Craft Industry Alliance

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I'm chatting with Robert Mahar. 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 l...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast 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 ov...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Jess Brown. 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 orig...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast 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...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast 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:/...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Chelsea Bloxsom who'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...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast 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...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Amie Plumley who 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 i...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I talk to illustration agent Lilla Rogers and artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon. What does it take to make a living as an artist? We discuss 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.com Connect with Lis...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Diane Gilleland and Haley Pierson-Cox who 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 ind...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I talk with sewing pattern makers Cal Patch and Jen Beeman about how they got their start, how their careers have developed, and where they see the future of home sewing heading. Cal, Jen, and I recommend great stuff we're loving right now including tools, books, subscriptions, apps, and more. Please note that this show used to be called th...

On today’s special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Stanford Smith. About six months ago, in an effort to learn about how to blog more effectively, I began reading Pushing Social, a blog about blogging. The author of Pushing Social, Stan Smith, is an internet marketing and social media expert. Stan shares practical exercises and tips on how to write blog posts that attrac...

On today’s special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I'm rebroadcasting an interview I conducted with Jonathan Marcus, CEO of Goodsie, in November of 2012. Goodsie provides anyone with easy drag-and-drop tools that allow you to create a beautiful, customizable online storefront in an easy and affordable way. Jonathan founded Goodsie in 2011 as a way of bringing ecommerce to the masses...

On today’s special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I'm publishing the audio version of a video interview I conducted on January 29, 2013, with Jon Crawford, the CEO of Storenvy. If you're interested in ecommerce and small business, you'll enjoy Jon's story of founding this exciting platform. Hear about: How Storenvy differs from Etsy. How the social aspect of Storenvy works. Why Sto...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Cynthia Treen whose threadfollower felt animal kits are carried in over 100 shops nationwide and Alison Kaplan, the founder and owner of Kata Golda a company that creates handmade items using letterpress, ceramics, wool felt, and fabrics. We hear about Cynthia's and Alison's creative lives and then get their recommendations for...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with artist Ann Wood.   Ann works with found and salvaged materials, many of them vintage or antique garments. She’s interested in transformation, turning cardboard boxes from the fancy grocery store on her block into turreted castles and ruined old petticoats and gowns into seas for paper mache boats. She loves to give the most comm...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with two indie brands in the baby and children's market. My guests are Jahje Bath Ives, owner of the handmade nursery mobile company BabyJives, and Mimi Tsang, owner of the girls hairclip company, hello shiso. We talk about what it's like to start and run a successful creative business and then we recommend great stuff we're enjoying...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast my guests are location photographer Gale Zucker and knitwear designer Kristin Nicholas. We learn about Gale and Kristin's backgrounds and then recommend great stuff we're enjoying right now. Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same. To get th...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Rachael Gander (imaginegnats.com) and Kim Werker about our recent projects and then all three of us recommend amazing things we're enjoying right now. Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same. To get the full show notes for this e...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Kari Chapin and Blair Stocker. We discuss the new edition of Kari's book, The Handmade Marketplace, and Blair's newly released book, Wise Craft. Kari, Blair, and I recommend our favorite picks in apps, tools, websites, books, and other neat stuff. Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with quilter, knitter, and photographer, Caro Sheridan, and digital and social media strategist, Meighan O'Toole. Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same. To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance wher...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Stefanie Goodwin-Ritter who is the senior account manager at Stitchcraft Marketing (formerly the Wood Wide Web). Stacey Trock is a crochet designer and owner of FreshStitches. In this episode we share our latest projects and our top picks for fun things we are enjoying right now including books, tools, apps, and more! Please not...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Meg Freeman and Dorie Schwarz, the women behind the incredibly popular online phenomenon that is Kids Clothes Week. Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same. To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Allian...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I chat with Sonya Philip who undertook an amazing project: to sew 100 dresses in a year, all from original patterns she's drafted herself. Sonya tells us her story, from growing up in a creative household to learning to sew and be a pattern maker. We talk about body image and uniforms and why sewing your own clothes is a life skill like scr...

On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast my guests are Tara Swiger and Stacey Trock. We share our top tips for marketing your creative business. Whether you're just getting started with an Etsy shop, or you've been selling your creative products for many years, you'll pick up some new tricks to engage better with your customers. Hear about composing an excellent email, using auto...