It had been advertised on the radio that we should shop local on Saturday, to support our own community here in Denver. A few years ago, I took the handmade pledge as far as gift buying goes, but still do need the occassional art or craft supply for projects I make myself, so that's where I planned to give my local support this year. At the neighborhood "hobby" store.
I have mixed feelings about shopping these big chain stores because they don't really support "our" economy very much. They do have local employees, but nothing they sell is actually produced in the US. The big chains also put small businesses "out" of business over the past 20 years or so. There are no local small, individually run arts/crafts/hobby stores left in Denver. That's still very sad to me, and today, even more so after my attempt to shop the big chain for supplies on Saturday.
The big chain stores came to town, offered everything any artist/crafter would want for their hobby or art, at prices much lower than small shop owners could do. Not only that, but they had "all" the supplies you'd ever think of wanting under one roof. The small business had no chance against this. Now, years after everyone is used to using the big mega markets, they are phasing out, or have already gotten rid of most of the hobby/supplies people wanted. I realize that online shopping probably took a big chunk of this business away from them (eBay), but there were still those of us who would go out to get that one thing we needed right now for a project. There are still millions of people who don't shop online at all, they still needed these stores to offer art/craft supplies and fabric.
So I was, and still am disappointed to find out that the hobby/art/craft supplies are no longer available in my city. This particular store is selling mostly home decor items and fake floral. The other big craft store already went to home decor instead of art supplies a few years ago. I've never shopped there, but have heard Walmart used to carry all of these things but got rid of them over the last few years...
Living a handmade life has gotten a little bit more difficult when you have to rely on the internet for the most basic supply items :(
If anyone out there is brave enough to try having a brick and mortar store, today would be an excellent time to open a hobby and/or art supplies shop! ♥
Monday, November 29
Thursday, November 4
What About ArtFire?
ArtFire is like a grown up version of Etsy. It's been around for a couple of years, but I only started taking a real interest in the site lately. While Etsy has a huge membership, and I am still very emotionally tied to the site with my main shop, and the discussion boards, I am feeling the pull toward change.
ArtFire is not so much geared toward current trends as Etsy. The owner started the site for his mother to have a good place to sell her artwork, so it isn't about what's the latest style in Brooklyn. That part is very good for those of us who are in a totally different place with our art/craft, and those of us who are mostly in a niche market with a small collector market.
I've opened up two shops on ArtFire. One for my miniatures and other handmade things, the other for vintage and supply. I'm keeping the names of both the same as the two Etsy shops, and I'm not leaving Etsy right now either.
Hope you'll drop by and see me there!
Mostly Art on ArtFire
PrincessOzma on ArtFire
Thank you! ♥
ArtFire is not so much geared toward current trends as Etsy. The owner started the site for his mother to have a good place to sell her artwork, so it isn't about what's the latest style in Brooklyn. That part is very good for those of us who are in a totally different place with our art/craft, and those of us who are mostly in a niche market with a small collector market.
I've opened up two shops on ArtFire. One for my miniatures and other handmade things, the other for vintage and supply. I'm keeping the names of both the same as the two Etsy shops, and I'm not leaving Etsy right now either.
Hope you'll drop by and see me there!
Mostly Art on ArtFire
PrincessOzma on ArtFire
Thank you! ♥
Thursday, October 21
Nukkekoti the Magazine
I am very, very late posting about this!
Many months ago, my friend Hanna wrote an article about Etsy for Nukkekoti, a Finnish Miniature Magazine. She interviewed me, and Susanna of the Etsy shop suskita, Susanna features mostly miniature food and kitchen items.
This article brought me many buyers from Finland, and I am forever grateful. I just wish I had posted about it while the flurry of attention was happening, because it was truly the best time I've ever had playing the role of a miniature artisan.
Thank you Hanna! ♥
Friday, October 1
New Issue of AIM is out!
Great online magazine written by miniature Artisans, for miniature Artisans and enthusiasts.
Click on the picture, or you can get there here: http://www.artisansinminiature.com/issue10.html
Click on the picture, or you can get there here: http://www.artisansinminiature.com/issue10.html
Sunday, August 8
Memory Box for a Sock Hop
It all started with this Pink Poodle made by Hanna, of hannajaleijona on Etsy. Every time I saw this fanciful poodle it sparked a memory of a 1950s style Sock Hop party I'd been to with my niece, Samantha. I have made a couple of treasure boxes before, but never a memory box with a theme. This was so much fun to collect items for, and finally put it all together. Her birthday is today, I hope she enjoys this memory box as much as I did building it.
The cover of the box has an old 45 RPM record of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper. It looks like you could take the record out and put it on your stereo, but in the end, I had to glue the edges of the plastic cover down.
First look inside. There are little boxes and envelope type things with magnetic closures on the inside of the "book" shaped box. Inside, there is a picture of the dancing going on, tiny little Sock Hop HO Scale dancers, another box on one wall, an elegant lady gazing in the mirror on the other wall. (she doesn't really look Sock Hop-ish, but I wanted something on that wall and found that pin in my vintage jewelry drawer).
You can click on any of these pictures to get a better look inside. This first one is the main "room" of the box.
The inside cover wall before we open up the compartments.
The first item is a scroll that tells the story of how this all came about. The way the Pink Poodle gave me the memory of this particular dance party every time I looked at her, and how much I had enjoyed the party. The tiny little one inch size book is a BIO from Hanna's Etsy Shop, about the artist. The bottom left cabinet doesn't have removable items. It has a pair of red shoes, and the quote "Put on your red shoes and dance." from a song by David Bowie, and the last envelope has a pair of teeny-tiny socks, and a doll sized string of pearls.
This box is on the inside main room wall. You open it up and see a tiny trophy and a star saying "dance contest winner", which she was! Samantha won the dance contest that night!
This last picture just has words to show that I really was dancing too, that is me in the background, Samantha in the foreground. I do not know who she is dancing with at the time this picture was taken, she danced every dance, with anyone who would :)
The cover of the box has an old 45 RPM record of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper. It looks like you could take the record out and put it on your stereo, but in the end, I had to glue the edges of the plastic cover down.
First look inside. There are little boxes and envelope type things with magnetic closures on the inside of the "book" shaped box. Inside, there is a picture of the dancing going on, tiny little Sock Hop HO Scale dancers, another box on one wall, an elegant lady gazing in the mirror on the other wall. (she doesn't really look Sock Hop-ish, but I wanted something on that wall and found that pin in my vintage jewelry drawer).
You can click on any of these pictures to get a better look inside. This first one is the main "room" of the box.
The inside cover wall before we open up the compartments.
The first item is a scroll that tells the story of how this all came about. The way the Pink Poodle gave me the memory of this particular dance party every time I looked at her, and how much I had enjoyed the party. The tiny little one inch size book is a BIO from Hanna's Etsy Shop, about the artist. The bottom left cabinet doesn't have removable items. It has a pair of red shoes, and the quote "Put on your red shoes and dance." from a song by David Bowie, and the last envelope has a pair of teeny-tiny socks, and a doll sized string of pearls.
This box is on the inside main room wall. You open it up and see a tiny trophy and a star saying "dance contest winner", which she was! Samantha won the dance contest that night!
This last picture just has words to show that I really was dancing too, that is me in the background, Samantha in the foreground. I do not know who she is dancing with at the time this picture was taken, she danced every dance, with anyone who would :)
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