You’ll find more Halloween ideas for decorating and entertaining on the Arts and Design Channel, even though we posted numerous ones during our Halloween and Day of the Dead Blog Carnival  hosted by Noreen at Hankering for Yarn.
*Christine has some  delightful Altered Take Out Boxes over at Mad Cropper.  Also check out the Halloween Mini Project Book here.
*Tammy shows us a Beaded Halloween Card at Jewelry and Beading.  Her Candy For Kids Jewelry project features a Candi the Corn pin.  Scroll Tammy’s Jewelry and Beading blog for a number of Halloween designs in earrings, pins, and charms.
*Josh at Junk Creation gives …read more

  No…it’s not my birthday.  But Home Biz Notes, which I also write at b5media, celebrates it’s one-year birthday today.  A year ago it was launched.Yvonne Russell, whom I’ve mentioned here, in the post,  Would You Like an At-Home Quilt Bookstore, joined me this month as a co-blogger at Home Biz Notes.  She was a guest blogger at there before she came on board for our second year of operation.
Stop over at Home Biz Notes and enjoy the virtual birthday cake!

Spread word of your quilting and fabric art success.  Don’t keep it hidden.  You can do this without seeming egotistical…simply let others know wherever appropriate. 
Telling others about our successes and accomplishments often is difficult for some of us because we come from the generation where Mother said, “Don’t toot your own horn.  People will think you’re bragging. ”
However, if you wait solely for others to discover what you’re doing, the world won’t hear about your or your quilting.  You can share, as I call it, without seeming “pushy.”  You can announce over forums and round-ups of success stories, as well as doing …read more

In a previous post, Would You Like an At-Home Quilt Bookstore?, I mentioned the idea of operating a bookstore for quilters, either from your home, online, or in conjunction with a quilt fabric shop.  Yvonne Russell,  of Grow Your Writing Business, who wrote a post about this on Home Biz Notes, also contributed information recently at Alzheimer’s Notes.
   She answered questions an Alzheimer’s Notes’ reader, Kathy of KnowItAlz.com, asked about obtaining books for such a venture.  Even though Yvonne specifically addresses Kathy’s question about Alzheimer’s books, the information she gives is universal for any bookstore.
So, if you’re considering this type of …read more

Essentially, look before you leap before setting up your quilting or fabric arts home business.  I’ve mentioned before the need to check out zoning regulations pertaining to your home before you decide to set up a quilting business, particularly one that involves customers/clients coming to your home.   (However, online business might be affected, too, in some areas.)
 I just read a news item, License Denied for Existing Home Business, that concerned this topic.
Now this involves a lawn mower service business.  However, the same principles probably apply to any home business in that town.  The aldermen decided, according to the mayor’s statement ” they’re running a …read more

             Over at Home Biz Notes, guest blogger Yvonne Russell provides advice and suggestions for operating a home based bookstore, whether it’s one where customers come to your home shop or you sell solely online.  In Start Your Own Specialist Home Based Bookstore, Yvonne discusses how to research before starting your business, how and where to obtain your books, how to find a niche…in short, many tips to start you on the way to success rather than failure with a specialty bookstore.
So…have you decided your niche might be quilt, fabric art, and related books?  Perhaps you want to operate simply a …read more

Paying attention to your customers to ensure you have satisfied ones and repeat business becomes an important considerationn for quilting and fabric art business owners.
Yvonne Russell, of Grow Your Writing Business, pointed out to me concering this topic of return customers, “There is quite a bit of research on the fact that it costs a lot more in dollars and time to get a new client, as compared with doing ongoing business with existing customers/clients.”
So often business owners seem to think once they have a customer, that person automatically will return…unless you sell one-of-a-kind items that don’t lend themselves to repeats.  However, you …read more

Some people like to work with total quiet; others enjoy music as they quilt or create fabric art.  Then there are those who can work midst total confusion and family activities, perhaps with music to drown out distractions.
Music while you work usually creates an uplifting atmosphere.  Do you listen to music for relaxation, to help you concentrate, drown out distracting sounds, or simply because you enjoy it?
Yvonne Russell set me thinking on this topic…music while you work, when I read her post, Whistle While You Write…7 Songs Meme, at Grow Your Writing Business blog.  Although Yvonne didn’t tag anyone for …read more

It was exciting to see Yvonne Russell’s article, The Web – Your Partner in Promotion, at Grow Your Writing Business and discover it included an interview of me and one of the other blogs I write for b5media.
                          (Mary Emma)
Since many quilters are writers, or at least contribute patterns and information for books, so you may find the advice  Yvonne offers on her blog of great interest.  Her general advice also applies to businesses, which would include those offering quilts, fabric art, fabrics and other supplies. 
Much of what Yvonne offers here concerns promotion via the Internet and blogs.  She and I discussed this topic …read more

The question of what to charge for our quilting services and products often is a quandry for quilt business owners, whether they sell items they’ve made, resell those purchased wholesale, or perform a service.  There are various formulas based on cost of materials plus operating expenses plus an income, yet there is no absolutely fixed one.  Much depends on supply and demand and your reputation as a quilter or fabric artist.
Yvonne at Grow Your Writing Business offers some insights in a post, Price vs Value – How Much Should Writers Charge?  Although Yvonne provides the viewpoint of a writer addressing writers, you …read more