green, be sure to check out Art Daily’s Green Wise section for updates on green living.

Happy crafting, and remember to buy handmade!

-Sara

www.Artfire.com

So you’ve added the finishing touches on your children’s handmade Halloween outfits, you’ve put out the healthy Halloween treats for visitors, so what else do you need to do to make sure your family has a happy Halloween this year? Most parents know better than to let their children treat-or-trick alone or eat unusual candy, but in the rush of the holiday, people usually overlook a few significant safety precautions. Listed below is some helpful advice for a fun and safe Halloween with your family this year.

 1. You and the kids should eat a complete dinner before going out trick-or-treating.  This way you and your children will be less likely to pig out on candy. You’ll also need your stamina for showing off your cute artistic costumes to the neighborhood, and a full meal can provide you with the energy you need. 

2. Make sure you and your kids wear particular shoes. Trick-or-treating generally allows for a lot of as you parade from home to home. And while sneakers might not go with your specially made costume, you’ll thank yourself for choosing comfortable footwear as the night progresses. Save the six inch witches’ boots for the costume party, wear something reasonable on your feet.

3. If your pet is going out with you (perhaps even wearing his or her own handmade Halloween outfit), make sure that they are on their lease at all times. While your pet may be used to running freely about, on Halloween night there’s probably going to be lots of other animals and people out trick-or-treating that your pet is doesn’t know. This can result in your pet getting frightened and responding in uncontrollable ways (running away, getting aggressive with another pet). So please keep in mind that even if your animal is the nicest, kindest soul to ever grace the earth, for your pet’s own well-being and the well-being of others, use a lease!

4. Always walk with your kids from house to house—don’t let them run. Children can get overly excited on this sugar-filled holiday, causing them to run around carelessly. This can result in them bumping into objects, falling down, or getting involved in other accidents (especially when it’s dark out). Make sure they remain near you and always on the sidewalk. Don’t cut across lawns or driveways, which are often poorly lit at night.

I hope you found these tips to be useful! Thanks for reading, and remember to buy handmade this season to support local artists!

Click here to see the fun holiday crafts ArtFire members have made.

-Sara

www.artfire.com

After much re-skinning and de-bugging, ArtFire’s newsletter, the Art Daily, is now live. Art Daily is a kind of super blog, with articles from the ArtFire team as well as from contributing ArtFire members. This content is 100% free to everyone on the web, and designed to encourage the sharing of knowledge and experience.

Currently, Art Daily has eight different sections, updated continuously. Users are encouraged to submit articles for publication in six of these sections. Those sections are:

The Main Feature – these articles concern important events and news in the art world. This is our longest section, and therefore receives the most attention. Craft fair news? Art book reviews? Looking to share new trends in the marketplace? Post them here! We’ll also publish information about new site features and interviews we with our members in this sections.

Inspirational – in this section readers will find stories about the personal lives and experiences of members. Every artisan has his/her own story to tell, and we what to share that story with the community so that others will feel inspired. We encourage all members to submit their life stories for others to learn from there. We also post news about art shows, galleries, and non-ArtFire artists here.

Business Tips –being a successful business owner doesn’t come easily, and for that reason we offer business advice to help our artisans in their craft business. This advice is specially designed for the artisan marketplace, and much of it is written by successful sellers from our site. Be sure to check it out, you never know when you might learn something new!

Green Wise –here we’ll post articles relating to environmental news.  This includes information on going green, crafting eco-friendly products, and environmental news from around the world. As a green website, we wish to promote awareness about environmental concerns, and help change the world for the better!

Crafts and Techniques –looking for a new craft idea? Look no further! Our artisans have some of the best craft tutorials prefect for artisans of skill levels. Currently we’re featuring Halloween and family crafts, but we intend to move on to Thanksgiving and Christmas as fall progresses. 

Members Board – this is kind of a miscellaneous section for member submissions.  Got an article that doesn’t fit in any of that other categories, but is nonetheless of interest to ArtFire members? Post it here! Whether you’re looking for childcare tips or ideas for breaking “artist’s block” this is the place to be! This area is solely devoted member generated content, so members get to decide what to publish.

There are also a few sections which are written only by the ArtFire team. These sections relate to site news and updates directly related to members.

ArtFire News—here readers will learn about new features or receive tips on using old ones! This is kind of a “how-to” section of the newsletter, and full of useful information all ArtFire members should have access too.

Item of the Day –check out the hottest products ArtFire has to offer in this section of Art Daily! These items are handpicked by the ArtFire team for quality and style, and sure to catch any handmade buyer’s eyes.

With so many different sections, Art Daily has something for everyone. Be sure to check out our first edition, freshly published this morning!

If you’re an ArtFire member and would like to submit an article to Art Daily, please email: artdaily@artfire.com.

Have a great day everyone, and remember to buy handmade!

-Sara

As the days count down to Halloween, shoppers are rushing to purchase costumes for the whole family.  But the majority of shoppers are aware that Halloween outfits from mainstream stores lack individuality and quality. Most of they are designed to be worn only once, and therefore they are made with substandard materials.   For a well-designed Halloween outfit, shoppers must turn to artisans.

We encourage artists everywhere to take advantage of this demand. Offer shoppers a handmade alternative to low-quality factory produced merchandise. Give them the chance to choose originality and style over mass-production and the ordinary. When people choose to buy handmade this holiday season, they’re ensuring that they will be the only one at the Halloween party wearing that outfit. That’s because handmade costumes are completely one-of-a-kind.

While times are tough economically for most Americans, crafters need to keep making handmade. If artisans watch current trends in the craft marketplace, they’re more likely to be successful this holiday season. Right now, demand for Halloween crafts is soaring, and artisan business owners should make a note of that.

No matter what it is, costumes, decorations, or accessories, customers are looking for goods which embody the holiday spirit. To make buying handmade holiday goods just a little bit easier for them, we created a Seasonal category on ArtFire.  This section holds craft items of all kinds for all major holidays. Users can filter this section by clicking on to the Halloween sub category, which will only display items related to October 31st. 

Remember to buy handmade this Halloween to support local artisans!

-Sara

http://www.artfire.com

One easy way to reduce your environmental impact is to resist using dangerous cleaning supplies to tidy up your craft studio.  But if you can’t use chemical cleaners, what can you use to keep your art room spick and span? Below you’ll find a handy list of green cleaning tips to help break your dependency on toxic cleaners.

1. Although you shouldn’t keep dangerous cleaning materials in your house, you can’t just throw them away. If a cleaner is hazardous to have in your home, it’s still damaging to the environment if it ends up in a dump yard. Instead of carelessly tossing out your old cleaning products, take them to a toxin recycling company so that they may be disposed of properly.

2. Combining baking soda and vinegar has more uses than just science fair projects! A mixture of these items can make a handy all-purpose cleaner prefect for bathrooms, kitchens, and tile floors.

3. Generally, the air inside a home can be more toxic than the air outside. Because of this, homeowners should take any chance they can to open windows and allow fresh air to blow through the house. You can also decorate the home with plants that work to pump more oxygen into the air.

4. Instead of using a spray to mask animal odor on carpets, try using baking soda. Sprinkle the powder on your floors before vacuuming to quickly remove any unpleasant aromas.

Looking for more ways to go green? Check out ArtFire’s Top Eleven Ways to Go Green with Your Crafts.

Keep crafting artisans, and remember to buy handmade and support local artists like yourself!

-Sara

Many artists start with used materials or even trash items and recycle them into fun craft projects. This one-of-a-kind purse was hand crafted from an old Prada magazine advertisement. Click here to view the item for sale on ArtFire.com.

Arts and crafts are typically beneficial for the environment, as they encourage artisans to make their own handmade goods rather than buy factory produced items. Factory products are damaging to the earth in many ways, as the factories themselves often create massive quantities of pollution, and the products they generate are generally transported thousands of miles to buyers, which wastes precious energy. When crafters choose to create products and sell them locally, they give customers the opportunity to buy handmade goods instead of buying manufactured goods.
 

But sometimes artists want to do more with their hobby. They’re interested in making an eco-friendly impact with their craft goods.  Of course, not everyone is sure where to start taking steps to go green, but we can help.

A list of Eleven Ways to Go Green with Your Crafts has now been uploaded to ArtFire.com as part of the Interactive List Feature.  This list is stuffed full of delightful tips and advice to help crafters make an environmental impact. If this post is useful to you, please don’t hesitate to share it with other members of the internet community! This list and the ones to follow are absolutely free and designed to inform artisans about crafting, managing a home business, and going green. We’ll be uploading a new list almost every day, so make sure you check back for often for new tips and top ten lists!

Read the Top Eleven Ways to Go Green With Your Crafts!

-Sara

Keep on crafting artists, and remember to always buy handmade!

Tony, like everyone else, didn’t always listen to his mother.  Moms generally mean well, but we can’t follow every piece of advice they give us. So few of us live the healthy and well-mannered existence our moms envisioned for us. We don’t have time for an apple a day and chicken soap when we’re sick. But with medical and scientific findings proving the beneficial properties of these tidbits of advice, one can only ask, what else was mom right about?

For Tony, his mom was able to offer some very important advice which he has used throughout his career.

 “I spent 40 grand getting my MBA, when I should have just listened to my mom,” said Tony.

Tony now works as the Executive Vice President of Marketing for ArtFire.com. In the past, he’s worked as a sales coach, managed Six Sigma projects, and even helped run a $60 million business.

“Everything I needed to know about business, I learned from my mom,” he explained. “She understood the importance of basic human communication in the business world better than anyone else.”

Tony’s mom got her degree in journalism, and has worked as a kindergarten and music teacher for years. So how does this make her qualified to give business advice? Well it doesn’t.  But she never gave him advice about business specifically, but about life in general, and by translating her wisdom to the business world Tony was able to forge a successful career.

“If more people listened to their moms, we wouldn’t be in the crisis we are now,” he said.

To help share his success with others, Tony has formed a list of helpful insights he has gained from his mother’s knowledge.  This top 13 or “baker’s dozen” business tips has been posted on ArtFire, to help business minded crafters flourish on the artisan trading site. This list is completely free to members and non-members, and open to anyone with an internet connection. We encourage all who read and learn from this baker’s dozen to share it with their friends and family members over the World Wide Web.  Post it on Reddit, Digg it, or Stumble it and spread the word to small business owners everywhere!

Click here to read the Baker’s Dozen, Mom’s Advice to Business!

-Sara

Keep crafting artisans, and remember to always buy handmade!

Step One: The Right Pumpkin for the Job

If you’re not a painter by nature, you’ll want to start with a big pumpkin, as those are easier to work with.  But if you’re skilled with a paint brush, you could choose to try painting a complicated design on a small baby pumpkin. No matter what the size of your pumpkin, buy one with a nice bright shell, no soft spots or bruises, and a thick strong (preferably greenish) stem. Make sure you buy your pumpkin from local farmers rather than the grocery store, as you should always support small business owners, even on the holidays.

Step Two: Compiling the Best Tools

You shouldn’t waste expensive paints on your pumpkin, since it’ll only last about a season (although your painted pumpkin will last longer than it would have should you have chosen to carve it). Rather, purchase some low-cost acrylics and an all-purpose glaze.  Gather a few Q-tips for touch-ups and little mistakes as you paint.

Step Three: Proper Planning

If you just jump into hand painting your pumpkin without really deciding what you’re doing, you’re going to end up with one funny looking creation. To craft a clean, artistic looking pumpkin, begin by sketching out a face on your pumpkin before you start painting. Pencil lines show fairly lightly on a pumpkin’s surface, and once you’ve painted over them, they’re not likely to show on your finished creation. 

Step Four: Paint!

One of the most important principles to painting is to start on the backgrounds and then add detail. In the case of your pumpkin’s face, this would mean starting with the whites of the eyes before putting on pupils, or painting the mouth before putting on the teeth.   Try including some fun features like freckles, hair, and ears.

Step Five: Quick Fixes and Finishing Up

This is where you might need the Q-tips to help clean up any mistakes to your painted pumpkins. Wet acrylics tend to come off with just a little water, but make sure that water dries before repainting. Once your completed pumpkin has thoroughly dried, lightly cover the painted surface with your all-purpose glaze. As the glaze dries, let your pumpkin sit. You can take this time to clean up your work area and wash your brushes. Once completed, place your pumpkin outside for a fun Halloween porch decoration. Or leave it indoors for a silly living room ornament.  Just remember to move your pumpkin inside when it rains (or snows, if you live somewhere that cold) to preserve your finished creation.

Other Fun Things to Do With Your Holiday Pumpkin  

Don’t stop at just painting your pumpkin—try adding straw hair, plastic ears and eyes, or even cloth arms and legs! Get creative, let your imagination run wild to make a truly unique handmade pumpkin craft!

Check out the handmade Halloween goods our artisans at Artfire.com are making!

-Sara

www.ArtFire.com

Remember to buy handmade and support artists worldwide!

Often times, small strips of fine fabric remain leftover after sewing projects. These strips seem too precious, so lovely, that you can’t seem to just throw them away the cloth. But at the same time, you can’t find anything useful to do with them. And so they sit in your sewing box, idly waiting for you to find some purpose for them.

My mom is rather skilled with her needlecraft, and she finds herself in this situation all the time.  As a solution to this dilemma, she uses the small precious strips of fabric to make cute doll pillows for her niece’s dollhouse.  With a little bit of cotton, some leftover cloth, and a spot of lace, she makes some truly darling handmade doll pillows.  And with the fast and fun guide posted below, you too make wonderful handmade pillows that any child (or adult) will simply love!

One

From your scrap cloth bin, pick out some fine leftover fabric.  I like to use crushed velvet, but you can use whatever you appeals to you most. Fleet or rough cloth makes for good punk or craftsy pillows, while patterned materials can make your fancy pillows. Make sure you have enough cloth to form two 2 inch squares (give or take on the measurements, depending on how big you want your pillow to be).

Two

 Begin by stitching your two fabric squares together with matching thread.  Try to keep your stitches small, especially if you want your pillow to look professional. Be careful to leave one side of your pillow open.

Three

Using a pencil or your finger, flip the doll pillow inside out. This will help hide the stitching and give your pillow an elegant look. Be sure to flip all of the small corners. Using a little bunch of cotton (or any other pillow stuffing you prefer), fill the insides of your pillow until it is packed full. Next, stitch the open side of the pillow tightly closed, taking all means necessary to hide your thread.

Four

 Add decoration such as lace, buttons, ribbons, or other accessories to your pillow. Place in a doll house, family play, or anywhere for a cute ornament. You now have a darling handmade pillow for play or decoration!

-Sara

Be a part of the Buy Handmade Revolution and support local artists!

www.artfire.com

Photo: Andrew Moore, Wired Magazine

Does your hobby area look anything like this? Perhaps it should! The image above is from Jay Walker’s home library, designed to enhance creativity and imagination. The internet entrepreneur’s personal library contains 3,600 square feet and 3 levels of the strange and unusual, according to Wired Magazine.

Rather than simply setting aside a space in his home for the library, Walker designed the house around his library.  This is his inspirational center, his artistic haven, his intellectual port. Here, one is surrounded by informational and rare objects which changed the ways people think about the world as they know it.

On one wall, you’ll find a cloth napkin from 1943, on which President Franklin D. Roosevelt sketched out his plan to victory in World War II.  On the table is a 300 million-year-old dinosaur eggs, posed next to a surgeon’s tool kit from the Civil War. Across the room sits a tree-bark Indonesian book about cannibalism, with a Middle Eastern goddess figure from 5000 BC sitting on top.  And let’s not forget Sputnik, which hangs gracefully overhead.

But Walker doesn’t collect unusual and valuable items just for the sake of doing so. Many of the books in his collection are reprints, and many of the rare artifacts in his library are too unusual to be worth much to other collectors. Walker prefers to collect objects that altered how people think about the world. His mindset is if so many changes can be made in human thought within our time on this planet, then the future holds endless possibilities.

Walker made his riches by founding Walker Digital, a company which comes up with ideas and patents, best known for developing Priceline.com.  And while a three story craft studio might be a bit out of most artisans’ budget, everyone can learn a thing or two from Walker’s library. Many crafters place their art space in an itsy bitsy corner, pushed away from the rest of the home. What does this communicate about their hobby? That it is just a hobby, rather than an important part of their lives.  While people often balance art projects in with family, work, and a social life, generally it is crafts that take the smallest priority. So take a few tips from Walker, don’t shove your interests off to the side. Give them the attention they deserve, and take your art seriously!

Click here to see what some of the artisans at ArtFire are making in their craft studios!

Or click here to read the full story on the library.

-Sara

Douglas Prasher, standing outside the Toyota dealership where he works in Huntsville, Alabama. Image from the Cape Cod Times.

 

Monumental contributions to society cannot be crafted by one individual. Rather, they are a group project, constructed and designed by a body of talented individuals, rather than just the few that take the credit. This is true in the craft world just as it is true in the scientific world. And no one knows this better than Douglas Prasher.

In 1988, Prasher was at the top of chemistry research world. His work on jellyfish proteins helped secure Roger Tsien and Martin Chalfie the 2008 Nobel Prize, according to the Cape Cod Times.  And while these men will be traveling to Stockholm to collect a $ 1.4 million check, Prasher will be making his living driving a courtesy shuttle.

But Prasher regrets nothing. After his grant had ran out, Prasher willing gave his data and samples to his fellow scientists Chalfie and Tsien.  The men continued his work, and were awarded the Nobel Prize last week with Osamu Shimomura after developing a new method to help isolate and track cancer cells in the human body using glowing jellyfish proteins.

Although he has helped gain his friends and fellow associates money and praise, Prasher was happy to help.  He focuses on the larger impact his research will have on cancer treatment.

This kind of selflessness is something that everyone can aspire to.  Whether you’re an artisan or a scientist, a craftsman or a chemist, you can appreciate the importance of the free sharing of ideas for the common good.

While people often try to copyright and protect ideas, at Artfire.com, we encourage artist cooperation and teamwork. So don’t be greedy with your craft ideas. Get out there was a community and make an impact!

Click here to read the article on Douglas Prasher.

Or click here to read my Behind ArtFire Beta Blog.

-Sara

Let’s face it: the stock market is the toilet. Reporters this morning were throwing around the term “Black Friday” as the Dow Jones dipped below 9,000 points.  Markets around the world are starting to go down, and many financial advisers say that this is only the beginning of a global recession, possibly even a global depression.

The truth is, as much as these experts and reporters claim, no one knows for sure what will happen.  People begin to panic, and wonder what can be done to survive the recession.

To help our failing economy, Americans should invest in handmade goods from local sellers.  When you make the choice to buy handmade, you’re helping another struggling average American citizen, rather than a wealthy CEO of an overseas manufacturing company.  Your money is going to another person, who is facing the same kind of financial problems that you are.

And when you buy from local sellers, your money is going back into our economy, which aids in its recovery. Let’s be honest, our economy needs all the help it can get right now.  Don’t send your money overseas to buy poorly made overpriced items. One of the reasons our economy is suffering stems from Americans are buying goods from China and India, instead of helping sellers here at home. Choose now to invest you money here, where it’s needed.

If you decide to buy handmade products over mass produced ones, you’re not just helping average citizens, you’re getting a finely made product at a lower price.   Handmade items are proven to last longer and be more efficient than factory made items.  When you buy handmade goods, you receive a unique specialized item for an affordable price.

And with free artisan listing sites like Artfire.com, you know that 100% of your money goes to support the artist. That’s because ArtFire allows members to list their items for completely free, no royalty fees, no final evacuation fees, no processing fees, no fees at all. The money you spend goes directly to help the artist.

Americans survived the great depression of the 1930s by investing in handmade goods. They knew the importance of aiding other Americans. They helped each other, and they helped local sellers. They supported other Americans and with the financial boost from WWII, our country was able to come out of a bleak period in our economy.  So learn from their example, buy handmade products and support local artists.

Photo from InventorSpot

Speical costumes for your pet can be a playful addition to any Halloween, but most owners know that store-bought animal outfits aren’t cheap, although they are cheaply thrown together. Luckily, pet outfits can be crafted by hand, either from scratch (for those who are skilled with needlecrafts) or adapted from other Halloween costumes.

Before You Begin

If you’re not an expert with a needle and thread, don’t worry. Just because you’re making your animal’s outfit by hand doesn’t mean you need to start with nothing.  Depending on how big your pet is, you can start with a child or baby’s Halloween costume, easily found at your local thrift store. These outfits can be reworked it to fit your animal with just a little time and some crafting knowhow. If you’d rather not adapt your outfit from another’s, you can also try finding a pet Halloween pattern online.

Measure and Make Changes

A child’s body isn’t exactly shaped like an animal’s. No matter how big or small your animal is, you’ll need to measure your pet and make some small modifications to the costume. The best way to do this is to test your outfit on your pet as you make changes.

Always Remember Safety and Comfort

Always keep in mind your pet’s overall happiness as you work. Make sure that the costume isn’t too tight, and allows for easy breathing through your pet’s mouth and the nose. Make sure your pet has easy control of his/her legs, head, and tail. The outfit should be easy to put on as well as take off. Remember, if you dress your pet in an uncomfortable costume, he/she will try to escape it. Also, consider your pet’s personal needs. If your pet needs to go to the bathroom while wearing the costume, will he/she be able to?

Fun Costume Ideas

Dogs tend to be easiest to dress, but with some support cats can also wear costumes. If your animal is not used to being dressed up, you’ll want to go with something simple. Maybe a set of black angle wings, or a pink tie, or maybe little devil horns.

If you’re taking your pet trick or treating  with you this year, you could try making matching or specially themed outfits for both of you.  This year, try going as Batman and Robin, or maybe Mickey and Minnie. Since you’re making the costume yourself, you can let your imagination run wild!

Check out some of the fun clothing the artisans at ArtFire.com are making!

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-Sara

Presently scientists are devising a plan for a High Voltage Direct Current line grid to bring in solar energy from the Saharan desert in northern Africa.  Preparations are underway to create a series of solar farms across the desert, according to the Common Dreams News Center. Researchers speculate that just 0.3% of the sunlight hitting the Sahara everyday would be enough to sufficiently provide electricity to all of Europe.

The task is still in planning and very likely reach €450 billion in cost. It would assist Europe in fulfilling its goal of generating 20% of its total energy from green sources by 2020.  The EU hopes that the gridline from the Sahara could produce 100 GW of solar power by 2050, which is more than all the current renewable energy sources could generate combined.

Click here to read more about Europe’s Green Energy plans.

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-Sara

Photo: The world’s largest solar power plant in Germany, picture by Waltraud Grubitzsch/EPA/Corbis, the Guardian.

To battle growing energy concerns, researchers from the European Union are making preparations to make use of renewable energy sources more than 1,000 miles away.

Stuart Haygarth’s chandelier is made completely out of recycled eyeglasses.

Photo by Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Life can be about the little things that make up our existence. Sadly, most people don’t notice or acknowledge the importance of these little things. This is why one art exhibit is working to put focus back on the little things and show visitors the extraordinary in the ordinary.

The exhibit, “Second Lives Remixing the Ordinary” at the New York Museum of Arts and Design doesn’t contain many normal pieces of art. The show represents more than 50 different artists or teams, all attempting to change the way people think about the small things which make up their days. Most of the pieces are made up of normal items, including old containers, combs, utensils, and other little things which surround daily life. 

According to the New York Times, “Second Lives” demonstrates just how much the line has blurred between art, crafts, and design. Many of the gallery pieces are made from recycled materials, including a jacket made of army dog tags, a more than 3 foot tall  mass of old records formed into the shape of a black wave, and a copy of a missing artifact made from middle eastern fast food containers.

Many of the materials would have likely been thrown away and forgotten. Instead, these artists have transformed them into pieces of art. They have, in a sense, offered them a second life.

Click here to see photos of Second Life artwork.

Check out what the artisans at Artfire.com are crafting!