I’m a Michigan girl and I love to promote cool stuff happening in my state. This weekend, Ferndale is hosting The DIY Street Fair.

As they say on their website, ” The DIY Street Fair is a free 2-day, 3-night event in Ferndale, Michigan where local artists, crafters, businesses, groups and organizations, musicians, restaurants, brewers and others who live and work with a do-it-yourself  ethic converge for one big celebration. The event showcases the immense creative energy, independent spirit and innovative talent that can be found throughout the area.”

You can check out the music on the main stage (featuring one of my personal favorites, Lucero, as well as some of Michigan’s best, including The Hard Lessons.) The music is free, but don’t forget the self-produced and/or self-released CDs and merch from the acts will also be for sale (so buy some!).

You can get some early holiday shopping done – or buy things for yourself in The Marketplace, which features 80+ local artists, crafters, & entrepreneurs. There is a Beer Garden featuring Michigan crafted beers, as well as Restaurant Row, where local chefs will be cooking all day long. If you have children, you’ll enjoy the family-friendly Kid Zone, featuring musicians and street performers, as well as hands-on projects kids can enjoy.

For more information, vendor list, musical line-up and show times, etc visit them on the web at: http://diystreetfair.com.

Carey Gustafson, who we featured in yesterday’s crafter profile, helped organize the event.  She will be holding down the Handmade Detroit booths with Lish Dorset. Next to them will be the Reware Vintage booth, featuring Beth Nixon, one of our crafty profiles from a couple weeks ago.  I’ll be helping out at the Reware Vintage booth all day Saturday – so if you are in the area, come out and meet all of us!

10 Crafty Questions With Carey Gustafson

1. What kind of art or crafts do you make? Most of the crafts and projects I work on for “Glass Action” are more fun than traditional: Night lights, jewelry and tie clips, boxes and picture frames, and custom orders.

2. When did you get started – and when did you realize this could be a business? I got started working in stained glass right out of high school and was a designer and fabricator for many years. It’s a very, very small market in metro-Detroit and suddenly I found my self an unemployed in 2004. Being a homeowner, I knew it was time to convert that basement room and do my own thing!

3. Where do you get inspiration for your projects? Originally it was out of boredom and from what I’d been working on all those previous years- Birds Of Paradise, Grape clusters, tulips and the like. I wanted to make art for people that have outgrown hanging posters in their bedrooms, but will always love pop culture.

4. What do you like best about selling through more traditional venues (craft fairs)? Walking up to a display and seeing that piece of art that grabs you or makes you smile, and the immediate thought of who it would make the perfect gift for. It’s a feeling I love to have and love seeing when a customer approaches my table.

5. Now, what do you like best about selling online? Ugh, it’s a mystery to me! Truthfully, I’ve had way more success through my Myspace page than on esty or ebay. In the latter two I’m a needle in a haystack, and haven’t quite learned how to “work it” correctly! People will write me for quotes and send me ideas through Myspace. Sadly, it’s slowed down a bit, but it’s still the best for directing people to a photo gallery of work (when you don’t have a website up yet).

6. How do you price your work? I base it more on what I think people can afford vs. what it’s worth in labor. I try to make a lot of one design at the same time which cuts the time down. When I make Michigan necklaces for example, I try to cut a million out, then grind them into shape, etc. Making a few at a time slows me down!

7. What has been your biggest struggle with your business? How did you overcome it? I’ve had to train myself to keep track of hours, form a budget, and figure out what I spend on supplies. I want to run Glass Action like a lemon aid stand, but my CPA advised me otherwise!

8. What has been the most rewarding part of your business? Having repeat business, great word of mouth and people really seem to like what I make. Not just the “quality,” but my ideas and designs. That means so much and keeps me inspired!

9. What is something you wish you knew when you were first starting your business? I would have been serious sooner – I wasn’t consistently making and designing as much as I am now. I think I would have a broader range of projects. But there isn’t much i’d change. It’s been so fun year by year working in glass and doing shows!

10. Do you mind sharing a business goal that you hope to accomplish with your business? www.glassactionhq.com is the next big challenge. I have a very talented and patient friend that’s helping me.  And I’m getting into the “wedding” game! I’m designing custom jewelry for brides and bridesmaids, and reception gifts. That’s a direction I’d love to explore more!

Here are some ultra-cute business accessories to help you get into “work mode!”

File Folders – Definitely not your run-of-the-mill boring, manila folders. These folders from Staples’ M Line are bright and cheery! They make you want to actually file something away.

Business Card Holder – I found this super cute business card holder on Etsy (from Cassylaintotes) I love the orange fabric and retro print!

Altered Clipboards – If you’re looking for something to write on, try these clipboards. I love this lime green leafy one and this coutoure one, which looks like it could have been holding some dressmaker’s sketches!

Skull & Crossbone Push Pins – I like bulletin boards – and these pins from Mostly Magnets [on Etsy] make hanging stuff on them even more fun!

Getting traffic to your site doesn’t have to be super complicated. One easy – and free – idea to try is Article Marketing. There are many article reprint directories on the web (just Google that term and you’ll see there are tons!). Website owners and bloggers visit these sites daily to grab pre-written articles for their sites and blogs.

When you submit an article to these sites, you are giving permission for others to post it on their site, for free. As a “thank you,” these site owners will include your author bio and your link. You’d be surprised by how much traffic can come to your site from these articles!

Let’s say that you submit 10 articles and they each get published three times, and that 25 people view each page they’re published on.  That comes out to 750 new people reading your article and possibly clicking on the link to your website. Now, let’s say each of your articles are published 10 times and that 100 people see each page it’s published on…. Well, that’s 10,000 views and possible clicks.

To be effective, keep your articles related to subjects that match your website. Since the person reading the article is already interested in the article’s subject, they’ll be more likely to visit your website if your website’s topic is on key with the article topic.

For example, if you make handmade soap, you could write an article on why organic ingredients are better for your skin or an article on the toxins found in grocery store brand soaps. At the end of the article, your bio will be displayed and the person reading it will see that you make natural soaps and will be so intrigued by your article, they will want to click that link!

Some of my favorites reprint directories include Ezine Articles and Lady Pens.

It is September – and that means the winter holidays are just around the corner. If you haven’t started thinking about your holiday marketing yet, you CANNOT put it off any longer. Now is the time to get crackin’. Here are some tips to help you get a plan in action:

• Craft Shows - We are heading into a very busy season for craft shows. It’s best to start this process early. Some shows ask potential vendors to apply and there is a selection process that follows. If you area shows do not have a selection process, I still recommend calling and getting all relevant info in advance. You don’t want to wait until the last minute and find out that all the tables are gone! To find upcoming shows, look in your local paper, on community bulletin boards and http://www.indiecraftshows.com/
• Shopping Parties – Take a cue from direct sales and hold your own shopping party! Invite your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc. Have your products set out on the table (hint – create a nice display!), have a few appetizers if you want to, and let everyone mingle, shop, and have fun! If you choose, you can ask them to hold a party for you, where they invite their friends, and you give the hostess a certain amount of your product for free…
• Shopping Sites - There are lots of great shopping sites and blogs out there, and getting listed on them can offer you great exposure! Contact the site owner / blogger and ask send them a letter, explaining why you think their audience would be interested in your product. If you have a press release, go ahead and send that, as well as the link to your electronic press kit (if you have one). Some of these people may ask for a sample. Know upfront that you may not get that sample back, so do not send anything you cannot afford to lose!
• Get Social – Get active on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.  Build relationships and establish trust. These people may become your customers – or they may refer you to some!
• Partner Up – Partner up with other business owners and help promote each other! There are many ways to do this, and you are only limited by your creativity. You could mention each other on your blogs, write a review of their product or service and have them review one of your products or services, enclose each other’s business card or other promotional items in your orders, etc.

You can find more holiday tips in Part 2 of this post, which is found on my personal website, by clicking here!

** Don’t forget about getting listed in the Indie Biz Chicks Holiday Gift Guide! Your ad will include a 125×125 graphic and a 50 word description, all for only $35. The guide is filled with articles, recipes, and more! It will be distributed to over 12,000 people through email, and also distributed virally via Facebook and Twitter. Click Here to purchase your listing now.

This edition of Friday Finds is all about Totally Free Tuesday! It happens this Tuesday, September 8. Consider it the ‘work at home orientation day.’

White it is geared to moms,  anyone who attends will definitely learn a thing or two. There are free webinars all day long,  free gifts through email and special giveaways.

Click Here to register! Remember – it’s all FREE.