Art Fire's Weblog

Win a Free Account on ArtFire for Listing the 1,000,000th Item

artfiredotcom — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:01:55 +0000

After jumping over the 900,000th item mark, we’ve decided to offer a special prize for the user who lists the 1,000,000th item ever listed on the site. The member who helps us to cross this milestone will receive a Pro account on ArtFire completely free.

All sellers on ArtFire are eligible to win, be they Basic or Pro. Members can choose to apply this free-for-life status to their current account, an alternative account, or they can even give it away as a gift!

Currently item listings are still in the early 900,000s, but be sure to join us as we count down to the 1,000,000th item! To see where your item falls in this countdown, just check your product ID, appearing at the end of your item URL. The user will the product ID of 1,000,000 will be announced as the lucky winner!

For details on this prize, click here.

The ArtFire Facebook Kiosk

artfiredotcom — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:40:30 +0000

ArtFire is proud to introduce the new ArtFire Facebook Kiosk

Today ArtFire has launched a ground breaking Facebook application for handmade venues. With the ArtFire Kiosk you can put your studio in front of the 88million strong member base of Facebook.com. The ArtFire Kiosk features no account checkout, secure 256 bit encryption, rapid cart technology with no need to navigate to ArtRire.com, sales and stats tracking, and real time updates from your ArtFire studio, all while being nestled in your Facebook tabs.

To find out more information, and to get involved in the discussion, check out the ArtFire forums. If you’re ready to get started with the application, log into Facebook and head over to the application at http://apps.facebook.com/artfire-kiosk to get started.

Homemade Christmas Gifts

artfiredotcom — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:06:13 +0000

With the economy as bad as it is, everyone is looking for ways to save on cash. While you will probably still have to do some Christmas shopping (and we encourage you to shop handmade when you do!), not all your presents have to put in a dent in your wallet. Below you’ll find a short list of easy and fun holiday gift projects you can create without leaving the comfort of your own home.

* Cook Something up in the Kitchen!

If you feel most comfortable in the kitchen, you might ponder baking a festive holiday dish for your friends and family. Christmas candies and treats are always well received, whether they’re tasty stocking stuffers or just a little something sweet to munch on while gathered around the tree. Try cooking up peppermint bark or cookies and giving them to family members, friends, or co-workers. You’ll be surprised how far one batch of cookies will go! Or if baking isn’t your area of expertise, you might try packaging ingredients in colorful jars and distributing them as gifts!

* Dazzle with Photos and Experiences!

For the more visually inspired crafters, consider putting together a family photo album or cook book. These make for a special kind of present, since they contain shared experiences and memories. You can also try putting together a scrapbook, highlighting a recent trip or occasion you shared with loved ones.

*Get Your Holiday Craftiness Going!

Tree decorations make for a great Christmas gift, plus they can be a lot of fun to make! You can put together ornaments out of old craft supplies or items you have laying around the house like beads, buttons, fabric, salt dough, even old light bulbs! Have some fun and make different decorations for everyone, maybe even matching them to that person’s personality. Or if you’re feeling especially artistic, craft ornaments that look like the gift receiver!

*Light Their Fire with a traditional Handmade Gift!

If you enjoy working with your hands, you might want to try making festive candles as gifts this season. If you haven’t made candles by hand before, purchase an inexpensive kit from your neighborhood craft store. Kits usually render a bunch of candles, so just a coupe kits can easily make enough candle gifts for everyone! Add embellishments to your presents to make them festive and unique. Mold your candle into a fun shape, paint on holiday patterns, or mix crushed flowers into your wax before letting it cool.

I hope this list helps, have a safe and merry holiday and remember to always shop handmade to support local artisans!

-Sara

www.artfire.com

Buy Handmade this Black Friday!

artfiredotcom — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:52:02 +0000

For some individuals, going out Christmas shopping on Black Friday is a tradition. On the day after Turkey Day, they wake at first light, cruise to the nearest shopping mall, and do their best to complete as much Christmas shopping as possible! But for some people, Black Friday is an irritating nonsense, a hurried distasteful occasion for holiday shopping, if one can survive the mob of demanding and angry customers.

But there is a solution for these shoppers this Black Friday. There’s no need to rush to the shopping mall and fight off fellow customers—you can stay at home. This year, make the decision to do your holiday shopping in your PJs and bathrobe by shopping online.

With online shopping, you as a customer receive access to a wider variety of mechanize than you would find at any shopping mall. You also get the prospect of buying handmade gifts this holiday from online crafters.

With the global financial situation getting more and more bleak all the time, most shoppers are just not interested in supporting artists as much as they are in saving a few bucks. But in this bad economy, it is more important than ever before to shop handmade.

Shopping handmade is especially important for fellow craft sellers. When you sell your handmade goods online, your business is supported by buyers choosing to shop based on quality and uniqueness rather than cost alone. So why not help out fellow craft artisans this holiday season by buying handmade yourself Avoid the mess of Black Friday and buy handmade this weekend!

-Sara

www.artfire.com

Five Tips to Going Green this November

artfiredotcom — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:13:31 +0000

1. Do your food shopping at your local farmers market, rather than a chain store. These grown holiday fixings are generally better for you, and you support local farmers with your purchase. Also consider getting a free-range turkey this holiday, as these birds haven’t been raised in cages.

2. When it may be customary on Thanksgiving for everyone to stuff their faces and feast in celebration, most families make too much food. While some holiday leftovers are still tasty weeks after the event, many side dishes and fixings wind up stuffed at the back of the frig collecting mold. This year, don’t make so much food. Prepare plenty for your family and guests, but hold back from the standard 3 serving per guest .

3. Why spend time and money buying new fall decorations when you can easily craft your own at home? There are countless fall art projects on the internet, many of which can be done with the help of your friends and family. Instead of shopping for fall wraths and center pieces, spend some time at home with loved ones making new decorations.

4. Take means to downsize the garbage your household generates this holiday. It’s as easy as choosing washable plates rather than paper ones, tuber-ware rather than plastic wrap, or cloth napkins rather than paper napkins. Purchase fixings that contain the least amount of wrapping or plastic coating available (and remember to carry your own grocery bags to the store with you!). When the feasting is over, don’t just toss your scraps and leftover bits into the garbage, use them start a compost pile for your backyard.

5. There’s no need to stop with Thanksgiving, why not try to green Christmas, Hanukah, Easter, and all other holidays as well? In fact, why not use the tips offered here in your everyday life! Living a green existence is painless with the right perspective and attitude.

Keep crafting, and buy handmade this holiday season!

-Sara

www.artfire.com

Paper Beads Tutorial

artfiredotcom — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:35:34 +0000

What You’ll Need:

* Toothpicks

*Glaze

* Acrylic paints

* Petroleum jelly

*Floral Foam

* Decorative paper

*Wire or necklace string

*Damp rag

*Crafting Glue

1) Begin by cutting the decorative paper into triangular strips no more than two inches wide and 11 inches long. Each strip will become a bead, so cut as many as you want. Carefully nip off the pointy end of each piece.

2) This is the part when things start to get messy (or as I like to think of it, when the fun begins!) Using your hands and fingers, generously coat each piece of paper in crafting glue. Lay them out on a cleared surface lightly. Then use the wet rag to wipe your hands quickly clean.

3) Get out a toothpick and dip one end in the petroleum jelly. This will keep the glue from sticking to the toothpick. Beginning at the wide end of your triangular strip, tightly twist the strip around the toothpick. When finished, stick the unused tip of the toothpick in your floral foam so it can dry. Repeat for all remaining beads.

4) After all of your beads have dried, it’s time to add the finishing touches. Get out your paints and paintbrushes. Paint some fun designs to make each bead unique and special. Coat each bead with glaze so it’s shinny and professional.

5) Once the glaze and paints are dry, add your new handmade beads to a necklace or bracelet for a fun accessory!

Thanks for reading, and remember to always buy handmade!

-Sara

www.artfire.com

Artfire’s $7/Month Stimulus Package

artfiredotcom — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:42:43 +0000

We’re launching an “Artisan Stimulus Package” and we want all business-minded crafters to be a part of it. Times are tough, and here at Artfire.com we’re looking for any chance we have to help the handmade artists of the world. That is why the next 5,000 users to sign up or upgrade to a Verified Artisan seller’s account on Artfire will be given a special discount: only a $7 monthly fee for the rest of their life.

Artfire is an online craft marketplace, full of eager art business owners looking to profit from their handmade goods. We have two membership levels, basic and verified. Basic members can list up to ten items at any time for completely free. There are no fees at this membership level, no sign up fees, no listing fees, no final evaluation fee, no fees at all!

But some artists want a whole lot more than 10 listings at a time. They want more interactive features, and full functionality of their artisan studio. For these members, we have the Verified Artisan membership level. Normally, Verified Artisans on Artfire would pay $20 a month to access all the cool features, including shop customization, studio statistics, blogs, forums, guilds, unlimited listing space, and so much more. But we’re offering it to you now for only $7 a month. That’s less than $0.23 a day, and you have full access to all functions of Artfire.com.

There’s really no catch here. This deal lasts as long as you want. Artisans can cancel their account with us anytime. There are no upfront fees or hidden fees, just $7 a month for the rest of your stay here on Artfire. You get access to all of the same features Verified Artisans normally enjoy. But once those 5,000 members have signed up, the deal is over, and I can’t guarantee we’ll ever have a special like this again. So hurry and take advantage of this offer while there’s still time!

Please click here to learn more about the Artisan Stimulus Package.

Remember to buy handmade this holiday season!

-Sara

Ten Ways to Change the World Right Now from your Computer

artfiredotcom — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:38:11 +0000

Let’s be honest with ourselves, we all want to make a difference, but have no clue how to start. I mean it is not like we’re all billionaires, with immense amounts of money and time to spare changing the world. Most of us are just trying to get by, and when it comes to helping others, yeah, maybe we’ll get to that after the house is clean and the bills are paid and the kids are put to sleep. And really, one person can’t make that much of an impact right?

WRONG. The most vital aspect to remember about making a difference is that lots of individuals making small efforts independently really can change the world. And you don’t need much time or money to make an impact. All it takes is a small gesture of consideration.

And now, Artfire is going to help you make that impact. With our new Top 10 Ways to Change the World Right Now at Your Computer article posted in Art Daily, you’ll find a list of ways to make an impact. And the bets par is that everything on this list can be done without ever leaving your computer chair. So go take the first step to changing the world and making a difference!

Check here to read the Top Ten Ways to Change the World Right Now at You Computer.

Thanks for reading, and always buy handmade to support local artisans!

-Sara

www.artfire.com

Some Fun Halloween Crafts For your Viewing Pleasure

artfiredotcom — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:29:26 +0000

Orchid by Sfbeads $35

Check out this darling handmade decoration, prefect for fall home decorating. Orchid stands about 8 inches high, and is sure to put a smile on the face of everyone this Halloween!

Click here to view the item for sale on Artfire.com.

Fall Pumpkin Pincushion by Verybigjen $20

This handmade pincushion is custom made when you order it to be completely one-of-a-kind! Great for Halloween, fall, or just anytime you’re doing needlecrafts.

Click here to view the item for sale on Artfire.com.

Halloween Lampwork Glass Beads – Pumpkins 4 Candy Corn by beadsnsuch $20

This bracelet looks good enough to eat! It’s 100% handmade of Moretti, Lausha and Czech glass. A great treat for any child or adult!

Click here the view the item for sale on Artfire.com.

Autumn Handmade Fall greeting Card by Kards $2.5

This blank greeting card was specially made to encompass the feeling of fall. Send it to someone to wish them a Happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, or just to let them know you’re thinking of them.

Click here to view the item for sale on Artfire.com.

Looking for more festive goodies? Check out our seasonal crafts section.

Thanks for reading, and have a Happy Halloween everyone!

-Sara

www.artfire.com

Three Tips to Running a Green Business

artfiredotcom — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:36:03 +0000

Managing a green crafts business can be good for both the planet and for your wallet. Listed below are 3 easy moves that will help turn your artisan business into an eco-friendly one without forcing you to change your working style.

-Shut off your electric equipment when you’re not using it. Countless fax machines, copiers, and personal computers remain powered on overnight around the world. Turning off your electrics when you’re finished working can help cut your energy use by 50%.

-Recycle your paper. Most businesses throw out old printer paper by the masses on a daily basis—don’t make the same mistake! While some papers hold sensitive material, most of the waste generated is just ordinary paper. Try tossing old documents into the recycling can rather than the trash can whenever you can. If recycling isn’t possible for your home business, try double siding documents to save what paper you can.

-Buy paper made from recycled materials. It is just as good as ordinary copy paper, and it is more environmentally friendly. Sure, it may look a little different, but since most documents you print will be used for business filing, who cares what color that paper is?

I hope these tips have helped you to run your artisan business the green way! For more information on going green, be sure to check out Art Daily’s Green Wise section for updates on green living.

Happy crafting, and remember to buy handmade!

-Sara