Toronto Craft Alert

One of the things that came up in our last reader survey was the fact that many of  you are looking for more small business resources.  When I came across this craft-centric social bookmarking site via Sister Diane, my sight zeroed in on the Crafty Biz tag and I thought I would share in case there are any good links there to help you in starting or running your biz.

Those of you crafting for pleasure will also find plenty of links of interest on [...]

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Dear crafties,
I’ve opened up a meetup group for women entrepreneurs in Toronto who make all or some of what we sell.

We are jewellers, painters, knitters, soapmakers, toymakers, potters, and more, interested in meeting other creative women in business.

It’s so easy to become isolated working in our studios and on our websites. The purpose of this group is to get out, meet up, compare notes, stay motivated, develop our businesses and be inspired.

The inaugural meetup is scheduled for Sunday Feb 28th. Interested? You can join as well as RSVP for [...]

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The author, Adam King

Today my husband, who is a custom furniture maker, sent me this piece from a section on FineWoodworking.com called “Reflections from the workshops”.  In it a woodworker muses about where he went wrong trying to start a woodworking biz from a conventional business standpoint.  Despite its title, “This secret cost me $20,000, but I’ll let you have it for free.” I didn’t find that it provided a concrete answer to a dilemma that many of us face – how to make our life’s passion financially [...]

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A four-part seminar series of “business best practices” for artists and makers
with Arnold Wytenburg, art business consultant.

This series of four seminars explores the business and career implications of being a professional artist or artisan. These seminars aim to demystify the essential practices that make up the business of art and craft, and are designed to meet the needs of both new and experienced artists and makers alike.

Each three-hour session concentrates on a different aspect of being “creatively self-employed” and will introduce the group [...]

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Celebrating Passion – One of a Kind Awards for Excellence

Do you want to make a living doing what you love?  Are you a recent graduate of an arts or crafts program?  For 35 years, the One of a Kind Show has been helping artists and craftspeople from across the country to make a living out of their passions.  We know it can be challenging to do, especially in the early stages of your career.  And we want to do more to help!

After a successful launch, the One [...]

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Interview by Kim Hume

Hilary Cosgrove – Crafting with character

Hilary Cosgrove is a crafter and emerging entrepreneur based in Kingston. She makes felt figure people, sweet stuffed owl pillows, origami mobiles and more. Her fabric cuffs make it possible to wear fun quilting fabric. On a recent trip to Toronto, she successfully placed some of her work in two stores.

How did you get started in craft? How long have you been making things to sell, and what prompted you to take it beyond a hobby?
I started as a [...]

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