While She Naps with Abby Glassenberg

I talk with Kelly Wilkinson, Editorial Director at Creativbug, and Liana Allday, Senior Editor at Creativebug, about online learning. Hear the story of how this innovative online learning platform got it's start and learn about what the Creativebug team looks for in a new class or teacher. Is video the new frontier in craft publishing? We explore this question including thinking about the nimbleness to follow trends and the heightened story-telling ability that video offers. Find out more in the show notes for this episode at http://www.whileshenaps.com.

We're talking about craft publishing with my guest, Melanie Falick. Melanie has the been the publishing director of STC Craft, an imprint of Abrams, for nearly 12 years. She is proud to be publishing the works of many wonderfully creative authors, including Heather Ross, Denyse Schmidt, Clara Parkes, Natalie Goldberg, Kaffe Fasset, Lotta Yansdotter, Lena Corwin, and Livia Chetti. She is also the author of several books, including Knitting in America, Kids Knitting, and Weekend Knitting. We talk about what Melanie looks for in a proposal, what sets her books apart, and how important an author's audience is now to the success of a book. Melanie explains how she works with each author to develop their idea and to produce a beautifully crafted, informative, and high quality finished book. Melanie and I try to look into the future of craft publishing and figure out what we see there. For complete show notes on this and every episode, visit my blog: https://whileshenaps.com/category/the-podcast/episodes

We're talking about producing craft conferences and shows with my guests, Nicole Stevenson and Delilah Snell. Nicole and Delilah are the co-founders of Patchwork Show, a series of indie craft fairs in California, and Craftcation, a yearly craft and business conference. In this conversation we talk about how these two shows came about and what lessons Nicole and Delilah have learned about producing excellent events for the indie craft community. And, of course, we recommend great stuff we're enjoying right now.Visit Crafcation online to register for this year's conference (March 26-29, 2015, in Ventura, CA): http://dearhandmadelife.com/craftcation-conference/And visit my blog, http://www.whileshenaps.com, to see the full show notes for this episode.

I'm talking about YouTube with Vanessa Vargas Wilson. Vanessa is best known as The Crafty Gemini. She makes weekly instructional videos about sewing, quilting, organic gardening, woodworking, and more. Her YouTube channel has 162,000+ subscribers and over 15 million views. Vanessa and her husband are raising their two young children on a five acre organic farm in Florida. A few years ago Vanessa won the YouTube NextUp contest, which included special training by YouTube, new equipment, and a $35,000 cash prize. Hear how that win helped to propel her career forward. We also talk about Vanessa's Latina heritage and the untapped market of Latina sewing videos and blogs. Get the show notes for this episode on my blog: http://www.whileshenaps.com.

We're talking about having a polished web presence for your blog and online store with my guests, Alicia Paulson and Arianne Foulkes. Alicia Paulson's blog, Posy Gets Cozy, has a large and devoted following. After eight years using a Typepad template and PayPal buttons to run her blog and business, Alicia hired Aeolidia to do a complete redesign of her online presence. She has a new logo, new colors, a new blog design, and a fresh Shopify site. Arianne explains at what stage a creative business should invest in a new website and professional branding, what the process looks like, and how much it costs.And, of course, we recommend great stuff we're loving right now. Get the show notes and find about more about Alicia and Arianne at http://www.whileshenaps.com.

Robert teaches imaginative do-it-yourself projects through high-quality video tutorials on YouTube, CreativeLive and in-person workshops.  The crafty content he develops and presents is often rooted in nostalgia, and his talent for reinventing old-school crafts with a decidedly modern twist has gained him a loyal following.   Robert first became known in the world of craft and design as the proprietor of Mahar Drygoods  which he owned from 2005 – 2010. Mahar Drygoods was an online emporium of vintage and artisan crafted curiosities for children. He appeared on the Martha Stewart Show in 2009. Robert and I talk about creating instructional video for the web and curating art and craft. And Robert recommends great stuff he's enjoying right now.  

My guest, Deepika Prakash, founded PatternReview.com in 2000 because she loved to sew, but didn't have any friends who did. Today 375,000 people use the site to review sewing patterns, sewing machines, and notions, take online classes, and chat with fellow sewists all over the world. Deepika explains the story of the site and it's growth over time, including the three years she spent redesigning it and what she hopes for the future. If you're interested in sewing and online culture, this episode is for you.

Jess has been making dolls for 16 years. She’s carefully developed a line of signature handmade ragdolls. Each doll is cut to order in her Northern California studio and always made using the finest materials. Jess also collaborates with several designers, creating limited edition dolls for each season. Although originally created for children, the dolls have a simple sophistication that has moved them into the women & lifestyle markets as well.I chat with Jess about how she came up with her rag doll design and how it's evolved over the years. We discuss the Martha Stewart Living article that was a turning point in her career and how she is now able to produce 400 handmade dolls a month (with the help of six employees) while staying true to her values.

I'm talking with two leaders in the online sewing world: Kathy Mack and Kristin Link. Kathy Mack is the owner of Pink Chalk Fabrics. She designs and publishes sewing patterns as Pink Chalk Studio and she's recently made a sharp right turn in her creative business journey. We hear more about that during our chat. Kristin Link is the owner of Sew Mama Sew, a blog founded in 2005 which currently hosts nearly 500 sewing tutorials and she also has two online classes on Craftsy. Learn how Kristin shifted Sew Mama Sew's vision over time until it grew into the site we know today. Kristin, Kathy, and I also recommend great stuff we're enjoying right now.

I'm talking about designing and sewing and creativity with two long-time bloggers, Amy Karol and Ellen Luckett Baker. Amy is the author of Bend-the-Rules Sewing and Bend the Rules with Fabric, both from Potter Craft. She teaches video classes on CreativeBug and sells artwork and a natural skincare line in her Etsy shop. Amy's blog is http://www.angrychicken.typepad.com.Ellen is the author of 1, 2, 3 Sew and 1, 2, 3, Quilt, both from Chronicle Books. She's a fabric designer for the Japanese company Kokka and blogs at http://www.thelongthread.com.

Chelsea Bloxsom's business is Love and a Sandwich. She makes incredibly cute furry plush monsters. She also makes embroidery hoops based on her favorite comics characters. Her first book, Adventure Time Crafts, will soon by released by Potter Craft in cooperation with Cartoon Network. Phil Barbato is a plush maker who sells his work online and at shows such as New York ComicCon and Crafty Bastards. Phil's plush monsters are bearded and gold-toothed and totally wonderful.We talk about how Chelsea and Phil began making plush, how to build an online audience for your work with Tumblr, whether you should stay on Etsy or open your own online shop, what you can learn from doing an in-person show, and much more. Chelsea, Phil and I also recommend great stuff we're loving right now. Thanks for listening!http://www.whileshenaps.com

I talk with Ame Verso, Content Director for F+W, the world's largest publishing group. Amy has over 10 years of experience editing and commissioning craft books. We discuss what a winning craft book proposal looks like, how much audience size matters for potential authors, how royalty structures work, whether you need an agent, who owns the copyright for material published in a craft book, and more. Ame was very generous in sharing her knowledge of the craft publishing industry. Send her a message on Twitter @ameverso.

Amie Plumley is the co-author of Sewing School and Sewing School 2. Both books are excellent resources for teaching children to sew. Jean Van't Hul is the author of the blog and book, The Artful Parent. She is passionate about helping people find inspiration and encouragement in making art with children, whether at home or in the classroom. In this episode of the podcast we talk about creating open-ended projects, controlling the mess, helping everyone feel comfortable being creative, and dealing with frustration and self-doubt among young artists. Amie, Jean and I also recommend our favorite art supplies and creative toys for children and adults.

What does it take to make a living as an artist? In this episode of the podcast I talk to illustration agent Lilla Rogers and artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon about how to develop a viable career making and selling your artwork. Lilla and Lisa also recommend great stuff their loving right now.Connect with Lilla Rogers at: http://lillarogers.comConnect with Lisa Congdon at: http://lisacongdon.comFind me, Abby Glassenberg, at: http://whileshenaps.comEnjoy the show!

Diane Gilleland and Haley Pierson-Cox both have established careers as freelance craft designers. Hear how they balance their work days between pursuing new opportunities, marketing current projects, and completing work on deadline. Diane and Haley also have experience doing in-booth demonstrations for craft companies at industry trade shows. Get the an inside look at what that's like and what kinds of things they learn from doing product demos. Finally, we talk about the benefits and pitfalls of pursuing many different crafts (knitting, crochet, sewing, plastic canvas, quilting) instead of honing in on a particular niche. Of course, we end the show with recommendations of great stuff we're loving right now. Enjoy!