Raising the bar: Craft or Fine Craft? Semantics or Public Perception?

The word “craft” elicits many images in peoples’ minds, from plastic canvas and popsicle sticks arranged into predictable objects of dubious originality and bead kits assembled into Christmas ornaments to expertly knit socks, hats, and mittens, jewelry and home decor wrought from metal, and wood turned, shaped and polished in such a way that the [...]

Read Full Post »

The work of our hands

I’ve had a couple of favourable responses to my previous post about pricing crafts, responses which have inspired me to write blog entries on the process of designing, creating, and marketing craft. There will be smaller topics, of course, broken down by subject matter. Before I start, please be advised that don’t profess to know [...]

Read Full Post »

Pricing the craft component of my work

Every year I shilly-shally around with numbers, re-evaluate my pricing schemes and decide if I’m in the right ballpark. Taking the thorough approach, I calculate materials, wastage, product development time and materials amortised over my expected number of product for the duration of the product’s run, labour, overhead, and all the other good things that [...]

Read Full Post »

I know how she feels

Ended up taking yesterday evening off (except for two hours of driving all over town only to find out there is no heavy-duty stabiliser in town to be had for love or money) and going to sleep early. It was really nice. Except for the 6am greyhound, which was not so nice.
The weather even seems [...]

Read Full Post »

One week and counting

Thank heavens the weekend coming is a long one. Three days sans kid obligations will likely finish things up nicely for the fair. Not to mention that Hannah has kindly volunteered to help me put tags and strings on things, stuff items into bags and do any other odds that her back will allow her [...]

Read Full Post »

Sink or Swim

Just a brief note to say that, yes, I am still alive and no, I don’t have time to write much. In point form, then:
- good weekend
- got a full night’s sleep Friday for the first night in weeks
- got six hours to myself with no kids, dogs or husband on Saturday morning. Did three [...]

Read Full Post »

Two weeks to go….

… until the Christmas Fine Crafts Fair. I’m actually within striking distance of it, have most smaller stock either done or largely done. I did a quick review of last year’s sales and reminded myself that 50% of my sales were $20 or under and the other half was stuff priced between $20 and $50. [...]

Read Full Post »