Handmade Holiday Gift Guide Featuring CCCOE

Due to the relentless leaders of the California Crafters Club of Etsy, a select few CCCOE members were featured in the Handmade Spark Holiday Gift Guide. Winged Basket | $135 | Crist Pottery

Rust and Turquoise Crystal Earrings | $12 | Red Bess Bonney

Garnet of Delight Bracelet | $65 | Whimsicals

Organic Orange Calcite Macrame Necklace | $45 | Earth Cultured

Frida Kahlo print of painting with frame | $60 | Estudio Martita

Squirrel Thank You Set of Five Handmade Cards | $15 | Shanna Michele Designs

Say Goodbye To Summer – Chunky Moebius Cowl | $36 | Third Eye Artisans

Pink and Blue Piglet, 2010 | $24 | zfla

Saturday in the Park-hand painted silk georgette scarf | $42 | Muse Silk Paintings

Artisan Necklace – Karen Hill Tribe – Rock Salt | $72 | Keikeaux

Many members submitted their items so thank you to all our wonderful CCCOE members who submitted their items.

Five Ways to Make Your Facebook Fan Page Stand Out

Looking for ways to maximize your Facebook Fan Page? Here are five easy suggestions from Simply Zesty, a blog devoted to social media and online public relations, on how to make your business page more effective. Plus, there are lots of other articles on using social media to build a business. Now if you only had time to read them all ...

Noah Erenberg...extraordinary abstract artist

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Noah Erenberg is the son of Elena Mary Siff who has grown to be a fine abstract artist in his own right. His obvious talent being inspired and nurtured by family & friends.

Asked what his favorite colors are... the straight forward answers are red, blue, pink. When asked what "art" means to him, he says it makes him feel wonderful & happy he's an artist. He does his work outside...being directly inspired by the neighborhood, trees, ocean, surf.

He was invited to join an international exhibition of visionary art called, "Internal guidance systems" which traveled the world from 2006-2008,

His art is featured in a new book titled, "Drawing Autism" by Jill Mullen, Mark Batty Press, NYC http://markbattypublishers.com/books/drawingautism

Also see more of his work on a website he shares with his mother.. http://elenamarysiff.com/noah/index.html

Heading for a Craft Fair? Read This First!

From the blog Create Some Buzz, here's a list of 14 Tips to Increase Your Craft Show Sales. Also, at the bottom of the post there's a link to an earlier piece with a checklist of what to take to a show. Even if you're an old pro at craft fairs, there's a lot of great information here.

When Silence is Not So Golden

Most of us have been there. You decide it's time to expand your business and run across an interesting possibility -- a shop or a craft fair or another venue that features handmade items. So you call, write or email to find out the details on getting in. And nothing happens. Zip. Nada. Crickets. It's easy to jump to the conclusion that they didn't like your work. Not so fast, says blog team member and etsy seller Sage Sky. In the post below, she explains that the real reason could be that the people running the operation are so disorganized that they've forgotten a very simple business rule: Vendors are paying customers and should not be ignored. Bottom line: if a business is so poorly run that they're not responding to potential customers, do you really want to be part of it? The vendor is a paying customer, too. How to read the ZERO response market. A brand new, hip flea market that features half vintage and half handmade items recently opened near my house. Two months ago, I started e-mailing them asking for a space. I have had ZERO response. I am vendor, which also makes me a paying costumer, right? So how should I take it when they don’t get back to me? I shop where the flea market is located. I am very involved in my community. I have a lot of resources that can help drive business to them. No one I've talked to has even heard of the flea market. So why for two month now have they not gotten back to me? Are they completely disorganized or do they hate my stuff? Look, it really doesn’t matter to me if I ever set up a booth at this flea market, but as a paying customer, a neighbor and an active community leader, it's just common courtesy to respond to an inquiry. So, here’s my opinion: when a market doesn't get back to you, don’t take offense. My business partner finally broke down and called them. The girl on the other end of the line, who is also the contact for the flea market, was talking to my partner on the phone while talking to someone else in the room. She told her to send the e-mail again. My partner sent it right away and again days have passed with zero response. So our conclusion is that the flea market organizers are very disorganized. But get it together folks! We the vendors are paying costumers, too. You would not have a market or a fair without the vendor. Just a quick e-mail would do the trick.

Crist Pottery at Etsy.com

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Crist Pottery...handbuilt pottery

The styling of Beverly Crist's handbuilt ceramic pottery has been a long time in the making. Always making art since early childhood, she got her B.A. & B.F.A. degrees from Florida universities and wherever she lived she always had a ceramic studio practice...in Florida, Texas, California & Germany.

She's been published in numerous ceramic/art books & magazines, as well as, had commissioned art work in Florida & California.

Not letting the moss grow under her feet, she also has been active in professional guilds & associations as an exhibiting member, instructor & board member.

Her work has been on display in several TV shows, as well as, a guest segment for HGTV's "That's Clever".

A couple of future gigs for Beverly is an impressive entry in a published ceramic/art book coming out in the Fall... "500 Vases".

She'll also be in the ACGA Clay & Glass Festival, July 10th & 11th in Palo Alto. Come up and support her there & at her etsy shop.