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25 Ways to recharge creativity & de-stress
Business Tips

25 Ways to recharge creativity & de-stress

ByNicole Stevenson December 1, 2020December 26, 2020

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…

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How to throw a backyard karaoke party
DIY Projects

How to throw a backyard karaoke party

ByNicole Stevenson September 10, 2014July 4, 2017

My favorite karaoke bar in my town closed down last year. Although I love karaoke, I’m not a diehard karaoke junkie but a few times a year I get this itch that can only be scratched by a night spent…

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Goat Cheese, Sriracha + Artichoke Dip Recipe
Recipes

Goat Cheese, Sriracha + Artichoke Dip Recipe

ByNicole Stevenson September 3, 2014September 2, 2014

The first time I ate artichoke dip was at my aunts house (not Delilah but one of my other aunts). The backyard was bustling. Kids hitting baseballs in the batting cage off in the distant way back of the yard….

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How to Make an Instagram Photo Pillow
DIY Projects

How to Make an Instagram Photo Pillow

ByNicole Stevenson August 22, 2014August 22, 2014

I’ve carried a camera with me just about everywhere for most of my life. At first was one of those long 1990s 110 cameras that sort of looked like hand held tape recorders. Then my dad gave me his 35mm…

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25 Ways to recharge creativity + motivation + combat feeling overwhelmed
Business Tips

25 Ways to recharge creativity + motivation + combat feeling overwhelmed

ByNicole Stevenson August 1, 2014August 1, 2014

“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,…

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How to Make a Keychain Ear Bud Pouch
DIY Projects

How to Make a Keychain Ear Bud Pouch

ByNicole Stevenson July 30, 2014July 30, 2014

One of my kitchen cupboards does not stay closed. I spent a year closing the cabinet, leaving the kitchen and sitting down in the dining room only to hear it squeak open before I finally did something about it and…

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Three Tips to Get Creatives Inspired This Summer
Business Tips

Three Tips to Get Creatives Inspired This Summer

ByEleanor Whitney July 11, 2014July 26, 2014

As a North Easterner I’m attuned to the changing seasons. I think of winter as the time for hunkering down and honing a skill and summer as a stretch of languid days full of drinking lemonade and going to the…

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how to make to a painted geometric wood necklace
DIY Projects

how to make to a painted geometric wood necklace

ByNicole Stevenson July 9, 2014July 26, 2014

A few days ago someone asked me, “what’s the thing you do that when you do it you loose track of time and your mind feels relaxed but focused?” I know this question pretty well since I’ve read my fair…

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how to make image transfer gift tags + sizzix giveaway
DIY Projects

how to make image transfer gift tags + sizzix giveaway

ByLisa Rios June 25, 2014July 13, 2014

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…

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are you ready to hire a rep for your creative handmade business
Business Tips

are you ready to hire a rep for your creative handmade business

ByNicole Stevenson June 13, 2014July 13, 2014

“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…

Read More are you ready to hire a rep for your creative handmade businessContinue

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I almost didn’t post this because… yikes. My I almost didn’t post this because… yikes. 

My old newsletters? Embarrassing. Fonts all over the place, no real flow, just me throwing words at the wall.

But here’s the thing: if I had waited until they were perfect, I never would’ve sent a single one. And those “imperfect” emails? They still got me sales, built relationships, and kept my business alive.

✨ Done is better than perfect.

If you’ve been putting off email because you don’t know where to start (or you’re secretly cringing at your own “before” version), I’ve got you. My workshop Emails Over Algorithms will help you build lists that feel good, write newsletters people actually want to open, and finally stop stressing over perfection.

📅 Wed, Sept 10 at 10am PT

 📍 Online, live with me

Want in? Comment EmailLove and I’ll send you the RSVP link.

With support from @constantcontact #partner #sponsored

#emailmarketingtips #emailmarketing #smallbusinessowner #smallbusinesssupport #creative #creativeentrepreneur
🚨 This is why your business advice keeps failin 🚨 This is why your business advice keeps failing you…

When you try to follow biz tips that weren’t made for your brain, you:
❌ Burn out
❌ Procrastinate
❌ Start thinking you’re the problem

You’re not. The problem is one-size-fits-all advice that ignores how you actually work, think, and create.

That’s why I built The Club — a space where creative business owners (especially the multi-passionate, neurodivergent, and “I don’t fit the mold” types) get support, accountability, and tools that actually work for them.

📅 Doors to The Club are ONLY open September 10–15. Let’s grow your business in a way that works for your brain.

The Club is my online membership that helps creative business owners grow with skills, support, and accountability—without burning out, through:
50+ on-demand workshops & mentorship replays
4 live monthly Zoom sessions (business class, mentorship, crafty hour, co-working)
Goal-planning tools & accountability
A supportive creative community that gets you

💬 Comment CLUB to take a tour and MENTOR to join the waiting list. 

#Mentor #creativeentrepreneur #makercommunity #crafterofinstagram
How many clues did it take you to guess that it is How many clues did it take you to guess that it is @crystalcovestatepark? 

Here’s the thing: as a creative, a parent, and a business owner, I’m constantly juggling All. The. Things. Which means free time—or time just for fun—usually ends up last on my list. Relatable? 

This summer, I made a conscious effort to flip that script. To say yes to fun, even when my to-do list wasn’t “done.” To remember that rest, play, and being outside aren’t just nice extras—they’re fuel for my creativity and my sanity.

It’s a lesson I have to relearn every year: your business and your art will be better when you give yourself the time and space to live your life.

That’s part of what we create at Craftcation—a week where you can step away from your everyday life, breathe, connect, and create with zero guilt and a whole lot of joy.

📅 Craftcation 2026 is April 8–12 in Ventura, CA.
🎟️ Want the details? Comment...
“CRAFTY” for info OR “TICKET” for a link to register (and take advantage of our payment plan).
✨ Two weeks in The Club for $1. ✨
 Yep, that’s the deal if you hop in during the first 48 hours when doors open Sept 10–15. Cancel anytime.

The Club is my monthly membership for creative business owners (especially my fellow neurospicy folks) who want tools, community, and support without the hustle-culture stress. 

Inside you’ll get:
Monthly expert-led biz class
Group mentorship coaching
Co-working sessions
Crafty Hour hangouts
50+ biz classes + 50+ mentorship replays waiting in the library
24/7 community to lean on for advice, feedback + pep talks

🚨 Doors close Sept 15 and won’t reopen until 2026.

Comment MENTOR for the waitlist link or CLUB for a tour. 💛

#creative #crafter #craftbusiness #creativebusiness #mentor
You ever feel like if people knew the whole you, t You ever feel like if people knew the whole you, they might think less of you?
Yeah. Me too.

But here’s the thing—I’m sharing anyway. Because my discomfort isn’t as important as the possibility that you’ll read this and feel a little less alone.

👉 I was so afraid of flying that I said no to a free trip to Hawaii. The fear didn’t magically disappear—but I stopped letting it make my decisions for me.

👉 I avoided OCD meds for years, thinking I should just “tough it out.” When I finally started them, it didn’t make me weak—it gave me the space to live fully again.

👉 I’ve cried in my car after a craft show where I sold literally nothing. I kept going. Some shows were still a bust, but others were my best ever.

👉 I weigh more than I ever have, even when I was pregnant. My worth is not my weight—but I still have to remind myself of that.

👉 I’ve been untrue to myself just so people would like me. I’m getting better at catching it and choosing what’s right for me, even if it means disappointing someone else.

👉 I love to sing, but I suck at it. And I still sing anyway—because the joy of making art, even if it’s an out-of-tune song, is in the process, not the product.

Here’s the truth: Being a creative isn’t all wins, inspiration, and perfect Instagram squares. It’s messy, uncomfortable, and full of lessons you only learn the hard way.

If you’re a creative who’s tired of feeling like you have to do it all perfectly—or alone—Craftcation is your place.

#craftersofinstagram #smallbusinessowner #craftcation #makersgonnamake #smallbusiness #creative #creativeentrepreneur
I’ve started making the rounds to the shops you I’ve started making the rounds to the shops you all suggested in Part 1, and my latest stop was @lafinchfabrics_new—right in the same space as @sewinglablosalamitos.

Feel free to keep the recommendations coming in the comments!

Losing @joann_stores was a blow for a lot of us… but it’s also pushed me to hunt down some amazing alternatives—many of them independent, family-owned, and brimming with creative magic. 

My list is growing fast, but I’m always up for an adventure. What hidden gem should I put on my map next? Tag your favorite fabric store so I can add it to my route!

#fabricshopping #fabric #fabricstore #craftsupplies #smallbusinesssupport #makersofinstagram #craftersofinstagram

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