Three News for the Magazine: Owner, Editor, and Vision
Hello everyone! As we reboot this publication with new ownership, a new schedule, and exciting new content, I am honored to introduce myself as the new editor of Handmade Seller Magazine. I have had a wonderful time these past few months getting to know and work with all the amazing people who helped put our Winter 2023 Edition together. So now it only seems right that you should get to know a little bit about me too.
I have always fostered a lifelong love of learning; it’s one of the many reasons that I am so excited to be here. I feel like I have already learned so much in such a short amount of time. In my quest for knowledge I have worn many occupational hats. I’ve worked as a writer and editor for my college newspaper, on an arts and literary journal review board, as a horse carriage driver and tour guide on Mackinac Island, as an archival assistant at my university library repairing hundred year old books, and as a personal assistant for a handful of small businesses doing a lot of the sort of things that I do here for Handmade Seller. Each job has taught me so much and enriched my understanding of the diversity of human creativity and experience.
In addition to my professional pursuits, I have also always been an artist. I’ve enjoyed learning any medium I could get my hands on. I started with the fine arts. Pencil and paper were my best friend as a kid, and it didn’t take long for me to discover charcoal, then ink. I’ve always loved the work of Arthur Rackham and Tony DiTerlizzi, amongst others, and like them, found my way to watercolors, pen, and gouache as well.
My most recent adventure was working as an historical interpreter and blacksmith on Mackinac Island. Between the cerulean blue water, perfect island weather, and all the fascinating people that I got to meet and learn from I couldn’t help but fall in love. Yet for all the island’s beauty, it was the blacksmithing that captured my heart. I continue my work at the forge now that I have moved off the island (at least for now) having found a studio that has agreed to lend me equipment in exchange for teaching classes. I am so excited to practice and watch my skill grow. And I plan to follow the same journey as many of the people I’ve met here and eventually open my own shop as well.
And because I cannot let my jack-of-all-trades nature rest, I’ve recently been dabbling in polymer clays (in addition to just about anything I can get my hands on). As it turns out, clay is a wonderful partner to smithing. This is because metal moves a lot like clay when it is hot so when you can’t quite work out a problem at the forge, a blacksmith frequently turns to clay to puzzle it out.
All this is to say, of course, that Handmade Seller remains very much in the hands of artisans, as every member of the team, myself included, is a skilled creator in some way or another.
The past few months have been a big time of change for Handmade Seller as much as it has been for me. This is our first publication under new management and we are thrilled to begin this journey with you as we learn, grow, and change with this publication. This publication marks the beginning of our revival of the magazine. You will be seeing a lot more of us from here on out.
We are shifting to a quarterly publication, rather than publishing every month, but plan to unveil many more projects as we move forward in our efforts to educate and highlight the efforts of small handmade businesses. Our vision moving forward is to become a wealth of knowledge for those seeking to start their own handmade business or take their business to the next level. And I am so honored to be a part of that.
Learn How Meghan Grew Her Business by Empowering Women on Social Media
When Meghan began creating natural skincare products she found herself walking into an industry rife with unhealthy chemical products and an even more damaging outlook on the women’s beauty and aging. Meghan sought to empower women to age beautifully and confidently and found herself expanding her business and growing an empowered community with her company’s social media presence on Instagram.
Industry Highlights: Discover Gift Biz Unwrapped
In this new publication series we introduce Sue Monhait and her company, Gift Biz Unwrapped. Beginning her career in corporate marketing, Sue now spends her time helping handmade sellers develop their business with her podcast and private consultations. Learn about this wonderful resource for crafters, makers, bakers, and seller’s, find hours of podcast content, and more!
Read About Camille’s Journey to Becoming an Artist
Camille tells the story of how she built her business as a fine artist. Reflecting on her difficulty finding a sense of identity and place in an adopted family who just didn’t connect to art the way she did, she explains how developing her business as a portraitist and gallery artist led to her finding true confidence in her identity as an artist.
Learn How to Use Etsy’s Marketplace Insights and Trend Report
This quarter we explored Etsy’s Marketplace Insights and Trend Reports, detailing not what they were this season but how to find and utilize the information yourself, in any season. Here we looked at the kinds of sales data and trends reported in Etsy’s Marketplace Insights, and how to use them to optimize your business.
Find Out If You Should Be Selling on Depop
This article looked at a new clothing and style selling platform called Depop. Here, we detailed who’s seeing success on this platform, how they did it, and how and why you should start selling on Depop too.
See the Latest News in the Winter Newsstand
Get updated on the latest industry news, shopping trends, social media changes, and more!
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