knits by emma hits the streets!

I’m proud to announce that knits by emma will make its first public appearance at the Smart Street Parties series happening down in Mandurah’s Smart Street Mall.

The series includes four events spread out over the next four months, and I will be showcasing at the January and February Suitcase Markets next year. I will fill a suitcase of beautiful knits to sell and display. 1 suitcase=1 stall. It will literally be a trunk show!

Check out their blog for more information. The Twilight Markets will take place on Fridays from 5-9pm on November 8th, December 6th, January 17th and Valentine’s Day.

I’ll post more info as it gets closer to the date. If you’re a Perth-based crafter looking to participate, I encourage you to apply quick as places are limited!

The Handmade Marketplace: A review

As promised in the last post, I would like to write a quick review of this crafter’s companion: The Handmade Marketplace. This wonderful guide to the world of craft entrepreneurship was gifted to me by a good friend who knew I was toying with the idea of selling my knitted goods on Etsy.

I have been reading it off and on for several weeks now, with life and other reads in between. I considered the information in this book to be invaluable, even from the first page. When reading it, I made sure to devote my full attention to it. I am quite a speedy reader, and sometimes that can be a curse. With this book I took my time and treated every chapter like an important lesson — even the ones that currently didn’t apply to me.

In the last post I mentioned that the author, Kari Chapin, had gotten me into podcasts. But this book has done so much more for me already. I have a clearer idea of both my short and long term goals in my crafting journey. I know that sounds corny, but before this book I was going in blind without any crafter friends to pave the way and lend a hand. With Kari’s network of friends in the crafting world, I’ve read firsthand accounts, priceless advice and the steps to making my business a success at every stage.

For anyone considering the leap of turning a hobby into a business, I highly recommend The Handmade Marketplace. It applies to crafters of all creeds, whether it’s jewelry-making, crochet, painting, pottery — any artist looking to sell his/her wares will benefit from reading this fantastic book.