Looking for an interesting and new way to spend time with your friends during the holiday season? Try something new this year and invite your friends over for a Holiday Craft Party. Not only is this a way to spend a relaxing evening, but you can complete presents for those on your holiday gift list.

First, you will need to decide on what project you and your guests will be making. You might want to consider something that is simple enough to finish in one evening, or if you are feeling adventurous you can teach your guests a new skill, like knitting or rubber stamping. It is a good idea to make the project ahead of time, or at least to have a photo of what you’ll be making so guests can see an example. If you need ideas for your activity, many holiday magazines have numerous ideas for holiday crafts as well as online sites like JoAnn’s Crafts or Martha Stewart.

Image: istockphoto

Project Ideas

Cookies - Ask guests to bring their cookie cutters, decorations or recipes, and let the baking begin. Sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies are traditional holiday favorites, but be creative and try something new or use your year-round specialty.

Ornaments - A big assortment of supplies, available at any craft store, can be used to make a variety of ornaments, from clear glass balls to undecorated wooden shapes or even flexible foam. Creating recycled ornaments from old Christmas cards, tin cans, even cardboard boxes is a good way to save money and decorate for the holidays.

Greeting Cards – If you schedule your party early enough in the season, you can make holiday cards to send out for that year. Create cards around a theme, like snowmen, stars, snowflakes or trees.

Shrink Plastic - Shrink Plastic, commonly known as Shrinky Dinks, starts off as thin pieces of plastic that when baked shrinks down to 35% of the original size. Wine charms, earrings, or pendant projects are good choices for this material. They can be colored with colored pencils or stamped on with rubber stamps. Just be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions on the package.

Mystery Craft – Give your guests a bag filled with supplies like papers, ribbons, buttons, beads, yarn, bottle caps, and anything else that looks intriguing and have access to glue, scissors, and hole punches. Tell them just to make whatever they want with the supplies in their bag. When they are done, have everyone show off their new creation.

The Finishing Touches

Enhance your festive atmosphere with holiday music and decorations. Be sure to include some treats to snack on before or after craft time or ask guests to bring their favorite potluck dish. For tempting recipe ideas for foods to serve for your crafty celebration, check out the Food Network or Martha Stewart website. Set your table with colorful dishes like Noritake Colorwave, which comes in a variety of colors that easily mix and match with any holiday palette. Most importantly, relax, have fun and engage in the creative spirit of the holidays while enjoying the company of your friends.

Post from: Blisstree

Hosting a Holiday Crafting Party

These “howliday” greeting cards are not only a nice little thought for your favorite four-legged friends, but they come with treats built right in that they’ll appreciate even more!

The Talk To Me Treats greeting cards come filled with 0.7 oz of Talk To Me Treats Fresh Breath and Dental Care treats (which are the perfect size to put inside the Talk To Me Treatball), and dog-lovers can choose between “Happy Howlidays,” “Merry Christmas,” or a brand new “Tis the Season” cards.

The greeting cards, together with the dog treats, are priced at around $3.99 each making them pretty cost-effective when you compare them to the cost of a regular card without dog treats! A list of retailers are available at the Talk to Me Treats website, and are available at stores like PetsMart, Petco, QVC, and Target.

[image: talk to me treats]

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Howliday Greeting Cards for Pets

Image: sxc.hu

During the 1970s, I had an at-home quiltmaking and art business (whatever would bring income).  My painting, starting out with commissioned paintings and evolved into card and notepaper design.  I created these items to sell in shops around the area.

When I took on a full time job as a newspaper reporter, some of my art ventures were pushed into the background as I wrote about them instead of pursuing them for income.  In those days, before computers and personal printing programs, I painted or inked each item by hand.

Now I’m pondering…what shall I do with them?

• In these days of computer generated personal cards and notepaper, I could print them for my own use.  I’ve done this with some of my paintings.
• I could use them as designs for the site I’m setting up at Cafe Press.  They then could be transferred to a variety of items.
• I could try sending the designs to greeting card companies.  (However, I’m reluctant to give up ownership to them.)
• I can use the designs in some of my books.

What would you do?  I’ll keep you posted.

(Incidentally, you never know what you’ll come across if you continue with that 20 minutes per day of organization!)

Post from: Blisstree

Finding Artistic “Treasures”

Image: sxc.hu

“Where do you get your design ideas?” I’ve been asked 

My designs include:

•  Reproductions of my paintings  (Artists often reproduce their paintings as posters and postcards nowadays to get further mileage and income from their art work.  They may keep or eventually sell the original.)
•  Reproductions of photos (My family members are avid photographers, so I often use my husband’s and mine for cards.)
•  Sketches I make for particular cards, then scan them (This is so easy to do nowadays, when before scanners and computers, I had to draw each individually or take them to a commercial printer.)
•  Fabric postcards that I scan (With all the work that goes into them, it’s a shame to use these pieces of art only once.)

What has been your experience in creating notepaper and postcards?  Where do you get your ideas?

Post from: Blisstree

My Designs for Greeting Cards & Notepaper

You can make notepaper and postcards for your own use and/or to sell.  I’ve done both.  They also can be used as a way to promote your work.  (I’ll discuss this further in another post.)

Image: sxc.hu

When I began making notepaper, I had to draw designs (often floral ones) on each card individually, unless I wanted the expense of taking them to a printer.  Since I didn’t go into the production of my cards in a big way, I was able to do them individually.

Nowadays, I  make one design, scan it into the computer, and run off the number of copies I want on notepaper stock or card stock.  Of course, if I wanted them for sale, I’d look into having them produced by a print shop.  (More time effective and probably cost effective.)

I’ve never submitted my card designs to a card manufacturer, so don’t have information about this.  I’ve only sold by mail order and in gift and craft shops.  With web sites and places like Etsy, you can do sales on the Internet, too.

You also can utilize places like Café Press for printing cards on demand and paying only for those you order.  This enables you to send individuals to Café Press to order their own.  You don’t have to worry about shipping; then, as arranged, Cafe Press and similar businesses send you your money.

What has been your experience with greeting cards, notepaper and postcards?

Post from: Blisstree

Creating Notepaper & Postcards

I took several painting courses and explored various medium.  I’m amazed at all the different types available today…those I see my daughter use for her fabric art and even pencils and inks youngsters bring to school where I substitute teach.

Image: sxc.hu

Do you have an urge to draw and paint?

• Keep a sketchbook with you, even a small one, so you can jot down sights and textures you come across.
• Check out the various types of pencils, paints, and inks available for artwork nowadays.
• Take an art class, perhaps at an adult education facility or one at the local parks and recreation.  Join your children in a class and have fun together.
• Design and sketch greeting cards and post cards.  Nowadays, you simply make one master, then scan it into the computer for printing out.
• Try painting on larger canvas or  board.

After painting for your own enjoyment, you may even have someone ask to purchase your work, as I did.

Post from: Blisstree

Rediscovering Painting

As I reviewed my e-mails yesterday, there in front of me, like a marquee in Times Square, blared the sentence that I have dreaded, since I launched The Pet Set, two years ago, this month.

My customer’s note read: “We are not doing well with the cards I chose at all. Any suggestions? I literally have not sold a single item from you yet.”

Oh my god!…instant emotional downward spiral.

I am mortified to share this story with you, but I want to give you some advice on how to handle such a situation — which, clearly we experience on some level everyday: some drastic — like this one, and some not so drastic — like the landscaper mowed over your flower bed.

Your mother was right to tell you — Tomorrow will be a better day.

The temptation, after seeing the note, was to call the client or send an emotional note to the tune of: “…do you even know what you’re doing?” (Actually, I couldn’t have called her, I would have ended up sobbing into the phone.)

Instead — I waited. I waited until after the crying, after the self-persecution (I’m an idiot, my business is going down the toilet, I’ll end up working at Burger King) and after the embarrassment of it all — which truthfully — was probably the root cause of my melt down.

Do you see why I needed to wait?…my thought process was so silly…I know my stationery sells…it have sold!

Giving myself a chance to review every scenario I could about why my cards were not selling at this particular customer’s shop — I sat down and wrote her a note, extending my empathy and offering her some merchandising advice.

Why was this pause a good strategy? Because if I had shot off a nasty or critical message from the start, I would have risked losing a customer and, worse, harmed my and my business reputation.

I am still at risk of losing her, but at least I know I did not let my emotions sabotage me.

So, if it’s your boss or mate or kid or whatever…sleep on it, or at least wait for a half hour.

Oh and watching reruns of Sex and the City helps too.

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The Best Way To Avoid Self-Sabotage

When was the last time you told your son or daughter that you were proud of them? Or a co-worker they did a great job, or your wife or husband that you love them, or your friend that you appreciate your friendship, or your customer that you appreciate their business?

A wonderful colleague of mine, from the great State of Georgia…expresses the above thought in his new blog Law of Attraction: Sending Cards.

In his daily observations, Richard disusses the importance of connecting with associates, friends and family in a more significant, and possibly a more profound way than through a cold e-mail or voice mail or text message (you already know how I hate those).

And that is by sending a card. When you get a moment, visit Send Out Cards, and I’m certain you will find selections that will give you an opportunity communicate with people with grace and dignity.

As a result of Richard’s experience as a saavy marketer, an intelligent business person, and all-around gentleman–we are able to learn about how to more effectively nurture our business relationships, develop more well-rounded friendships and how to make a genuine impact in the the world in which we live.

What would make your gesture even sweeter is to send cookies from Eleni’s–one of my favorite little shops in Manhattan.

So send your boss a card!

Post from: Blisstree

The Art of Appreciation: Sending Cards