
How to do hard things (without feeling ready)
This is the opening speech I gave at Craftcation this year. Sharing it here in case you missed it—or maybe just needed to hear it

The Art of the In-Between
The mysterious man playing guitar in the industrial park. *Keep reading, it’ll all make sense. Lately I’ve been wrestling with the idea of deserving.

The Art of Not Throwing Stuff (or Dreams) Away
I’ve always been a keeper of things… Some of the trash I can’t let go of. Not just stuff like receipts or fabric scraps I

When Your Confidence Takes a Vacation Without You
Last month, I got on a plane by myself and flew to Seattle. That might not sound like a big deal—but for me, it was

CreativeWorld at Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt, the massive trade show venue in Frankfurt, Germany, has once again reminded me why working in a creative field is so unique and

Why We Keep Making (Even When Everything Sucks)
Let’s put the cards on the table: This year has been a doozy, and we’re only two months into it. I know I’m not alone

How Teaching Kids crafts transformed my creative business
you’ve built something amazing… ….a creative business fueled by your passion and talent. But have you ever wondered how your creativity could inspire the next

FEAR TO FORWARD MOTION: WHY I’M REDEFINING DEAR HANDMADE LIFE
I have some pretty big news to share with you . . . but before I jump in, I’d like to explain the why behind

HOW TO HAVE & DO IT ALL! (JUST KIDDING, THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE)
i’ve moved almost 20 times… You’d think I’d be an expert by now, but most of those moves happened before I turned 32. I’ve lived

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE MESSY MIDDLE
“Show your scars, not your wounds”. . . … a business coach told me as she explained how to share your transformation to inspire your

HOW SITTING STILL AT THE BEACH CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER ARTIST
i’ve never been great at sitting still . . . As a kid, I didn’t just watch TV but created choreographed dance numbers to theme

DO THIS WHEN PEOPLE HATE YOUR ART
over the years of being a creative, i’ve built up a thick skin… …OK, maybe just a little thicker than when I was getting started.

my #1 tip for creatives just starting out
I was interviewed for a podcast today and the host asked…. “What advice do you have for someone who’s just starting out working towards their

Craftcation 2024: Event Recap and Photos
We creatives don’t need fancy offices or studios flooded with natural light to make art or run a business – (although, let’s be real, those things

Field Trip: Creativeworld at Messe Frankfurt
It has been a couple of years since I’ve been to our favorite international craft, art, and hobby trade fair, CreativeWorld at Messe Frankfurt and

how breaking my rules is helping me get my goals in 2024
I have a confession to make… For the first time in maybe ever, I didn’t set specific goals for the new year in January. I

How to pack for craftcation + the ultimate conference packing list
After producing Craftcation for over a decade and attending several conferences as well, I’ve learned some tricks to help me make the most of my

Non Toxic Dyed Wooden Cutting Boards with Walnut Hollow
Charcuterie boards have become SO popular. Especially among my Generation (Millennial), I blame it on growing up on Lunchables. Everytime I host a get-together the charcuterie

HOW TO HAVE MORE MAGICAL MOMENTS NEXT YEAR
before I became a mom people who had kids constantly told me. . . that when you have kids the days go by slowly but

backyard chickens, authenticity online and our new course… Instagram Branding Brilliance
did I ever tell you about the time I got chickens? If you’ve been in the Dear Handmade Life community for a while, you might

How to Make Einstein Jealous
I just returned from Lincoln, Nebraska where I was invited to teach and give the keynote at Makit Together an incredible craft camp. This was

BFF Charm Bracelets with Tierracast
Remember those BFF necklaces you would get at the mall or even out of a machine when we were younger? I wanted to come up

How to attend Craftcation on a Budget and Still Have The Best Time
We (Nicole & KatieMac) teamed up for this post to share our favorite tips to help you attend Craftcation on a budget. We even got

The 4 best time-saving tools I use to plan our email newsletters
I’ve been using email marketing to communicate with my audience for over 20 years. In the beginning I had no idea what I was doing,