Book Review: The Big Book of Craft Interviews by Alison Wood

The Big Book of Craft Interviews

Author: Alison Wood

Publisher: Alison Wood

Date: October 30, 2012




About The Author 
Alison Wood is a writer in several areas that are close to her heart, including crafts and running a craft business, pets and animal welfare, and themes related to mind, body and spirit. She feels that we all have a diverse range of interests in our daily lives and that we should explore all aspects of these.

Meet 17 Crafters Who Turned Their Love of Crafting Into a Business 
This book started with interviews on Alison Wood's Art of Crafts blog. Ms. Wood became fascinated with how people were turning their love of crafts into businesses so she posted interviews with successful crafters.This book is a compilation of the interviews that were posted on her blog.


Seventeen successful crafters were asked the following question;

• Please introduce yourself and tell us where you are based. 
• What is the nature of your craft and business?
• What first interested you in your craft?
• Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
• How did the idea for your business come about?
• How long have you been established?
• How do you find inspiration and where do you locate your materials?
• Is your business full time or part-time?
• What advice would you give to others who are considering running a craft based business?
• How do you sell your wares?
• Where can people go to learn more about your business?

This book includes a wide variety of artist and crafters from all over the world. The book includes interviews with the owners of "Grammy's Altered Life", "The Sewing Directory", "A Crafting Journey" and "Earthegy".

My Thoughts
I am absolutely CRAZY about paper crafts so I found this book to be both inspiring and challenging.This book features interviews from crafters who sew, knit, draw, paint, bake, make jewelry and other skills and talents.

My favorite part of each interview was the advice that the crafter offered to people who are interested in starting their own crafts-based businesses. There are links to each of the interviewees blog, website, Facebook page, Twitter account and Etsy store. 

Crafts blogs are red hot and sites like Etsy have made handmade items extremely popular. I recommend this book to all who are looking for ideas and inspiration in the wide world of arts and crafts. You should also check out the author's blog because she frequently posts new interviews and information about turning your love of crafting into a business.

My Rating - 5 Stars Out Of 5

 FYI ~ I received this ebook from Amazon during a special FREE promotion. Please check the price before ordering.

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Book Review: 20 Steps To Art Licensing

Art licensing is the business of lending your art to manufacturers, and they use your design to make gift items. The manufacturer makes, sells, and ships the product to retail shops and the artist is usually paid in royalties based on sales. 20 Steps To Art Licensing: How to Sell Your Designs To Card and Gift Companies, by Kate Harper, is a very informative booklet that provides many resources for artists who are interested in growing their businesses.

About Kate Harper

Kate Harper has worked in the gift and greeting card industry for twenty years and has designed over 700 cards and gifts. She started her own handmade card business and has serviced over 2,000 accounts including Barnes and Noble, Whole Foods Markets and Papyrus. Ms. Harper provides artists with current information on her blog ~ Greeting Card Design.

The Business Side Of Art

Kate Harper has found a way to make a living by doing what she loves. She proves that you don't have to be a "starving artist", but the business of art requires a huge amount of preparation, persistence and support. This booklet provides 20 steps to art licensing and offers many links to Internet sites that have more information for art professionals.

This is a quick read but there is a wealth of information in this booklet. The steps begin with acquiring basic information about the art business;

• Take an art licensing class.
• Read books ~ The author recommends three "Must Read" books that will give artists much-needed foundation information.
• Read trade magazines and blogs ~ The author lists dozens of publications that provide valuable information.

Ms. Harper also gives these steps for artists who are well on their way to art licensing success:

• Get an attorney and learn about copyrights. You need someone who does artists contracts.
• Look into agents. The author provides several links that help you decide if you need an agent and how to choose the right person.
• Finding companies to work with. Ms. Harper provides the names and contact information for dozens of companies that make greeting cards and gift items.

The Price Is Right

20 Steps to Art Licensing is available in digital format (Kindle) for $2.99 at Amazon.com. I believe this product is well worth the price. I found the whole concept that a freelance artist can sell her designs to big companies very interesting. I have been making handmade greeting cards for my friends and family for several years but I never thought about creating original designs and selling them. This booklet is informative and inspiring.

Other Booklets By Kate Harper

I have read and reviewed the following booklets by Kate Harper;

How To Publish and Sell Your Article On The Kindle

Unusual Ways To Market Your Greeting Cards and 22 Places To Get Your Designs Featured

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