CIT Summer 2013

T H E C R A F T & H O B B Y A S S O C I AT I O N M AG A Z I N E

SUMMER 2013

The Issue

Take your business into the future

Optimize your website with KEYWORDS, LABELS and TAGS

Social Media tips for RETAILERS

New devices that change the game

contents

Summer 2013

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Social Media for Retailers Theresa Cifali suggests simple strategies for reaching consumers through five social media platforms

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Do Not Be Afraid! You CAN Advertise on the Web

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Mobile is the Future of Your Business

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Joe Rotella takes you step by step through advertising effectively on the Internet

Tony Ford outlines what you need to adapt to a new, mobile-device driven landscape

In Every Issue 5 The Buzz I SEO and So Can You

by Jennifer Priest

6 Industry News

Visit These Advertisers at the Create-N-Connect Conference & Trade Show, July 22 through 25, Las Vegas

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8 Chit Chat The Legal Implications of Technology/Copied Artwork

by Tammy Browning-Smith

11 Trend Report Today’s Game Changers

by Mike Hartnett

20 Do-It-Yourself Fabric Cone Bracelet

by Kerry Goulder

24 New Products 28 Index of Advertisers

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29 Creativity is Our Business Designer Directory

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Craft

Summer 2013, Volume 2, No. 3

Industry THE CRAFT & HOBBY ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE

Editorial Keri Cunningham kcunningham@craftandhobby.org Jason Baum jbaum@craftandhobby.org Catherine Martell cmartell@craftandhobby.org Omosede (Mo) Ayinde mayinde@craftandhobby.org

Advertising Tim Braden tbraden@fwpi.com Darlene Roberts darlene@fwpi.com Craft Industry Today is published quarterly for members of the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA). CHA is an international not-for-profit trade association consisting of thousands of member companies engaged in the design, manufacture, distribution, and retail sales of craft products worldwide. For more about CHA, the value of membership, or its awardwinning Conferences & Trade Shows, please visit craftandhobby.org.

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Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

2013 Closing Dates August 16 Fall/Holiday Issue The Craft & Hobby Association 319 East 54th St. Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 201-835-1200 Fax: 201-797-0657 craftandhobby.org CRE8TIME.org

Publisher Fahy-Williams Publishing PO Box 1080, 171 Reed St. Geneva, NY 14456 800-344-0559 Fax: 315-789-4263 fwpi.com Craft Industry Today is distributed to CHA members on a complimentary basis. Subscription fee for non-CHA members is $25 a year.

We want your feed b ack!

We welcom e you to su bmit letters comments and on any top ic covered in Industry To Craft day! Please include you name, com r full pany name, phone num and address ber .

E-mail us at CIT@craftan dhobby.org; or write to: Craft Indust ry Today, 3 19 E. 54th Elmwood Pa St., rk, NJ 0740 7; or fax to 20 1-835-1268 . (We reserv right to edit e the letters for p ublication.)

Additional copies are available upon request pending availability. To order, contact CHA at 201-835-1207.

Copyright Š 2013 The Craft & Hobby Association. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

The Buzz I SEO and So Can You Tips and tricks for improving your website’s search engine ranking

by Jennifer Priest

Y

You may have heard the term “SEO” a.k.a. Search Engine Optimization. SEO is techspeak for trying to get more traffic to your website from search engines by using keywords on your website. The theory is that if your website is about knitting, you will be using the keyword “knitting” often enough that search engines, such as Google and Bing, will recognize this pattern and generate a link to your website any time someone searches “knitting” on their search engine.

If only it were that simple – as we know, when you type “knitting” into a search engine, millions of links are generated and yours might not even be listed among them.

How do you get your site to come up when someone searches for a craft that you do or a product that you sell? This brings us back to SEO. Here are a few tricks that can help drive more traffic to your website by helping your website rank higher in search engine results.

keywords by using Google AdWords’ Keyword Tool 1. Identify

https://adwords.google.com/o/KeywordTool This free online tool can be used to generate a list of keywords to use on your website. For example, you might be working on a blog post for a purse-sewing pattern you created. Type “purse sewing pattern” into the Keyword Tool to generate phrases similar to your phrase that people are searching for, the competition for that term and how many times it has been searched. You might discover that “handbag tutorial” will get more results than using the term “purse pattern.”

the keywords into your text or blog posts.

2. Work

It’s recommended to use keywords at least three times in a post, but it can be difficult to do so without your post sounding odd as you repeat “pink painted dresser” three times. Use the keywords in your text one or two times and make up the difference with your photo names and labels (see point 4).

your photos with keywords.

3. Name

The name of the photo(s) in your post is valuable SEO real estate. Each time a keyword is part of your photo’s name, the search engines recognize that as a mention of the keyword in your post. Use underscores or dashes between words in a photo name rather than a space because spaces are translated to “%20,” the online encod-

ing for the “spacebar” key, which becomes unnecessary noise to search engines indexing your site. For example, use “knit_cowl_pattern.jpg” instead of “img_9568.jpg” or “knit cowl pattern.jpg.”

labels, tags, and categories in your blog posts.

4. Use

Most blog platforms have built-in areas where you can “tag” or “label” your post.

This is extra space to add your keywords, counting as the third recommended keyword mention on your post or webpage.

Google Analytics on your website to track your progress.

5. Install

Google Analytics can help you see the traffic sources for your website or blog, as well as the keywords that led people to your site from search engines. This will help you hone your keyword selection skills and see actual numbers showing the result of your efforts. Visit http://google.com/ analytics to get started.

Now that you’re aware of some simple ways to improve your website’s SEO, commit to making these tricks and techniques a habit. As you create more content for your blog and website by using these techniques, you will be building a history to help the search engines better categorize your site and drive traffic to you. It won’t happen overnight, but with time you will see marked results and changes in the amount and quality of traffic visiting your website or blog.

Jennifer Priest is a social media and Internet marketing expert in the craft industry, working as a freelance consultant and via her own online brand, Hydrangea Hippo, since 2008. Visit Jennifer’s website at hydrangeahippo.com.

Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

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Industry News CHA Members Get Involved in Kept Creations Kim Parkinson, owner of Kept Creations retail store in Whitman, Massachusetts, heard about the CRE8TIME Movement and the call for support from CHA members. The message resonated with her on a personal level, and prompted her to offer a free CRE8TIME Mail Art Social event in her store on May 4. Mail art, also known as postal art, is visual art sent by snail mail. It’s any art that you mail to friends, relatives or even to others who just want to receive art.

Kim’s goal with the Mail Art Social was to build awareness for mail art, and to celebrate creativity with CRE8TIME. Mixed-media artist Mandy Fariello hosted the event. She posted CRE8TIME signage around the store, along with large pieces of paper upon which participants contributed art. After the social, they each received a piece of the collaborative art in the mail – a great reminder to CRE8TIME every day!

Kept Creations plans to host regular CRE8TIME events.

For more information visit keptcreations.com.

emailcontact.com CHA supplier member Jason Holladay, owner of Emailcontact.com, supports CRE8TIME in a way that makes sense for his business model.

Emailcontact.com is an online e-mail marketing service serving hundreds of businesses in the craft industry. Its website displays the CRE8TIME logo, which links directly to CRE8TIME.org.

CHA and Erica Domesek Partner for the New Product Preview Program CHA has announced a partnership with Erica Domesek founder of the iconic DIY brand PS – I made this … to promote the Association’s New Product Preview Program. The program will serve as a premiere stage for craft manufacturers to showcase cutting-edge products prior to their official debut. These products will be unveiled at CHA’s Create-n-Connect Conference & Trade Show in Las Vegas this July. The program is designed to foster excitement and engagement among CHA members, manufacturers, buyers and media.

Craft Supplies Business Goes Dutch

Crafter’s Companion will open its first operation on mainland Europe. The company recruited two new sales executives to be responsible for growing the company’s presence in Holland, Belgium and Luxemburg. To support the growing retail customer base in Europe, the organization has devised a new Euro-based pricing structure and developed a new trade website that is available in 16 different languages. For further information, visit www.crafterscompaniontrade.co.uk.

Dabblers hobbies+café Dabblers hobbies+café in Concord, Massachusetts, is a unique hobby shop offering dozens of hobbies and plenty of space to learn. Using the customizable graphics available in the CRE8TIME Member Tool Kit, the owners made CRE8TIME posters with a QR code leading to CRE8TIME.org. The CRE8TIME posters adorn the walls and point-of-sale flyers are displayed prominently at each of their cash registers.

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Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

Visit New TapeCrafters.com Marisa Pawelko, author of Crazy Cool Duct Tape Projects has collaborated with a group of experienced online retail professionals to bring you the new website www.tapecrafters.com.

TapeCrafters is the go-to place for all of your duct tape crafting needs.

For the past 10 years, designer Carol Foldvary-Anderson has been working on the design and fabrication of a “Wall of Honor” at the Jack C. Davis Observatory on the campus of Western Nevada College in Carson City, Nevada. The wall, now complete, was created to recognize the many donors who helped fund the observatory. For more information on Carol Foldvary-Anderson visit www.makeartyourbusiness.com. To find out more about the Jack C. Davis Observatory, visit www.wnc.edu/observatory/.

Big News for “Make Your Mark”!

News

E-mail CIT @cr Craft Indu aftandhobby.org or stry Today, w 319 E. 54th rite to: NJ 07407; St., Elmwo or fax to 2 od Park, 01-835-12 your full n 68 ame, com pany nam . Please include address. T e, phon he e articles an ditors reserve the ri e number and ght to edit d letters fo r publicati news on.

Author and TV Host Mark Montano will take his popular craft-how-to Web series “Make Your Mark” to PBS this fall. The new show will premier in a half-hour format, and feature guests and all new, fast-paced and fun DIY projects. For more information visit www.markmontano.com.

Artwork by Tim Holtz

CHA Designer Completes Wall of Honor

Send us your

Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

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Chit Chat The Legal Implications of

Technology/Copied Artwork If I receive an e-mail or social media post with a Work, am I free to forward that e-mail or post?

by Tammy Browning-Smith

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The Digital Age brings great advantages and disadvantages to those who create.

The term “Work” now takes on a broad definition to include a work of art, idea, project, writing, movie, slogan or logo.

Here are a few common questions regarding the use of a Work in the digital age, and some of the misconceptions that tend to plague the digital world.

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The receipt of an e-mail or social media post does not necessarily mean that the entity that sent or posted the Work gained permission to do so in the first place.

Hopefully by now, the myth that if a Work appears on the Internet it is free to be copied has been dispelled.

However, many times an individual or company finds a cute picture or other Work and forwards the Work on to his or her friends and family.

Unfortunately, the forwarding of the Work the majority of the time is copyright infringement. There may be instances that an individual or company forwards the Work with the hope of the Work being shared. It is imperative that when a user receives an e-mail or socialmedia post that the user secures the source of the Work. Please do not assume that any Work received is automatically “free” to be forwarded. The Golden Rule applies – “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Done Unto You.”

Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

How can I tell who owns the copyright to a Work I find on the Internet? If I don’t find the owner, and I perform a diligent search, can I use the Work?

There is a strong likelihood of infringement if you copy a Work, even if the owner cannot be found.

Digital media permits unending ways to manipulate source code, permit forwards without attaching the original source, actual Work manipulation, etc. It is very risky to assume that a Work is free for the taking when the owner of the Work cannot be found.

Is it okay to copy a Work as long as I give credit to the creator or original artist? Is the same true if I use an idea or project I find provided I give credit to the originator of the idea or project.

When a person or entity credits the original artist or creator without permission, the credit only gives the original artist or creator a greater opportunity to locate the infringement. When a person or entity uses a Work of art, idea, slogan or project found

on the Internet or any place else, the safest course of action is to seek permission in writing. While a formal writing is preferred, it may be acceptable to receive permission through electronic mail. The important keys to remember when using found Work is to treat another’s Work as you would treat your own, and understand that in the digital age, it is hard to hide the use of another’s Work.

If I copy a Work and do not charge for the finished project, am I okay?

Whether the copy of a Work is sold or used privately does not affect whether or not the act of copying is acceptable. Many Works include terms of use or an “angel policy” that governs the use of a Work. However, many times a Work does not have explicit terms for its use or copy. The private or commercial use of a Work does not necessarily mitigate infringement of a Work.

The “Fair Use” Doctrine under the Copyright Act of 1976 does permit certain uses of a Work, which are beyond the scope of this article. The important key to remember is that the general rule is copying of a Work is prohibited unless permission is granted whether it is for public sale or private use.

What should I do if I receive a letter or e-mail from a person or company claiming that I have copied his or her Work?

Take the communication very seriously. It is important to note that not all “cease and desist” letters are legitimate. Sometimes a person or entity believes that he or she owns an interest in a Work and that ownership is either false or the Work is not capable of being “owned” or protected. A quick response of taking down the Work may be all that is needed, but that action or any other could also lead to further problems.

A person or entity who finds itself in this situation would do best to contact legal representation.

Is there any way I can protect myself from getting copied?

Unfortunately, there is no sure way to protect yourself if you utilize digital media. The best way to protect a Work is to be diligent, utilize current tools (watermarks, code embedding, etc.), and take advantage of software and alerts that give you notice if a certain word or Work is being utilized. The other very important step to protect yourself and your Work is to appropriately register the Work with either

the U.S. Copyright Office or the United States Patent and Trademark Office (or the appropriate agencies in your country). The registration of the Work gives the owner tangible proof of ownership and gives an owner a great advantage when working with Internet hosting companies and the like in getting copies taken down or seeking damages.

Attorney Tammy Browning-Smith, CHA’s 2013 Legal Resource holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Graceland University, a Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a Master of Laws – Intellectual Property from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. For over 13 years, the Browning-Smith P.C. team has been working with its clients to help protect their valuable business assets through registration and when necessary, litigation. Their team works daily with clients large and small to address their copyright, trademark and licensing needs.

This article is presented for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Each reader must contact his or her own legal representation as each situation is different. The information presented is not warranted or guaranteed.

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Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

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Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

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Trend Report

by Mike Harnett

Today’s Game Changers Three recent inventions could change the face of manufacturing, retailing and the power of the designer and the consumer.

Color Picker Pen When a traditional artist/crafter sees a color she wants to duplicate, she blends paints to copy that color. What if a pen did it for her?

Korean designer Jinsu Park created such a pen, the Color Picker Pen. If, for example, a crafter wanted to use A pen works by laythe same color as a particular apple, she would ing ink on a page. point the pen at the apple and “scan” the apple.

What if in the future The color is detected by the “RGB Color it layered other eleThe Internet is filled with Sensor” inside the pen. Then the inks ments, such as hot reports on these inventions. are mixed together to create plastic, that instantJust Google “3D Printers”; the desired color. ly cooled when it “The 3Doodler”; and hit the page? Then a “Color Picker Pen.” Visit Makerbot crafter could literally lift her drawing off (www.makerbot.com) for more information the page. The future is now. To see a about 3-D printers. Other informational video of the 3Doodler in action, sites http://formlabs.com/, www.ponoko.com visit www.the3doodler.com. and www.cloudfab.com.

3Doodler

Find Out More

3-D Printers retailer Randy Hartnett of Dabblers hobbies + café in A traditional printer layers ink on a page. What if it Concord, Massachusetts, already uses one in his could layer other elements, such as plastic, ceramics store. He has a department for radio-control cars and more, over and over, until it had “printed” a and airplanes, and sometimes when a custhree-dimensional object? The future is now, and tomer needs a part, instead of ordering it from has enormous implications for the industry. a manufacturer or distributor, Randy makes it.

3-D printers came to the attention of CIT 3-D printers were cited by President Obama during a recent CHA keynote address by Nick in his State of the Union speech. He said: “A Bolton, the New York Times’ technology editor, once-shuttered warehouse is now a and again by Jill MacKay in her jewelry trends state-of-the-art lab where new seminar during the January CHA Conference workers are mastering the & Trade Show. Yes, 3D printers 3-D printing that has the are capable of making beads, potential to revolutionize wire and findings – and countthe way we make less other craft products. almost everything.” CIT In fact, one CHA member, Cube 3D Printer from 3DSystems www.3dsystems.com Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

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Social Media for Retailers Five Platforms and Strategies to Increase Consumer Engagement

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Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

by Theresa Cifali

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I often think that the Internet today must be perceived much like television was to my parents and grandparents years ago. I have heard the stories about when my parents got their first TV, and how there were people in the building who couldn’t understand its purpose.

They certainly weren’t going to spend their money on such a device. Today it is difficult to imagine life without it.

Television and the Internet share similar functions. Television is an avenue where you receive and deliver information. So is the Internet.

Television is a place where businesses can advertise and deliver their brand messages. So is the Internet. Television has channels. So does the Internet. One of those “channels” is social media.

Social media and how businesses utilize it is a hot-button topic. I imagine that back during the dawn of television advertising, there were a lot of similar views. Some businesses embraced the power of television for this purpose right away. Others held back because they were not so sure.

Social media, while similar to television advertising in its ability to reach the consumer, has a power that cannot be compared to tradition. That power is the ability to engage consumers. Sure you can blast your message all over your social platforms, but the real value comes in the listening, watching and connecting. It is a place to identify the needs of your consumer and then meet those needs. It is a place to ask questions. It is a place to build community and relationships. It is also a place to nurture and grow consumer loyalty.

Whether you are an Internet-based company or brick-and-mortar, the simple fact is this: social media is vital to your retail business. While most media platforms are free to use, there is a catch – it is time consuming. It is helpful to have a strategy in place when you set up an account on any social platform.

Simple strategies you can implement into five social media platforms Facebook Fan Pages • Use a third-party app to run contests.

• Announce special events at your store.

• Ask your fans questions about hot products they’ve seen, or the classes they would like to see at your store.

• Always lead with a photo. Great eye candy catches way more attention than those little thumbnails.

• Ask questions to build engagement.

Twitter • Share content that will be valuable to your consumers such as craft tutorials, photos of amazing craft projects, video of craft projects.

• Hold craft shares. Choose a hashtag (#) that is unique to your business. Then send out a request to share photos of inspiring craft projects and ask them to use the hashtag you created. Later, when you search that tag in Twitter, you’ll see all of the shares in one place.

Google+ • Share all of your blogposts in this platform. Google indexes the content that is shared here.

• Create circles that can help you target consumers. For example, have one circle for scrapbookers and another for fiber artists. When you send out announcements about new product, you can send those messages just to the individuals in those circles instead of to all of your followers.

• Create a circle for staff. Use this as a way to communicate more efficiently.

YouTube • If you have an Internet-based business, use a screencasting tool like ScreenFlow or Camtasia to take people on a virtual tour of your website.

• If you have a brick-and-mortar store, give a tour of your store while someone videotapes you.

• Videotape events you hold at your store.

• Get testimonials from your customers sharing what is so awesome about your store.

• Share these videos on your other social platforms and on your blog.

Pinterest • Create Pinboards that represent your store by section. For example, name a board “Stamps.” Take pictures and add them to your boards. You can go a step further and separate those out into stamping categories.

• Create a Pinboard for New Products. Update it weekly with new products coming into the store.

Write a keyword-rich description and include your website’s URL. • Create a Pinboard for special events and one for workshops.

Keep those photos up-to-date.

• Celebrate your customers by pinning artwork they have created onto a board just special for them.

• Run Pin It to Win It contests to create a buzz around new products or older ones that need a little TLC. Remember … stay engaged! It is not about you, it is about your customer. Take advantage of the tools that are available to you in order to build lasting relationships and growing communities.

Theresa Cifali is the sole proprietor of craft consulting and design business TheresaCifali.com. Visit her website to learn more about her work with craft manufacturers and retailers. You can e-mail her at theresa@thealteredcanvas.com.

Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

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Do Not Be Afraid!

You CAN Advertise on the Web

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You’ve thought about it. It’s why you’re reading this article. You see advertising on the Web and wonder if it makes sense for your business. But you’ve held back.

Perhaps you’re scared costs will go out of control; you’re not sure how to advertise; you don’t know where to start; or, you feel you aren’t technically savvy enough.

Those are reasonable concerns, but with a little research, you can advertise confidently and effectively on the Web.

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Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

by Joe Rotella

Web advertising might make sense for your business. It’s where people spend time, it’s relatively easy to do, and it can be inexpensive.

Compared to traditional media outlets, online ads offer rich formats and highly targeted placement.

There are two basic ad types, categorized by what you’re buying.

1. Cost Per Click (CPC) or Pay Per Click (PPC) – you only pay when a user clicks the ad and is directed to another URL. This type is useful when the destination is most important; for directing people to a page on your Website, in your Web store or your Etsy shop, for example.

2. Cost Per Mille (CMP) or Cost Per Impression (CPI) – you pay for every 1,000 times (mille) the ad is shown. This type is useful when user education is important – when you want your name in front of people, when you’re launching a new brand or reinforcing your current brand, for example.

In both cases, you set the maximum to spend on the campaign. No matter what the price per click or impression, you’ll never exceed your budget. Costs can’t spiral out of control, no matter how many people click or see your ad.

The cost of a click or 1,000 impressions is based on demand. Even on the Web, space is limited. There’s only so much room for ads on the right side of Google or Facebook. If many people want their ad placed on the same target, the price is higher than an ad placed on a less popular target.

What you spend is up to you.

Write down your marketing plan,

including your goals. When you know your goals, you’ll get an idea of the return for your efforts. How much you’ll spend on advertising should be part of your overall campaign budget, based on the likely return.

Now you know what you’re buying and how much you want to spend.

Let’s talk about where to advertise on the Web. Advertising is a huge source of revenue for popular websites. The odds are if the site is free to use, it’s likely making money selling ads.

Popular advertising platforms include the following.

1. Search engines. For example, the Google search results page includes paid ads and sponsored listings. Like most ads, you can target who sees the ad and set your budget. These ads can be difficult to do well, because so many people might search for the same terms making competition for ad space fierce, driving up the cost.

2. Social media sites. For example, you can buy ads on Facebook and Youtube, or sponsor stories on Facebook. Advertising on social media sites can be easy; offers advanced targeting and has the potential of spreading fast.

Pricing can be competitive depending on your target, but your ad dashboard always shows how you’re doing and what you’re spending.

3. Blogs. Some blogs offer advertising directly. Others embed ads generated through Google AdWords. These may be banner ads or ads appearing on the sides of the blog. Ads on blogs can be very effective if your ad is placed

on a great target blog. Ads placed through Google AdWords have the potential for appearing on the wrong site. Analytics for ads placed directly with a blog host might not be robust enough to determine the ad’s worth.

4. Mobile. The numbers of smartphones and tablets have increased in recent years, along with the ability to target ads to mobile devices. It’s common for people to receive text messages with coupons, notices or targeted ads (often location based) on their mobile device. Mobile ads make sense to promote a physical destination, like a store.

5. Community Calendars.

While not considered online advertising in the strictest sense, many community calendars allow posting of events like yard sales, open houses or classes. Generally, you can’t advertise a product or business. Look to sites like your community paper or Craigslist to promote special events.

Getting Started: Step 1 It isn’t as hard as you might think.

First and foremost, make a plan.

Decide your goals, your target audience, what success would look like (how much revenue you are likely to generate) and your key message. The most effective messages promote the benefit of taking action, have a singular focus and are clear and compelling.

Telling the person what you want them to do, the call to action, is a critical part of your message. (continued on page 23)

Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

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is the Future of Your Business

Mobile 18

Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

by Tony Ford

T

The salesman was not happy. I turned my smart phone to him and said, “Here’s what the average person pays for this exact car at your dealership and here is the lowest price you have sold it for in the last three months. I want it for that price.”

“I’ll lose money at that price,” he said.

He started sketching the prices on paper trying to distract me from my phone.

I pointed to the phone screen. “I can send this e-mail in and your Internet sales guy will sell it to me for that price and you’ll pay the website a $300 referral fee. Of course, we could just agree on this number now and you can save that $300 in profit.”

I got my price. I also posted on my social accounts, about what a great experience the dealership provided to support their brand in Tucson.

Buying a car is probably one of the more complicated and opaque sales transactions, but it is far easier with a mobile phone and a couple of websites these days. As the consumer, I had the power to get what I wanted at a fair price and instant impact on the business if I was treated poorly.

While buying your craft product may not be as complicated as buying a new car, the transparency, brand connection, instant feedback and consumer empowerment is every bit as real. The mobile device is changing everything about how we do business, and if you want to be in business, you can’t afford to ignore it.

It isn’t just the teenagers or the 20somethings who spend all of their time on mobile devices. My retired parents tour around the country in their RV with iPads, kindles, and smart phones.

They rarely crack open their laptops.

According to Pew research, more than half of boomers are using their phones to access the Internet. Of course, nearly 80 percent of younger generations are doing the same. If you throw tablet usage and apps into the mix, most of your customer base is using a mobile device in your store, or while using your products.

As a retailer, you will encounter “showrooming,” the process whereby customers handle goods in your store as if it were a showroom and then order those goods online for a lower price. Best Buy started matching Amazon prices in March to try to combat showrooming. Most small retailers can’t match the prices of large chains or online sellers. What that means is that you can’t compete on price alone. Your education, brand, service and community must be the driver for your value.

Manufacturers have to provide training and tutorials in a mobilefriendly fashion. That means responsive design that adapts to the screen real estate of a tablet, a laptop or even the seemingly tiny screen of an Iphone 4.

Your customers are interacting with your brand on social media via mobile devices, and reading your content marketing on tablets and phones. Give them a great experience and you can drive a “higher touch” experience with your brand, beyond purchase, to the holy grail of branding, “lifestyle.”

Our CHA designer members have great opportunities with mobile to demonstrate their expertise and provide content when the customer needs it most, even guiding them in-store with

reviews, feedback and ideas on new products or competing ones. With responsive tutorials and content, indie designers can cement their influencer status. Consumers will spend the most time with content that is easy and enjoyable to view on their mobile devices. As indie business people, designers can adapt their content to this new reality faster, and that agility gives them the chance to influence a lot of purchasing.

My business is e-commerce. For my fellow e-commerce sellers out there, understand that if you don’t have your entire shopping and checkout process adapted for mobile use by this fall, you’ll leave about 25 percent of your potential sales on the table. We’re already running 20 percent mobile access on ArtFire and the number grows far faster than even we predicted.

So what do you really need? You don’t need an app. You don’t need to stick QR codes all over the store. You don’t need to hand tablets to your sales team, employees or workers. There are three things you need to do to adapt to this new mobile landscape.

You need to ask, “How will consumers on mobile devices interact with this?” for every single initiative, project and part of your business. Get in the habit now, from customer satisfaction surveys, to class registration, reviewing your book or new product, even down to POS, payment, receipts and coupons. Mobile devices and the transparency of price, ease of use, and needs of the mobile consumer affect the entire value chain of your company.

1)

(continued on page 30)

Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

19

Do-It-Yourself

by Kerry Goulder (Kid Giddy)

Fabric Cone Bracelet

M

Many months ago, I had a dream that I was cutting out some fabric, started sewing and made this bracelet. When I woke up, I quickly drew the bracelet I saw in my dream and jotted down how I made it – I didn’t want to forget about it while I was getting my girls off to school. When I was asked to share a DIY project, this bracelet was my first choice. It’s easy, fun and can be adapted into a necklace, scarf, belt or just about anything else. Grab some of your favorite fabric and let’s get started.

Step 1 Gather your supplies Fabric of your choice – two fat quarters can

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Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

make two 8-inch bracelets.

Thread color of choice 3/4-inch non-rolling elastic cut to desired length Regular scissors and pinking shears Sewing machine (Seam allowance is 1/4 inch unless otherwise noted.)

Step 2

Step 3

Prep Measure your wrist and hand to determine the length of the bracelet you will want to make.

The elastic should be cut so it is 1 inch longer than the length of your hand so that it is loose, not tight. My hand measures 8-inches so I cut my elastic to 9-inches to cover the overlap at the end and to prevent it from being too tight.

Cut out two cone pieces for every inch of the finished bracelet length. Use pinking shears to cut the curved edge of the cone and the two sides; and use straight scissors to cut the three inside edges.

Make all of your cone pieces by folding them in half, right sides together, and sewing the raw edge.

Step 3

Step 4

Step 4 Keep the cones wrong side out and slip them onto the elastic strap alternating colors or patterns.

The seam edge of the cones should be centered on the top of the strap. Sew the first cone piece to the elastic leaving 1/2- to 3/4-inch at the end of the elastic to connect to the other end.

Step 5 Sew all the cone pieces to the strap with 1/2-inch in between each piece.

Step 5 Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

21

Step 6 With the last cone on the elastic, overlap both ends (Fig 4) of the elastic and sew together. Wiggle the final cone in place, just over the sewn elastic ends, and sew it in place.

Step 6

Step 7

Step 7 Flip all the cones over so they are right side facing out.

Here are some alternative options 1) To make it fuller, use three or four cones for every inch.

2) If you are making a necklace, scarf or belt you can shrink and use the same pattern with a thinner elastic or soft but sturdy cording.

3) If you make a belt and want to have the cones all hanging downward, make sure the cones are sewn in the opposite direction at the halfway point.

If you have any questions while making your bracelet or any of the other adapted accessories, please feel free to e-mail me at kidgiddy@maine.rr.com.

Kerry Goulder has been designing sewing patterns under her “Kid Giddy” label since 2004. Her ideas have appeared in Crafts ’n things and STUFFED magazines. Kerry became a Designer Member of CHA in September 2010 and attended her first Winter Show in January 2011. Shortly after meeting Anna Griffin there, Kerry designed five sewing patterns for her. Kerry’s first book, Sewing Tales to Stitch and Love: 18 toy patterns for the storytelling sewist is being published by F+W Media and is due out in the U.S. and in the U.K. this fall. She lives in Southern Maine with her artsy husband and their two crafty daughters. You can find her on the web at kidgiddy.com and on these other social media sites: facebook.com/kidgiddy, twitter.com/kidgiddy, pinterest.com/kidgiddy, etsy.com/kidgiddy and instagr.am/kidgiddy.

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Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

Do Not Be Afraid (continued from page 15)

Be sure your plan specifies the target audience. Consider these targeting dimensions.

• Location – Is your audience worldwide? In a specific country? Within so many miles of a location?

• Age range – What’s the target age range for your message?

• Gender – Who should see your ad?

• Keywords – What keywords identify your target audience? For example, Facebook ads could target users who like cardmaking or scrapbooking.

Step 2 With your plan in place, look at your target audience and decide the best advertising platform to reach them. Consider what platform you’re most comfortable using, especially if you’re new to online advertising.

Facebook ads are easy to create and track, and have performed well for me in the craft and hobby industry. I use CPC/PPC ads more frequently than CMP/PPI ads, because I’m often driving traffic to a specific page on my site.

Step 3 Set a budget. Your plan lets you know what success looks like. You know the profit you’d enjoy if you reach your goals.

How much of that are you willing to invest in advertising to help achieve that success? You can start small, evaluate, and then add to it. In most cases, you can cancel an ad campaign before the budget is exhausted.

Step 6 Learn from what you did. Make notes on your planning document for future reference. Learning from past campaigns increases future success.

You can effectively advertise on the Web. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Step out of the box. Make a plan, write it down, and determine if Web advertising is right for you.

Joe Rotella, CHA’s 2013 Website Expert, is the chief technical officer, usability practice director at Delphia Consulting. Joe has been with the company since 2002. As CTO, Joe is responsible for using technology to provide better products and services to clients, infrastructure and IT operations, developing and maintaining software applications, determining how technology will be used to implement the business strategy, and developing the company’s future technology direction.

Step 4 Write and design the ad. Remember the messaging you laid out in the plan. Keep the ad simple and clear and have a single call to action.

Step 5 Launch the campaign, track its progress and make adjustments.

EXPERIENCE THE CLOVER DIFFERENCE

Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

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New Products

▼

Decoration Rollers offer the ability to get creative on more surfaces than standard stamps. Refillable and interchangeable, these rollers are great for crafts, gift cards and scrapbooking. plus-america.com

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▲

This Glass Etching Kit is a wonderful, all-in-one kit for creating unique toasting glasses for an entire wedding party.

Armour Etch sold separately. armourproducts.com

This line of eight 6by 6-inch and three 8- by 8-inch Christmas embossing folders will be released at the CHA Create-n-Connect summer show. Features backgrounds and images perfect for Christmas cardmaking and holiday scrapbook projects. crafterscompanion.com

▲

The resin pave stones feature a solid, singlepiece construction, with the sparkle and bling of set rhinestones, minus the hassle. jfallen.com

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High-quality steel dies coordinate with Technique Tuesday’s latest clear stamp sets, making it fast and easy to add dimension to cards, layouts and crafting projects. All products are made in the USA. techniquetuesday.com

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Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

▼ ▲

Wood paper is made with real, unprocessed wood, and comes in either White Birch or Cherry. Available with a White Snow or adhesive backing in various sizes.

Perfect for greeting cards, printing, scrapbooking and more. arccrafts.com

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The warp on these Weaving Sticks is threaded through the ends of the needles, and the weft is woven between the needles. Experiment with a variety of fibers and sizes. clover-usa.com

With six design options, the 3D M-Bossabilities embossing folders offer realistic sculpted surfaces with detailed embossing and dynamic letterpress capabilities that jump off the page.

These 5- by 7-inch folders are perfect for A7 sized cards. spellbinderspaperarts.com

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The extended multipurpose platform on the award-winning Big Shot machine offers instant compatibility with the entire library of Sizzix embossing tools and chemically etched dies. sizzix.com/home

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Make personalized photo bracelets with My Image Bracelet Maker. Use the included photo cards or your own pictures with MyPhotosizer.com or the free MyPhotosizer app. myfbm.com

Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

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▲

New Products Bead Concepts feature interesting, one-ofa-kind Czech glass bead styles packaged by color, so bead lovers get to sample many different beads at once. Mixes take the stress out of choosing, customers get them all. modebeads.com

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The clear, non-staining, flexible and waterproof Decorating Magic Spray Glue creates a permanent and/or repositionable bond that’s ideal for framing and matting, scrapbooking and craft projects.

Use with felt foil, paper, craft foam, wood and more. chaseproducts.com

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These cameo styles have the look and feel of genuine carved cameos at a fraction of the price. Stocked in a wide assortment of styles, sizes and colors. jfallen.com

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Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

▼

Add some wow to your projects with the new Shiny Transfer Foils pattern series – Aquarium, Carnival and Mardi Gras. No fuss, no heat, no mess.

Foil transfers when applied over a sticky surface. kooltak.com

Continue the journey of exploration with the newest additions to the Media Mixáge line of mixed media products – like the bezel hatpins that add delight and dimension; texture plates that convey whimsical hints of music and poetry; ephemera paper; and more. spellbinderspaperarts.com

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Creativity Is Our Business

Spring 2013 ARC Crafts..............................................................................................23 Armour Products ................................................................................10 Beth Watson..........................................................................................28 Casa de Linda ......................................................................................28 Chase Products ......................................................................................4 Cheryl’s Window..................................................................................29 Clover Needlecraft Inc. ....................................................................23 Craft Attitude..........................................................................................2 Crafter’s Companion..........................................................................31 Crorey Creations..................................................................................27 Details of Design ................................................................................29 Eileen Hull ............................................................................................28 Ellison/Sizzix ........................................................................................32 Ellisson/Sizzix ....................................................................Cover Wrap Gail Green Licensing & Design ......................................................29 Innoversa ..............................................................................................29 JGoode Design ....................................................................................29

ee dim thr

John F. Allen..........................................................................................10

ensional

art

Kooltak....................................................................................................30

beth | watson

Laura Kelly Designs............................................................................28 LBO Studio ............................................................................................28

DESIGN STUDIO &+$ 'HVLJQHU ,QVWUXFWRU 0L[HG 0HGLD $UWLVW

Lorine Mason........................................................................................29 Megan Moran Smith..........................................................................29

EZGHVLJQVWXGLR EORJVSRW FRP

EHWK#EZGHVLJQVWXGLR FRP

Mode Int’l Inc./Mode Beads............................................................22 Plus Corp. of America ..........................................................................9 Ranger Industries ..................................................................................7 Sha&Co ..................................................................................................28 Spellbinders PaperArts..............................................................16, 17 Susan Louise ........................................................................................29 Technique Tuesday ............................................................................30 Whimsical Craft Studio ....................................................................29 CIT

28

Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

Eileen Hull with x eileenhull.blogspot.com

Contact a designer today to schedule a class, arrange for a consultation, improve your social media or solve your design dilemmas.

Consider the possiblities of introducing your product to the Sewing public?

Lorine Mason www.lorinemason.com lorine@lorinemason.com 703.953.1589 office 703.407.1679 cell Cardmakers! Scrapbookers!

Crafters!

Expand creativity with original artwork from Penny Pierick. Available on transparencies, and high quality paper. This art is easy and fun to use, and is an inspiring way to add something unique to every project.

Licensing available.

susanlouisearts.com Or call Penny at (608) 206-6987

Craft Industry today • Summer 2013

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Mobile is the Future of Your Business (continued from page 19)

You must design every piece of Web content and every Web tool to be responsive.

Responsive design means the layout, text size, navigation and functions scale differently based on the dimensions and resolution of the screen or device. A small phone is one layout, a tablet another, a large computer monitor with a mouse is another layout. Don’t build transitional tech like a .mobi site for mobile or an app. Make the product or site responsive and you’ll be a step ahead when the iPhone 6 or giant tablet hits the market in the next year.

2)

Recognize that your business relationship is now “high touch.”

From a tweeted question while stuck at a red light, to an angry customer comment in the parking lot of your store, you and your customer are always able to connect. That communication is two way, authentic and will have more impact on your business than any amount of advertising money you can spend. The smartphone makes everyone a publisher, a reviewer, a critic and a potential evangelist. Your customers have influence and they

3)

are using their mobile devices to share everything about your brand, be it good or bad.

Monitor the social media world for problems and you can save that angry customer before she even leaves the store. Provide mobile coupons and you can pull traffic that happens to be in the area, into the store or justify why your prices are a little higher for such amazing and responsive service. Let people schedule classes with their phone, or see a video product review from your instore designer on their iPad, and you cement your expert position in that customer’s eyes.

Whatever you do, don’t ignore mobile. It changes both how your customer buys and how they think of you. It empowers them to cut through margin, price, promotion and the reality of buying a commodity. It turns them into your best reviewer or your worst critic.

Because they are talking with other customers, when they are in the blush of loving your product or in the heat of anger over bad experience, it magnifies the impact of good and bad experience in closeknit online communities.

Mobile is powerful. Mobile is here to stay. Mobile is the future of your business.

Tony Ford, CHA’s 2013 Technology Expert, is the co-founder of ArtFire.com, and is also principle consultant for Bounce Rocket Media, a new media and social marketing consulting firm in Tucson.

Bounce Rocket provides social media marketing and new media marketing services including staff training, account management and education for a wide range of firms with a special focus on creative professionals in the art, music and literature space as well as small business and nonprofits. More information can be found at www.bouncerocket.com.

New Stamps, Dies, Story Cards, Overlays, and More!

By Bev Grey

By Lori Vliegen

By Teri Anderson

By Ali Edwards

Special Offer Wholesale customers request special offer from Orders@TechniqueTuesday.com

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Summer 2013 • Craft Industry today

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