BeadStyle : alternative shopping

You still have the weekend to apply for the American Craft Council's shows "AltCraft" segments

Cathy Jakicic — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:09:00 GMT

The American Craft Council is still accepting AltCraft applications for its flagship show in Baltimore and its show in Atlanta.

This section celebrates the innovative techniques and materials of the burgeoning handmade movement. This is an opportunity for talented artists and indie designers to gain national exposure at a well-established show.

The ACC will be accepting 15 artists for Baltimore and 10 for Atlanta.

The deadline has been EXTENDED to Monday, October 19.

You must submit:

(3) low-resolution images of your work
a brief description of your work (materials, dimensions, techniques)
contact information (mailing address, email addresses & website)
if the application is for the Baltimore, Atlanta or both
Finalists will be announced in mid-November.
Send submissions and inquiries to Erika at altcraft@craftcouncil.org.

As part of the Council’s commitment to indie crafters, the cost of participation includes pre-setup of a skirted table, seating, electricity, lighting and trusses. Plus, there’s no application fee!

More than 700 artists present their work at the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore , attracting a crowd of 25,000 people to the largest juried, indoor craft show in the nation. This year, the retail show will run four days, from Thursday to Sunday, Feb. 25 - 28.

The American Craft Council Show in Atlanta will be celebrating its 21st year. Atlanta show dates are Friday to Sunday, Mar. 12- 14, plus an evening event on Thursday, Mar. 11.

Applicants are eligible only if they have NOT shown in an American Craft Council show previously. Embellished commercially-bought items (such as t-shirts and notecards) are not eligible.

1000 Markets

Cathy Jakicic — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:55:00 GMT

I've blogged about Etsy before (and actually have a site there myself) but I recently received some interesting information — and some cool samples (see photo) — about another online market option — 1000 Markets.

1000 Markets is very similar to Etsy, but with some small differences for the buyer and seller.

For the buyer

The "markets" are divided into categories with individual Web addresses. You can start browsing from 1000markets.com, but if you are a regular shopper for specific items or experiences, you can go directly to walls.1000markets.com, ecofriendly.1000markets.com, childsplay.1000markets.com, or luxe.1000markets.com, etc. Check out the full list of categories here.

For the seller:

It is free to open your shop. 1000 markets deducts an all-inclusive fee when you make a sale. They call it MarketSimple™ pricing.If you make and sell your own artisanal products, then you can open a shop. You can read their merchant guideon the site. 100markets uses Amazon Payments for their sales and currently only supports US sellers. for more information, go to their seller information area.

Like etsy, they have some absolutely beautiful things there. Has anybody shopped or sold here? What has been your experience?

My favorites from the Bead&Button show

Jane Konkel — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:21:00 GMT

My favorites from the Bead&Button show

High Caliber Collar:
Rebecca Starry from Anchorage AK, entered her necklace in the Bead Dreams competition. She used a right-angle weave technique and huge bullets to make this stunning necklace.

Brenda Schweder, Cathy Jakicic, and Karin Buckingham:
Kalmbach book authors.

Robert Dancik:
Robert uses faux bone to make beautiful jewelry that reminds me of scrimshaw. He also makes crazy cool jewelry like the bracelet he is holding which is a series of plastic fingers. One of the fingernails is painted red. To view a trailer and clip for his workshop go to ccpvideos.com/r/dancik.

Celie Fago:
I am captivated by her work. And chatting with her was awesome. She has magnificent energy.

Bob Burkett:
The first time I met Bob was in Tuscon four years ago. I’ve admired his shibuichi pieces ever since. He’s got this unassuming personality and so much talent.

Spinner Rings:
These rings are Jill Erickson’s. I took her spinner ring class. I did not photograph the ring I made, because I didn’t finish it yet. Surprise, surprise.

Amazing View:
This photo was taken from the 8th floor of the parking structure attached to the Midwest Express Center. Milwaukee has some incredible views.

Charms and Found Glass:
I visited with Cathy Collison, owner of Glass Garden Beads. The tokens say things like, “Poughkeepsie & Wappingers Falls RY Co: and “This Token Awarded For Skill.” The glass pieces are cut a tumbled pieces from vases. You can see a project using Cathy’s bottle cap beads and found glass pieces in the July issue of BeadStyle.

Chain:
It was difficult to hold myself back when buying chain. Many vendors had a huge variety of really unique chain. The price was right on this chain from The Chain Gallery.

Green Girl Studios:
Each year I spend a few bucks with the Green Girls (Cynthia, Andrew and Greg). I adore them and their beautiful pewter pieces.

Great recessionista idea

Cathy Jakicic — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:23:00 GMT

Word of mouth is a fabulous thing for finding life's hidden treasures. My sister just told me about a jewelry line (that a friend told her about) that has hit on a great idea in financially challenging times for artists. The line is called "Circle of Friends." The necklaces feature a simple circle-centric pendant that is customized with a few gemstones. Each piece is only $10, and the many different styles offered make them really nice, personalized gifts for a range of different personalities and styles. It goes to show that with a really simple, adaptable idea, it's possible to keep material costs down enough to be able to offer a reasonably priced, but not cheap-looking creation.

Alternative shopping: Jewelry gifts that make a difference

Stacy Hillmer — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:16:00 GMT

So you’ve hit all the department stores, malls, and outlets and still haven’t found gifts for everyone on your list. Or perhaps you’re attempting to give handmade gifts, but time is quickly running out. In addition, you might be feeling that, in our economic climate, your gifts should benefit more than just the intended recipient. In that case, it might be time for some alternative shopping.

On my Internet browser here at BeadStyle, I keep a folder of bookmarked Web sites that feature jewelry by independent artisans from around the world who rely on their jewelry sales to stimulate their local economy and combat poverty. I call this folder “Alternative Shopping” because these artisans offer an alternative to commercial products that put money into already full pockets. Here’s a sampling of sites that do more good than you know:

• Anansevillage.com: All manner of traditional African gifts are made by artisans in local villages in a fair trade environment. You can buy food, home goods, and jewelry.

• Beadforlife.org: Ugandan women are fighting poverty by rolling colorful recycled paper rolled into beads. Loose beads, jewelry, and other products are for sale.

• Buildanest.com: All products support women entrepreneurs in developing countries through micro-credit loans. A wide range of product collections, including jewelry.

• Kazuriwest.com: Beads made from clay from Mt. Kenya are fashioned by disadvantaged men and women in accordance with the Fair Trade Act. Purchases of beads or jewelry help individual artists support extended families of up to 20 people.

• Soulofsomanya.net: Ghanian bead makers, in cooperation with Bead&Button contributor Melody MacDuffee, string traditional handmade Krobo beads in ethnic jewelry designs. Loose beads and other gifts also available.

• Tenthousandvillages.com: Fair trade goods from 37 countries mean your purchases could impact any number of villages. Many gift categories in their shop, including jewelry.

• Worldofgood.com: Before buying one of the handmade products here, read about and see pictures of what the item's sale will do for the producer’s community. Many categories to shop, including jewelry.

There are many, many more local and online stores that offer alternative shopping. Please leave a comment below with your own favorites to keep the list growing!

Photo above: Melody MacDuffee and some of the bead makers and stringers of Soul of Somanya.