Apr 28th 2010 04:33:37 pm

Life has been changing and moving quickly lately. On Saturday, we spent all day at the Handmade Cavalcade craft fair, then on Sunday we took an all-day trip to New Haven, Connecticut, to sell our car. Boohoo. I feel sad about it. We bought our 2004 Subaru Imprezza WRX about two weeks before our wedding in 2003. (The photo above is us driving off in the car after our wedding ceremony.) It felt like our kid, or maybe our home. We drove it across the country twice, and it had been our only car for five years. But for the last year here, in New York, the poor thing just sat parked on the street. We hardly used it (maybe driving 200 miles in the last six months) and Travis had to move it to a new parking spot twice a week. Yuck. Plus, the insurance was expensive. So, it is on to a new life via CarMax and we are car-less. It is a relief to not have to worry about it any longer, and after one last trip to the DMV we will be able to cancel our insurance. I do love extra money!

Early Monday morning we headed to the hospital (by hired car and driver) for Travis’ ACL reconstruction knee surgery. The Hospital for Special Surgery was fabulous and everyone there was very professional. You can read Travis’ thoughts on the experience on his blog. The surgeon said that the surgery went perfectly, and it seems like it did because Travis is recovering quickly. My only complaint is that it now falls solely on me to take Crusher down and up the three flights of stairs to our apartment every time he needs to go outside….

Life is good and all of the recent excitement has gone as smoothly as we could expect, but I am definitely ready for some downtime! If you need me, I’ll probably be taking a nap.

4 Comments » Categories: Family, Feeling Happy, Feeling Sad, Health, Home, Travis

Apr 25th 2010 10:54:37 am

Yesterday was Swap-bot’s first foray into craft show sponsorship. We were one of the main sponsor of the Handmade Cavalcade, a yearly show organized by The {NewNew} Etsy Street Team. Our sponsorship package included a booth space at the event. Our table was definitely amateurish compared to the amazing artists’ booths, but we had a lot of fun meeting creative people and handing out Swap-bot swag. Sometimes it is hard to describe exactly what Swap-bot is, but I think we definitely attracted a few new members over the course of the day. It felt great to be a part of the local “handmade” community!

(I plan to write a more detailed report about the event on the Swap-bot blog, but for now you can see a bunch of great photos from the event on MetroMix.)

10 Comments » Categories: Misc

Apr 23rd 2010 03:53:49 pm

I have been reading a lot of websites and resources about independent and small businesses lately. I am searching for ideas on how I can transform my online life into a successful business I can be proud of. Travis and I have been running Swap-bot.com for over four years, but for most of that time it was only a hobby that supported itself with advertising while we continued our full-time jobs. Ever since moving to New York, I have been devoting myself to Swap-bot and freelance design full-time. In monetary terms, I don’t think anyone would say I am a huge success, but I love doing what I want to each day while meeting tons of cool, online peeps along the way.

Tara, the owner of one of my new favorite blogs, recently started “the kick your door down project” and encouraged others to share their own stories of embracing an adventure or making a big step. I want to add my own story to the project, but it is hard to distill my independent career experience into one defining moment. I think my “kick the door down” moments happen quietly everyday when I make the decision to keep trying to make something out of Swap-bot and myself. Certainly, Travis and I were courageous and bold when we launched Swap-bot, but we were so naive that it didn’t feel like kicking down the door. Now, years later, after all of the site glitches, troll shenanigans, server costs, advertising issues, etc, it feels more like an act of will and defiance to simply carry on.

Gosh, I sound negative, but it isn’t my intent. Running a complicated community website – or any small, independent business, for that matter- is difficult, but it is the ONLY thing I want to do with my work life. The good news is that I think I am getting better at it. Through my experience (and obsessive reading of business blogs), I have compiled a list of ideas/tips for running a web-based business. They are mostly just reminders for myself (I have them written out and flagged in my notebook so that I can read them each day), but I thought others might find them helpful. They aren’t get-rich-quick tips, only simple ideas to keep in mind when you start feeling overwhelmed or discouraged.

My thoughts:

• Quality, Hard Work & Kindness – This is like the “eat less, move more” diet advice. So darn simple and obvious, but so darn difficult to achieve. Despite that, I still remind myself daily that my ultimate goal is to create something of quality that will help and bring enjoyment to others. Quality and Kindness are on my to do list every day!
• Embrace Chaos – Another simple statement, but this is one I have really learned to take to heart. The internet is a wild place and there is no way to control it all of the time. Trying to control everything that is said in a forum or everything that is said about your brand will suck up all of your time. I’ve learned to trust others and just let things flow on Swap-bot most of the time and it usually turns out so much better than if I had tried to plan out everything or control every situation.
• Never Be Negative – I may have already broken this “rule” in this post, but positivity really is the best way to handle nearly every situation. Always present yourself and your brand in a positive light. (Tara, who I described above, just recently posted video on this theme here.) Others may say negative things about you, but the only true way to fight it is to out-shine the few negative snippets out there with tons and tons of awesome, positive content. That sounds so Polyanna-ish, but really it is about showing the best sides of yourself and your business without being fake or cheesy… which brings us to the next idea…
• Sincerity & Authenticity – I read somewhere (I wish I could find the link…) that authenticity is going to be the next “currency” on the internet because it is so hard to find. I agree. Well, I agree with the idea that authenticity has value. Your personality and your uniqueness are your most important assets when trying to make your brand stand out in the vast sea of the internet.
• Don’t Take It Personally – So, I just told you to be sincere and authentic, and now I say not to take things personally… it seems a bit contradictory, but this idea is more of a warning: The internet can be ROUGH. There are some weird, hurtful, wild, and crazy individuals out there and sometimes they will hurt your feelings or even do things to hurt your business. Never stoop to their behavior and never respond in anger or emotion. Much, much easier said than done, but trust me on this one. Staying kind and professional will make you feel better in the morning!
• Set Priorities – This has been the hardest thing for me to tackle. I want to do everything! Answer every email, read every forum post, write every blog post, make every craft, go to every craft show, design all of my own websites, sell each individual advertisement, send each Tweet, and on and on and on… But one person can only do so much. I have been working hard to bring more structure to my days and focus on the tasks that have the highest “return on investment,” to use a business term. Setting goals sometimes sounds cheesy to me (I mean, they have been telling us that since elementary school), but it is vital to understanding which tasks help you reach your goals and which things are just taking up time.

Whew! It feels good to get those ideas written out. They are all very simple concepts, but they are the core “rules” that shape my work. If you want to read more business-related stuff, check out a few of my current favorite resources: Crafting an MBA, Make & Meaning, and of course, Tara Gentile.

Do you run an independent business? What are some of the lessons you’ve learned or ideas that you carry with you to help you stay motivated? Is money the main goal or are we working for something more satisfying?

2 Comments » Categories: Swap-bot, Thinking, Work

Apr 22nd 2010 10:29:43 am

This is an iPhone photo I took in the taxi on the way home from the airport on Tuesday. It is always a bit magical driving into New York City and seeing the Empire State building and the Brooklyn Bridge. I love being a passenger so that I can stare out the window.

Last week, I traveled to Kansas City to visit my family. This may sound a little over-the-top, but I am related to some of the most wonderful people in the world. I am lucky. The most amazing part is watching all of my younger siblings (I am the oldest) become awesome adults – adults that I want to be like and be friends with. All of my siblings (both by blood and marriage) live lives of education, service, and hard work. It is inspiring.

Now I am back in NYC, far from my family and trying to do some of my own hard work… I better get back to my email!

2 Comments » Categories: Family, New York

Apr 20th 2010 01:53:52 pm

This article was originally published on…

The tag line for the Eco Green Crafts company is “Where creativity come naturally,” and they take their commitment to the earth seriously. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company is committed to using reclaimed and recycled materials whenever possible and to providing safe, sustainable products. Their complete line of eco-friendly art and craft products launched in January 2010, at the Craft and Hobby Association trade show. The company’s mission is to make products that are harmless to consumers, manufacturing workers, and the environment.

For this review, I was sent a large selection of Eco Green Crafts’ products. I received 15 tubes of their Eco-Friendly Acrylic Paints, three “Paris Trunk” Eco-Friendly Dye Based Artists Ink Pads, a bottle of their All-Purpose, Plant-Based Green Glue, a selection of their “Glass Glintz” Recycled Glass Embellishments, and a very cool Board Book for Dimensional Art which is made from recycled paper. All of Eco Green Crafts’ paint, ink, and glue products are non-toxic, have low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and are made without solvents or chemicals.

I was very excited to try Eco Green Crafts’ non-toxic paints. I received my bachelors degree in painting in 2003 and have always been worried about the toxicity of traditional oil and acrylic paints. Long-term, career exposure to dangerous paint fumes can have serious health consequences. I have not been painting as much as I once did (I use a computer for much of my artwork these days), but having access to safer paints has inspired me to take up my brush again!

First, I just did a quick test of all the paint and ink colors on black and white paper. The paint has a much thinner consistency than other acrylic paints I’ve worked with, and the colors are slightly more subtle and subdued. However, they went on smoothly and opaquely, even on black. The paint dries very quickly, but is easily cleaned from brushes and surfaces with water while still wet. And, even when dry, the paint washed off of my skin very easily with just regular soap and water – that is a huge plus!

The paint colors on my test sheets are in the following order. First row paints: Stormy, Blue Sky, New Grass, Lime, Clam Shell, Sand, Melon, Orchid, Coral, Mulch. Second row metallic paints: Pure Copper, Bronze, Aged Gold, Pure Gold, Pure Silver. Third row ink pads: Amethyst, Parchment, Indian Sapphire, with assorted “Glass Glintz” displayed on the right.

As you can see, the paint colors are beautiful on both the black and white surface, but the ink from the “Paris Trunk” ink pads only worked on the white paper. I did not expect the ink to work on the black, as it is dye-based and meant for porous surfaces, but I just wanted to try it out.

Once I was done testing, I dived right into the Board Book. I painted the entire cover with the Lime and Coral colors, and accented the edges with the darker New Grass green. My intention is for the Board Book to become a scrapbook/art journal about my experience living in New York, so I used my own Doodlebug glitter chipboard letters to spell that out on the front cover. I emphasized the edges of the letters with the Stormy blue paint. Then, I added some of my own ribbon and clippings from some of my favorite museum guides as decorative embellishments. I used the Green Glue to attach all of the elements, even the Glass Glintz, and everything is holding on securely.

I am definitely not done with the Board book — I can’t wait to fill the inside pages — but I am happy with its progress so far. Although they have a very matte finish when dry, the lime and coral paint colors turned out nice and bright, even next to the neon ribbon I added.

I also used the Eco Green Crafts paints to create an Artist Trading Card in honor of Earth Day. I used many of the different paint colors on the ATC, layering them to create depth. I used the Pure Silver color around the earth and I love how shimmery it is!

Overall, I am really impressed with all of the Eco Green Products, especially the paint. When you think of earth-friendly paint you usually only think of muted, earthy colors, but these paints were bright and fun! Plus they were easy to use and easy to clean up.

You can learn more about Eco Green Crafts and find some great craft projects on their blog.

Pros:

• Earth-friendly, recycled, and non-toxic products!
• Safe for kids (and adults, of course).
• Wide-range of craft products available in the Eco Green Crafts line.
• The paints are bright, opaque, and fast drying.
• The metallic paint colors are brilliantly shimmery.
• The Green Glue dries quickly and holds very securely.

Cons:

• This may also be a pro, but the paints are very thin in consistency compared to traditional acrylic paint. They can run, drip and be messy.
• In general, the paint colors do not create extremely bright colors when mixed.

Have you tried any of Eco Green Crafts other craft projects? Have you tried other non-toxic, earth friendly paints? How do you feel they compare to traditional acrylic and oil paints?

Disclosure

No Comments » Categories: CraftCritique.com articles, Crafts

Apr 11th 2010 06:31:17 pm

This is some of our new Swap-bot swag. We are sponsoring the Spring Handmade Cavalcade here in Brooklyn in a few weeks and I wanted to have some fun stuff to hand out at our booth. I really like my new striped business cards and the little, square Swap-bot stickers. I had fun designing them!

Unfortunately, the general operations and administration of Swap-bot has not been fun or easy lately. I am feeling discouraged. As just one example of the crud that has been sucking up all of my time lately, we recently had a user pretend to have their account hacked in order to get out of sending a bunch of swaps that they owe. I wish I could say that it is the first time someone attempted the bogus hacker excuse, but it has actually happened many times. It is especially awful because anytime the word “hacker” is even mentioned other users of the site get upset and frightened that Swap-bot isn’t safe… even though every supposed “hacker” has been completely made up by a user who doesn’t want to fulfill their own commitments. I am continuously baffled by how dishonest and cruel some people can be… and over something as seemingly fun and innocent and trading crafts through the postal mail. I think I have mentioned this before, but we have had people fake their own deaths in order to get out of swaps! So wild!

My only plan in regard to Swap-bot at the moment is to keep on keeping on. I try hard to stay positive and to continue to provide a place where people can share their creativity… We’ll see what comes of it…

14 Comments » Categories: Swap-bot, Work

Apr 10th 2010 01:56:00 pm

This article was originally published on…

No Comments » Categories: CraftCritique.com articles, Crafts, New York

Apr 3rd 2010 05:15:15 pm

On Thursday night, I traveled to Chelsea to attend Martha Stewart’s “Stitchfest,” a party celebrating the launch of her new Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts. I met my friend, Lisa, at the Chelsea Market beforehand for dinner at The Green Table, a local and organic restaurant in the Market. (I ordered a chicken Pot Pie, which was tasty, but it ended up having a big bone in it. boo.) I will need to check out the Chelsea Market again sometime soon, because it is lovely and we only got to browse a bit of it.

After dinner we headed over to the MSLO building! I was so excited for Stitchfest. I had bought my tickets weeks earlier after Lisa pointed me to the event announcement. I do not know why I continue to be so crazy about Martha Stewart, but I do. Lisa and I posed with her photo at the entrance to the event…. don’t worry, we weren’t the only ones doing it! Supposedly, Martha was there for a short time, but we missed her.

I am not sure what I was expecting at the event, but it turned out to be a nice, if very tame, evening. There were crafts to do, but we didn’t get in line in time. We did manage to get in line for the free embroidered tea towel from the Pfaff sewing machine booth. That was fun. The reps for the machine were really nice. We also entered a lot of drawings, saw lots of lovely sewing projects examples (like the quilting seen above), and munched on a few hors d’oeuvres. I think I expected there to be more of a chance for chatting or networking, but I didn’t really make an effort, either.

The best part of the night was the goodie bag! The Stitchfest ticket price got you a copy of the Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts, which I am really excited to study and find a few projects to make. I need help with my sewing skills, so I am happy to have this resource. It is nearly 400 pages of projects, glossaries, and sewing technique instructions, all with tons of pretty, full-color photography. Many of the projects are from previous issues of Martha Stewart Living, but it is nice to have them all in one place. Also, in our goodie bags were the current issues of all of MSLO’s magazines. I am most excited for the Weddings issue – it used to be my favorite! We also received thread, dye, and needle samples, plus a brad new pair of Martha Stewart Crafts Precision Scissors. I actually needed a pair of those! I don’t have any type of sewing or embroidery scissors and I have been doing a lot of hand-stitching lately…

Anyhoo, the goodie bags were exciting and they were a great way to end the night. I am not sure if I would attend another MSLO event like Stitchfest in the future, but I am glad I checked this one out.

2 Comments » Categories: Crafts, New York, Swap-bot, Work

Apr 2nd 2010 04:44:33 pm

Two of my very cool and creative internet colleagues, Deb & Christy from Toolulu.com, visited New York City for business early this week and they were kind enough to invite me along sight seeing on Tuesday. The weather on Tuesday was actually horrendous. It was cold and windy and pouring rain nearly all day – not the weather you want for sight seeing on foot. But we were determined and we managed to hit many of the crafty destinations in the city.

The two photos above were taken at Mood Fabrics in the Garment District. The warehouse store has become something of a tourist attraction since it has been featured on Project Runway, but it was my first time there. I would guess Mood has any type of fabric you could possibly be looking for… but you definitely need to have a project in mind if you go there to shop. The choices are overwhelming! I bought some neon pink & grey ribbon that jumped out at me.

Next, we trekked over to M & J Trimming. (You may recall my previous trip there.) I bought a bunch of ribbon – including more neon, it is sort of my new thing – and some pom-pom fringe. We also checked out Fishs Eddy, where we saw the bowls pictured above, and ABC Carpet and Home. Swoon! I love that place so much. We picked up Crumbs cupcakes, had ‘Wichcraft sandwiches for lunch, and then headed to Soho before the girls had to leave for the airport. It was such a fun “vacation” day for me even with all the rain!

Good thing the Toolulu girls’ visit happened in March and I got all of my ribbon buying out of my system, because this month I have taken the April Stash Bust pledge. I have committed to not buying any new craft supplies this month and instead to making things only with items I already have in my stash. The intention is to help the earth a bit in honor of Earth Day on the 22nd and to think about how we use the things we buy. It fits in perfectly with the idea of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Swap-bot is one of the sponsors of the April Stash Bust “event” and you can learn more over on the Swap-bot blog. There is even a stash craft contest with some awesome prizes, but you have to take the pledge in order to enter! I am also hosting an April Stash Bust craft supply swap in conjunction with the Challenge and I’d love to have you join. We are each going to send an envelope of extra, unused supplies from our personal stashes to our swap partner. It’s a great way to give new life to neglected supplies and get some fresh stuff in return! Fun!

No Comments » Categories: Crafts, Friends, New York, Photos, Projects, Swap-bot