25 Ways to recharge creativity & de-stress
You know that feeling when your TO-DO list seems better suited to being written on an extra long roll of paper towels than on a Post-it? It seems like for every thing you cross off, a new thing (or two…
25 Ways to recharge creativity + motivation + combat feeling overwhelmed
“How do you do all of that stuff?” This is a question I get asked often by people who know me, as well as by people I meet who find out I’m juggling two businesses, a blog, writing a book,…
how to make image transfer gift tags + sizzix giveaway
Just so you know: Dear Handmade Life received products from Sizzix that we mentioned in this post. However, we only write about and recommend products that we use personally and believe are awesome! You know how there are certain…
are you ready to hire a rep for your creative handmade business
“Where’s the rest of your line?” The woman asked as she pulled my shirts out of a Trader Joe’s paper sack. “My line?” I had no idea what a line was and at that point I didn’t know enough to…
patchwork show long beach spring 2014
Pets were completely out of the question when I was in junior high. While I saw pets as benevolent creatures, perfect for couch cuddling while watching my favorite TV show, Three’s Company, as well as an opportunity to show off…
how to make an embroidered wood circle necklace
Wood is one of my all-time favorite materials to use in my diy craft projects. My love affair with wood started with the little side table my dad made in wood shop when he was in high school. This obsession…
tips for vendors to evaluate craft fairs
Editor’s note: We are overjoyed to have guest contributor and craft show veteran Stacy Wong share her tips for vendors to evaluate craft fairs on Dear Handmade Life. Want more craft show tips? Check out our posts on: How to Submit…
craftcation conference 2014
It’s been about 10 days since Craftcation 2014 and I am still waking up several times during the night. A week before the conference, that was explainable; there was a list a mile long of things to do, people to…
How to survive (and thrive at) conferences
Expert speakers. Valuable workshops. Sparkling parties with industry influencers. Meeting your social network in real life. These are just a few advantages of going to conferences. As fun as they are, they can also be overwhelming. I just returned from…
13 Business tools that help keep me from going berserk
You all know Delilah and I are busy gals. We each run our own businesses as well as three businesses together – Craftcation Conference, Patchwork Show and Dear Handmade Life. This past year we’ve gotten a lot more efficient by…
