Michelle Mach

Postcard Giveaway & 4 Ideas for Postcard Marketing

Michelle Mach — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:31:00 -0700

I love receiving postcards in the mail or picking them up at shows or events. True, these postcards are technically advertisements, but often they are so beautifully done with gorgeous photos of jewelry or eye-catching book covers that I end up posting them on my refrigerator. While I do save business cards and some print catalogs, I don't display them.

For me, it's hard to beat a postcard for effective marketing. Yes, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube are great free tools, but honestly, sometimes there is so much noise online that it takes a printed, hold-it-in-my-hands piece to really capture my attention.

When PrintRunner, an online printing services business that started ten years ago in California, asked if my U.S. readers would enjoy a chance to win their own free set of 100 custom postcards, I immediately said, "Yes!"

4 Ways to Use Postcards for Marketing

If you've never used postcards as an artist, author, or small business owner, here are some ideas:

1. Advertise Your Special Skills
I love this postcard by children's illustrator Gina Perry. She sends these out to prospective clients. It's hard to think of a better use of a postcard. A letter, email, or phone call just wouldn't have the same impact as this visual. (Plus, if you're shy, wouldn't you rather send a postcard than stammer a sales speech over the phone?) If I were a children's book editor or agent, this is the kind of cute postcard that I would tack on my bulletin board or share with others in my office.

2. Special Event Invitations
Invite previous customers to your special events: author book signings, jewelry and bead shows, cooking classes. Remember to include all the basics: dates, location, time, and contact info (email, phone, website). This kind of postcard works best if you have an existing mailing listing so you order the right number of postcards. Lori Anderson at Pretty Things offers a nice example she's used for a show.

3. Announce Something New
A new product line or a brand new book are often occasions to mail postcards. (See this fun postcard a student made to announce the book, Hello, Cupcake! or this professionally designed postcard for a beadweaving artist.) If you're traditionally published, your publisher may even give you postcards, so ask before you order your own. In addition to an appealing image, you might want to include a review or a customer testimonial. If you include some kind of special discount code, you'll be able to track how effective your postcard was in getting folks to purchase your item.

4. A Mini Bio and Portfolio
I really enjoyed this post by jewelry designer Ann Nolen who calls postcards her best marketing tool. She says that people don't always want to take a business card, but they're always interested in artists. Often the same people who decline her business card will take a postcard from her with a photo of her jewelry and a mini bio of her on the back. People buy from those they know and a postcard is a great way for others to get to know you a little better!

Those are some ideas on how to use your postcards to market your business. Of course, you don't have to use these for business at all. If you win this online postcard printing prize, feel free to put photos of your kids, garden, dogs, or latest pie creation on the front.

Prize Details

Postcard Size: Postcards 5x7
Quantity: 100
Colors: 4/0 Front Only Printing
Paper: 14 PT. UV Coating on Front
Rounded Corners: Yes
Proof: None
Ready to Ship In: 4 Business Days

Official Rules

Giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above.
Giveaway ends at midnight (Mountain Time) on Saturday, May 19, 2012
Winner's name will be posted on this same blog post by May 21, 2012
A winner is allowed to win only once over a two-month period.

To be entered in this giveaway, please post a comment on this blog answering this question:

Have you ever received or picked up a postcard from an artist, author, or small business?

Standard Disclaimer: Thank you to PrintRunner for providing this giveaway. I will receive a set of postcards for hosting this giveaway.

Are You Waiting To Be Asked?

Michelle Mach — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:10:00 -0700

The Fantasy ...

I watched the movie Julie & Julia this week. It's the story of a blogger (Julie) who made all the recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. One of my favorite scenes in the movie (besides all the wonderful ones with Meryl Streep) is the one near the end where Julie's husband tells her that she has some messages on the answering machine. Sixty-five messages, if I remember correctly. They all begin, "I'm the editor at ... the film producer ... a literary agent ..." Then they all make her some kind of offer: a book deal, a screenplay option, an interview.

This is everyone's fantasy, isn't it?

There you are, minding your own business, and you get handed an amazing opportunity.

Being asked is a huge ego boost. Someone noticed me! Someone liked my work! It feels terrific to be asked to exhibit in a prestigious show, to write an article, or to be a paid designer for a craft product.

What's the Problem?

The problem comes when your entire game plan is based around someone else's action. It's like those start-up tech companies that hinge their business plan on getting bought out by Google, Amazon, or Facebook. What if those tech giants never ask? What then?

An Easy Solution

I didn't even realize I was waiting to be asked until I read a great blog post on this topic: Stop Waiting to Be Picked by Jeff Goins.

Last week I took a tiny step and asked for my work to be featured in a blog's Mother's Day gift guide. And guess what? They said yes! You can see my mini book in the guide published by the Arts Business Institute.

You want to be considered for a prestigious art show? Ask. You want to sell your bracelets in a trendy local boutique? Ask. You want to see your work in a magazine? Ask.

They may say no. They may say yes. You'll never know unless you ask!

Book Giveaway Winner & Your Favorite Polymer Clay Tools

Michelle Mach — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:48:00 -0700

Book Giveaway Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for the Polymer Clay Beads book. Congratulations to the winner, Sharon of Sharon's Jewelry Garden, who was drawn at random.

About the Author

Among all the comments from readers wanting to win the book, I had an email from the book's author, Grant Diffendaffer. I encourage you to visit his website to see more of his work, including a cool retro-styled ray gun. There are also some gorgeous polymer clay photos on his Polymer Clay Beads Facebook page.

Your Favorite Tools

Your favorite polymer clay tool according to the comments you left for this giveaway is a pasta machine! It does make a huge difference in the amount of time it saves for conditioning clay. I bought my machine years ago in a kitchen store, but you can now find less expensive machines in large craft stores.

Other popular tools were your hands and rubber stamps or texturing plates. There were definitely some unusual tools mentioned, too, including a wine stopper, used gift cards, copper pipe, and knitting needles.

Next Giveaway Alert: Tuesday, May 15th

I will be hosting a second giveaway this month. The prize is a custom postcard package. You can design a postcard with photos of your jewelry or artwork, family photos, a favorite quote, the cover of your new book, or anything else you like. If you're an artist, author, or you own your own business, a postcard is a nice way to stay in touch with galleries, readers, libraries, customers, magazine editors, and others. This next giveaway will be limited to U.S. residents 18 and older only. Stop by the blog next Tuesday, May 15, 2012 and enter to win!

Friday Fun: Put a Bird On It

Michelle Mach — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:57:00 -0700

If you're a crafter who sells her work, you'll know why I was giggling to myself as I took this photo of one of my necklaces. If not, read the story below the photo . . .

If something has a bird on it, it sells. It's one of those trends that's a Big Deal in the crafting community. I've seen posts about it dating back to 2009, especially regarding birds on wedding invitations. The TV show Portlandia recently did a funny sketch about this trend. (The end of the clip is a little disturbing for true bird lovers, so if you're a sensitive soul, don't watch it.)

Given this huge trend, when I found this book originally published in 1887 titled Turning Points in the World's History, I naturally thought about writing a revised, modern edition: Napoleon, the invention of Morse Code . . . and Put a Bird On It.

Confession Time: Have you bought or made anything with a bird on it recently?

Book Review & Giveaway: Polymer Clay Beads

Michelle Mach — Tue, 01 May 2012 05:23:00 -0700

If you're looking for a book on polymer clay that's a bit different from others that are available, you'll enjoy Polymer Clay Beads by Grant Diffendaffer.

Here are the parts of the book that stood out for me:

Favorite Polymer Clay Brands

Surprisingly, there is no discussion on the merits of different brands of polymer; the author considers the choice a personal preference. This was a huge surprise. Most artists who work with polymer clay have strong feelings about brands and are not shy about sharing their opinions. This lack of discussion is one reason that this book may not be suitable for an absolute beginner.

Unusual Tools

This book includes one of the most unusual lists of tools I've seen in a polymer clay book. A doming block, for example, is used in a project for making end caps. This is a tool that is traditionally used for metalwork, so it was fascinating to see it used in a different medium. The tools section is a text list, so beginners will likely need to do additional research if they are not familiar with some of the items listed such as a rasp (made for woodworking) or drywall screen.

Mica Shift and Hollow Beads Techniques

The two techniques I found most interesting were mica shift and hollow beads.

The author describes the mica shift technique as "using only one color of clay you can create patterns of light that shift, depending upon the angle from which you view them." Polymer clay beads can sometimes look flat and dull; this technique gives them a little more dimension, making them look more like glass.

Hollow beads are an important technique if you want to make large beads. Solid, large beads would be heavy and uncomfortable to wear.

Bottom Line

This book is best for someone who has at least some previous experience in polymer clay and is looking for new ideas and techniques. The book features nice step-by-step photos for all the techniques, along with tips and ideas for variations.

Win a Copy of This Book

The copy featured here is the paperback version republished in 2011; the original hardback was published in 2008.

To win a copy of this book, leave a comment on this blog post before May 6, 2012 that answers this question:

What is your favorite tool to use with polymer clay? (If you've never used polymer clay before, just write that in your comment. I'll understand that you don't have a favorite tool yet!)

This giveaway is open to U.S. and international readers. I'll draw a winner at random from the comments and post his or her name on this blog on May 8, 2012.

Standard Disclaimer: I received this review copy of Polymer Clay Beads from Lark Publishing. The review is my own honest opinion. I am also personally sponsoring the giveaway (paying for shipping costs to the winner), not the publisher or author.

Join the Tiny Tin Challenge

Michelle Mach — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:55:00 -0700

It's time for a new blog challenge!

This challenge kit includes two steel tins of different sizes. You only need to decorate or alter one of them using any materials you like. There will be a maximum of 20 kits available. The Blog Hop date is May 31, 2012. Buy the kit.

Challenge Ideas & Inspiration

Not sure what to do with these tins? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Create a Special Tin for Special Beads
Wouldn't it be nice to have a special spot for those stray extra beads from projects or maybe for a few special art beads? I thought I had seen a beautiful example on Lori Anderson's Pretty Things blog, but I couldn't find the photo. I even asked Lori about it, but she couldn't find it either. (It sure was sweet of her to look!) ~~I'm fairly certain at this point that I imagined it, but it's still an appealing idea.~~ (Update: I found it! Scroll down on this post from 2011 until you see her mention the Lonely Hearts Club orphan tin. It's the fourth photo and the tin is under some bags of beads.) Don't your pretty beads deserve a pretty house?

Use a Friend—Real or Imaginary—as Inspiration
If you're drawing a blank, think of a friend, family member, or acquaintance and ask yourself what they might want to store in their tin. Maybe the barista from Starbucks needs a tin for chocolate-covered espresso beads? It's fun to use characters from TV, books, and movies, too. Where is Katniss from The Hunger Games going to store her Mockingjay Pin? Does Wonder Woman need a place to keep a spare cape? This challenge opens up possibilities for designing for men, too, unlike most jewelry challenges.

Experiment with a New Technique
If you've never used resin or polymer clay, maybe this is the project to try it. These tins are relatively inexpensive compared to some of the nice jewelry bezels available. (Look at the lid of the smallest tin and tell me that wouldn't make the cutest bezel.) I'm sometimes so afraid of ruining a piece that it holds me back creatively. I want you to feel free to make mistakes; that's why I've included two tins. Be brave and know that you have a spare. (I'm also keeping a few extras, so if you mess up both your tins and need replacements, let me know.)

Challenge Rules & Tips

The official blog hop reveal date is May 31, 2012. You're free to blog about the challenge before that, but don't show off your finished design until the blog hop date. Part of the fun of the hop is the surprise factor!

You only need to decorate ONE tin.

You can use anything to decorate your tin. Yes, even beads! (You can see the seed bead tin I made in 2007.)
You can also turn your tin into something else completely—a home decor item, a toy, jewelry. It's also fine just to keep it as a tin.

Blog Hop Participants

If you don't hear from me within 24 hours of ordering your kit, please email me. Feel free to use the images on this blog post for your own blog.

Update 5/5/12: This challenge is full (20 participants). However, since I apparently can't count, there is still one extra kit available in my Etsy shop. If you'd like to join us, please do!

Here's who has signed up to participate in the May 31 Blog Hop:

Michelle - Beads & Books - Hostess
Amy - Amybeads
Brenda - B'Sue Boutiques
Dawn - Morning Glory Beading
Debbie
Jeannie - Jeannie's Blog
Kay - Palm Coast Art
Kim - CianciBlue
Mary - MLH Jewelry Designs
Mary Shannon - Falling into the Sky
Michelle - Firefly Visions
Molly - Beautifully Broken Me
Pamela - The Crazy Creative Corner
Patricia G. - My Life Under the Bus
Patricia L.
Robyn - A Ponderance of Things
Shelley - Fabric of My Life
Terry - Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry
Therese - Domestic Goddess Enterprises
Therese - Therese's Treasures

Newsletter subscribers received early news of this challenge. Sign up for my free newsletter if you'd like to hear about any future challenges, giveaways, or other fun activities. I send six to eight newsletters per year.

Do Over Challenge Blog Hop

Michelle Mach — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

The Do Over Challenge is the brilliant idea of Jeannie Dukic of Jeannie's Blog. The idea is that she will send you one of her tired, old pieces of jewelry and you'll remake it into something else, using the majority of the beads.

Every jewelry piece in the challenge is a surprise. I laughed when I pulled out Jeannie's necklace from the package. Not because the necklace wasn't beautiful (it is), but because I had created a very similar necklace as one of my first beading projects. When I stated beading, I was fascinated by these illusion-style necklaces that used tiny crimps to hold the beads on the wire so that they appeared to be floating. So this "do over" project felt a little bit like traveling back in time.

The necklace includes Swarovski crystal pearls, clear Swarovski crystal bicones, silver filigree bead caps, and a simple lobster clasp.

Before

After

I made a simple bracelet with all the pearls. I used all the crystals (and a few gray seed beads) to form two beaded rings, which I strung. I also did a little seed bead embellishment with rose and gray seed beads on two of the silver filigree bead caps. I still have some bead caps left over for a future project—and the short strands of silvery beading wire. I have no idea what I'll do with that wire, but I couldn't throw it away. (Can we say "beading packrat"?)

Blog Hop Participants

Sign up for the next Do Over Challenge: http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog/4th-do-over-challenge/

Go see what everyone else made!

Jeannie/Hostess
http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog

Cilla Watkins
http://www.tellyourgirlfriends.com

Michelle Mach
http://michellemach.com/blog

Alesha Conklin
http://obtainingmercy.typepad.com

Molly Alexander
http://beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com

Cindy Wimmer
http://www.sweetbeadstudio.com

Mary Govaars
http://www.mlhjewelrydesigns.com

Marlene Cupo
http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com

Dagi
http://kokopellidesign.blogspot.com/

Charlene Jacka
http://clay-space.com/

Julia Johnson
http://beautifullywhimsical.blogspot.com

Carolyn Lawson
http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Pamela Orians
http://somedaybeads.blogspot.com

Linda Younkman
http://lindydesigns.blogspot.com/

Shelly Joyce
http://www.aujourlejour-shelly.blogspot.com/

Judy Riggs
http://www.rigglettes.blogspot.com/

Cary Scholes
http://mamaneeds2create.blogspot.com

Shaun Mullin
http://bogshaun.blogspot.com/

A Hint About My Next Blog Challenge & More News from Bead World

Michelle Mach — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:32:00 -0700

My Next Blog Challenge

This weekend I'm working on my next blog challenge—something fun and a bit different! Here's a hint on the theme: It's not a jewelry challenge (but it could be). It doesn't use beads (but it could). It does, however, involve something that every beader I know thinks about a lot. Curious yet? Newsletter subscribers will hear about the challenge first, so if you think you want to participate, you should sign up for my free newsletter. If everything goes as planned, the newsletter will go out sometime mid-to-late next week. Challenge will be limited to 15-20 folks.

In the meantime, enjoy this week's links, including a wonderful review of a book I thoroughly enjoyed editing, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry:

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean reviews the new book by Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegel: Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry--it is marvelous!
A Bead A Day
Have ring blanks, will hot glue! Lisa's looking for ideas on what to hot glue onto these simple ring blanks.
About.com Jewelry Making
Love fabric and beads? Then bead embroidery might be your cup of jewelry tea.
Beading Arts
The fabulous Leslie Rogalski shares her thoughts about her creative process with us! You don't want to miss this!
Beads & Books
Michelle shares ideas on how to find craft shows for selling your work.
Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Gaea shares some small beady indulgences she is dreaming of to distract herself from tax season.

How to Find Craft Shows

Michelle Mach — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:11:00 -0700

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas!

This week I'm working on an application to a local winter holiday craft show. I want to try selling some handmade ornaments, in addition to jewelry, so guess what? Yep, during this beautiful, sunny week, I'm inside making Christmas ornaments! (Note: The photo is an ornament from my personal collection, not one that I made.)

Have you started thinking about holiday craft shows? Last year, it never occurred to me until late summer and by then, there weren't many options. Holiday shows can fill up to a year in advance. I don't want that to happen to you, so I thought I'd share a few resources.

How Do You Find Craft Shows?

Here are a few places I've looked:

Etsy: If you're on Etsy, joining a local team for your area can be the quickest way to learn about craft shows in your area. Some teams even host their own craft shows. (You might also check out the Etsy Team Craft Fairs . . . It's a Living! if you want some general advice on selling at craft shows.)
Online directories: I've found these of limited use. Indie Craft Show Directory lists shows by date, but doesn't seem to have many listed. Festival Network Online and My Fairs and Festivals both require you to join in order to see the contact information. However, once you have the craft show name, you may be able to find more information on your own with a little work.
Blogs: I use Google blog search to see in any local bloggers are talking about craft shows. Blogs can be very helpful since the blogger sometimes will give a follow-up report on whether or not the show was worthwhile. (Be warned, those in Colorado, that you'll also pull up a lot of blogs about craft beer in addition to craft shows!)
Websites: I found that I could limit the blog search to websites focused on craft shows. This pulled up lots of large craft show such as the Renegade Craft Fair.
Talk to people: This may seem silly (or obvious), but let everyone know that you're looking for a place to sell your work. One of the shows on my list this year came from a non-crafty former co-worker who casually said, "Of course, you must sell your jewelry at the XYZ show." I had to admit that I'd never heard of that show even though I'd lived in the area for years.
Newspapers: Look in the "Events" section for upcoming or current craft shows. This could be your town's official paper or one of the "free" entertainment papers that some towns have. Yes, you'll likely be too late to apply (although maybe the hosts would let you fill in for a cancellation), but you can add the shows to your list for next year.
Other sites: Polka Dots and Rosebuds has a short list of recommended places to look, including craigslist.

What are your tips for finding craft shows?

Book Review: Creating Time

Michelle Mach — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:02:00 -0700

Who doesn't want more time?

I do, but I confess I'm suspicious of those who claim to hold the simple secret to having more time. I've read more than one book that proclaims in a perky voice that it's easy to get control of your time: Wake up earlier! (Who needs more than four hours of sleep anyway?) Delegate tasks to your spouse and children! (They'll be thrilled to help!) Use elaborate color-coded spreadsheets for your to-do list! (Microsoft Excel is fun!)

So, naturally, when I was asked to review the new book Creative Time, I was intrigued, but skeptical.

An Overview

Creating Time: Using Creativity to Reinvent the Clock and Reclaim Your Life by Marney K. Makridakis takes a left-brain/right-brain approach to the problem of time, mixing scientific facts, creative exercises, and real life experiences of artists and others.

I liked the basic premise of the book: we don't need more time; we need to think about time differently. Can we reorganize our time so that we spend more time on the tasks we love? Can we change our perception of time so that we appreciate it, rather than rushing from one task to the next? Is there some small change we can make that will ease our transitions into different activities? Each chapter focuses on a different way to see and understand time: flow, gratitude, love, ritual, stillness, metaphor, new measures, synchronicity, visualization, and permission.

What I Liked Best

The author truly understands that we feel overloaded—and she proves it. In one exercise, she suggests you write down a time amount for each item on your to-do list. That was an eye-opener for me. You cannot do thirty hours of work in twenty-four.
Lots of practical exercises and tips. While I enjoyed looking at the artistic results of the creative assignments ("ARTsignments"), I found the other tips more immediately helpful. For example, to experience the feeling of slowing down time, don't multitask. Instead, turn off the phone, email, and Internet and focus on one thing. It's lot harder than you might think!
The quotes, stories, and artwork from the 80 contributors. I always appreciate books that draw from a wide variety of experiences.

Bottom Line

Despite its cheerful cover, Creating Time is not a light, easy read. In truth, it felt a little overwhelming to me, since it's packed with so many suggestions, tips, anecdotes, quotations, and ideas. If you're serious about changing the way time works in your life, you could easily spend a week or more absorbing all the information in a single chapter.

To see if this might be a good book for you, read an excerpt from the chapter on flow titled "Time Sighs When You're Having Fun." Flow refers to those amazing days when you head to studio, get absorbed in a creative project, and when you look at the clock, you're shocked that hours, not minutes, have passed.

Bonus Offer for Blog Readers

You can order Creating Time from any online bookseller any time this week and get an awe-inspiring bundle of time-expanding bonuses from ArtellaLand.com, and if you order Today (April 17) only, you’ll also get over $125 worth of Artella merchandise. Go here to order and get your goodies!

Standard Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. I received no compensation for my review. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own.