how to build a wooden raised bed planter box
The first time I ever tasted something that didn’t end up in my mouth via the grocery store, I was seven. My mom and I lived in a small condo in an area of Orange County that was still in…
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how to make an embroidered wood circle necklace
Wood is one of my all-time favorite materials to use in my diy craft projects. My love affair with wood started with the little side table my dad made in wood shop when he was in high school. This obsession…
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how to make soy candles
Remember the whole story about my heartbreak and how it led to me leaving my house in Los Angeles and moving in with Delilah in Orange County and how that led to us founding Patchwork Show? If not, check out…
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tips for vendors to evaluate craft fairs
Editor’s note: We are overjoyed to have guest contributor and craft show veteran Stacy Wong share her tips for vendors to evaluate craft fairs on Dear Handmade Life. Want more craft show tips? Check out our posts on: How to Submit…
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craftcation conference 2014
It’s been about 10 days since Craftcation 2014 and I am still waking up several times during the night. A week before the conference, that was explainable; there was a list a mile long of things to do, people to…
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How to survive (and thrive at) conferences
Expert speakers. Valuable workshops. Sparkling parties with industry influencers. Meeting your social network in real life. These are just a few advantages of going to conferences. As fun as they are, they can also be overwhelming. I just returned from…
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13 Business tools that help keep me from going berserk
You all know Delilah and I are busy gals. We each run our own businesses as well as three businesses together – Craftcation Conference, Patchwork Show and Dear Handmade Life. This past year we’ve gotten a lot more efficient by…
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time management tips for creatives
Do you feel busy all the live long day, yet sometimes when you begin to wrap your work day up, you wonder just what the heck you actually did all day? Me too. In fact, this happens to almost every…
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how to assess opportunity cost for handmade businesses
Lately I’ve been thinking about the concept of “opportunity cost,” which is probably familiar to any of you readers who have taken a course in microeconomics. Simply put, “opportunity cost” is what benefits or profits you forgo to pursue a…
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protect your business: tips on intellectual property, trademark + copyright
*Editor’s note from Nicole: When I started my first ‘real’ (not the refrigerator box stationary shop on my front lawn when I was six) business Random Nicole, I didn’t even have money to buy the fabric to make my purses….
