If you do, start a blog. It's easy to navigate for the beginner and a great marketing tool for the experienced. It is also FREE! If you don't want to use the free domain assigned by the blog, you can purchase a domain name and redirect it to your site. Let's say I owned the domain name www.craftyliving.com and I wanted to use that site name for this blog. I can! I would go to whomever I bought the domain name from and ask them how to have it redirected to go to my free blog site on Blogger or Wordpress. This is a very cheap way to get started because a domain shouldn't cost more than $10 a year. What a deal!

Templates are available online for transforming your blog into a store!

In addition, if you use Blogger, you can import your Etsy items onto the front page of your blog. What a cool tool!!! Unfortunately, Wordpress doesn't offer this feature but Wordpress offers more templates to choose from.

You can easily import your craft photos onto your blog using Flickr. I've done this and absolutely think it is one of the easiest ways to do photos. I'm photo challenged and I don't like taking the time to upload and upload. This process is very tedious for me. By using Flickr I've learned that it doesn't have to take so much time because the tools are all built right in. It's an absolute time-saver.

Now that you have your own website, how are you going to drive traffic to it? Hmmm, this is a challege for everyone but there are some great tools out there and some are FREE! Maybe you can barter advertising space from another online business or join an online group for online businesses similar to your own. To advertise online, you first need a banner.

If you need help with a banner, there are several do-it-yourself banner sites out there you can use for FREE! Some of these ask for a small donation to keep the site up but it would be well worth it. One such site is www.BannerSketch.com. They have great-looking templates in a variety of themes.

Good luck with new online crafting business!

We hear so much these days about layoffs and closures that it is somewhat frightening to listen to everything we hear. As most of us know, we are facing huge changes here in the United States with unemployment rising almost daily.

What better time to be creative than now?

I've been trying to focus on what people need rather than what people want. What are you willing to pay for in times like these...mostly necessities, I suppose. Maybe a little treat tucked in every now and again but not too often. I know that for me, as a mom, it gets tough to say no to my kids all of the time. Everything sparks their imagination and also their "I want that" button.

If you make craft items geared toward children,
here is a word of warning--

Have you heard about the new CPSIA law? Be extra careful when crafting and labeling your crafts. This new law was passed as a cry to safeguard our children against excess lead in toys imported from China. Remember that big scare Christmas before last with the Mattel toys? You can read more about this law on different forums and blogs. Here's one link: http://www.allcrafters.com/forums/index.php?board=38.0

Children's items are required to undergo stringent lead testing procedures or the manufacturer (crafter in our case) can face hefty fines. This testing can be expensive I hear. I've read posts about many moms shutting their crafty doors due to this new law.

I wish I had answers for you, but at this time, everyone is still researching and begging for reform. We will just have to keep our eyes and ears open for updates.

Don't give up hope though. I haven't.

I am brainstorming and coming up with new ideas daily. Time changes everything. Nothing stays the same forever and we tend to have problems adjusting and accepting change easily. That doesn't mean we can't do it though. We can and we will.

Chin up and smile wide!

If you are like most of us out there in the world, you have apprehensions about using lye for making all of those beautiful cold process soaps that you see stocking the shelves at farmer's markets and high-end boutiques. Soap making can be quite profitable if you take the time to know your market and your technique. There are several methods for making those wonderful natural soaps. My preference is cold process soaps because of the look and feel of them. They take longer to cure and you do have to use lye in order to "cook" them. However, there is another method called rebatching, or sometimes referred to as hand-milling, which produces lovely soaps without having to be concerned about the lye. Below you will find an article I wrote explaining exactly what rebatched soap is.
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What is Rebatched Soap?

Rebatched soap (also sometimes called hand-milled or milled) is considered luxurious and sought-after by many consumers due to the pleasing texture. Milled soap is made by melting grated soap base and adding colorants, scents and other additives such as oatmeal, honey, coffee, cornmeal, liquified fruits and vegetables, etc. and then pouring the mixture into molds. It is best to use an unscented soap base because the scent will be present in your completed soap even with the addition of the other scents you add. For an excellent tutorial on hand-milled soaps visit http://www.rebatchsoapbase.com/.

Rebatched soap has many advantages to both soap makers and consumers. Consumers enjoy the elegant feel and look of it while soap makers enjoy experimenting with colors, scents and other ingredients. Another important factor in this method of soap making is that the lye is no longer present in milled soap. Scents, colorants and additives can be used to their fullest advantage without damage as in cold process soap. Molds such as vintage tins or muffin pans can be used without concern as in hot and cold process soaps.

Other points to remember when rebatching your soap are always wait to add your scents, dyes and additives just before pouring the remelted soap into the molds. You want to have a consistent color throughout your rebatch soap so make sure all lumps are melted because the colorants will not be absorbed into the unmelted particles. Also, if you are unable to make a perfectly smooth soap, it's okay. You will have speckled soap, which is very attractive.
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Okay, so what do you think about this method so far? It is a wonderful way to save time and to be able to enjoy the actual process of creating a luxurious soap perfect for resale.

Check back for recipes and links for using rebatch soap base for making your own soapy creations.

I found this wonderful article for us stay-at-home/work-at-home moms. Sometimes it is overwhelming to juggle the daily demands of being a wife, a mother, and to hold on to yourself and your sanity. If you are anything like I am, I need encouragement and a few helpful tips to help cope. Please enjoy the following article:

Helpful Ideas for Moms Who Work from Home


There exists many types of women today who have one of the best and most important jobs in the world: the crucial job of being a mom. Being a mom is very time demanding and requires a lot of patience, love, and hard work. This specific role is a huge commitment for women and must be given careful consideration before fully engaging in it.

Although several ladies love the role of being mothers to their children, they often seek to fulfill other occupational desires that are available. Too often women think that being a mother requires too much time and hard work and that it is impossible to do anything else. It is true that being a mom and also working in the capacity of another job position can be very stressful and sometimes overwhelming, but it can be achieved and is being achieved by many women throughout the world.

If a mother who is considering whether or not to take up a second job, she must consider if it is feasible at all. She should determine if there is enough extra time, apart from her children and family, to dedicate to other occupational dreams. If there is no or very little extra time available, then she probably should not get a second job.

When the lady does realize that there is extra time available in her life, then the option of securing another job is possible. It will demand a lot of her time and probably be quite stressful, but it could be a very rewarding experience. Having a second job, apart from being a mother, can be a great way to earn extra income and also to secure more work experience in a specific career field.

The best way to be a mom and also have another job is to work at home. This is a great strategy and allows the woman to remain in the home with her children. It does not require any travel time or having to get ready everyday, which could be a very nice schedule.

If a woman chooses to work at home, she must remember a few simple suggestions in order to stay sane and successful. First of all, there must be a separate space in the home for the mother to work. This could be in a small office, den, or even bedroom, as long as there is a private space to accomplish the necessary task of the job.

Another suggestion involves being extremely organized. If there is no organization or structure in the home and work environment, then the mother will soon feel stressed and overwhelmed. Make sure to make a distinct separation between being at home and being at work so that a proper balance and structure can be established.

One final suggestion includes making a list of necessary priorities. The number one priority for a mother in the home is the proper nurturing of her children.

Article Source: http://www.pcwriters.com


Court teaches people how to research work at home business opportunities and advises people to work with internet marketing consultants.

As a crafter myself, I am always looking for new ideas and inspiration. There can be several reasons for needing guidance and a new vision.

*Sometimes we all have bad days and get discouraged.

*Sometimes, we as crafters may even get bored with the same repetetive crafts we've been doing for years and it just isn't as fun as it used to be.

*Maybe the buyers of our products no longer seem interested and a demand doesn't exist as it once did.

*For whatever reason, maybe you have decided you need an extra boost in sales and have run out of ideas.

I found this interesting ebook entitled "Crafts to Make and Sell" which has so much information in it. It could honestly help anyone put a new spin on their own ideas or why not borrow a new crafty idea from this book. This ebook will also help you to sell your crafts too. It will guide you through the simple steps of finding your niche. You are allowed to do that with this one. It is a good read and well worth an investment of less than $10.00.

For more information Click Here!