Passionately detailed ceramics by Mariko Swisher, Lancaster.

three gifts that were under my Christmas tree

brown leather journal by green trike press

original watermedia painting ‘marilla’ by sean huntington

casserole by mike yoder

all handmade in Pennsylvania and loved…does my guy have good taste or what?

trees
porcelain mosaic by Karen Howell

oak leaf serving platter and knife by Susan Wechsler

maple burl vase with natural edge by George Balock

all found through a Preview of the Crafts at the Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair, October 17th and 18th in Blue Bell, PA

Elizabeth Sterling and her husband John market their one-of a kind furniture and jewelry boxes at shows in the Northeast and Midwest, through their web site, and their etsy shop, so wabi sabi. Elizabeth shares her life and love of all things handmade, homemade, and homegrown in her blog so wabi sabi.

Marketing art is definitely not a one shoe fits all proposition. And what works one year may not work the next as many have discovered during these interesting economic times. Mike Yoder discovered this by necessity when his marketing strategy of 10 years was no longer an option.

“I used to do 3 or 4 shows a year and sold the other 80% of my product through one wholesale account.”

The store closed down 3 years ago. Instead staring back at the one door that closed, Mike discovered many new doors had opened. He now has several major local and national wholesale accounts, including Lehman’s Hardware who markets one of Mike’s lamps as a collector’s item. Some of his new accounts came about fortuitously but he also says they arose from connections that he had made over the years and even asking for help from his local tourism bureau.

Avoiding the frustrations and uncertainties that go along with doing shows, is one of the biggest perks to shifting to a diverse wholesale marketing strategy in Mike’s eyes. So instead of doing shows, he is working with some of his local retailers to promote his work through special events. For example, American Heritage Crafters sent out an e-blast this week announcing that Mike would be doing demonstrations during their Annual Fall Festival, October 9th and 10th.

“There is no prescribed way to market art. Shows work great for some. I was searching out those avenues until this one worked out for me. Ultimately, you have to satisfy yourself by making what you enjoy and find the market that fits even if it isn’t what you expected.”

Do you have a tip to share about:

• Your process
• Finding inspiration
• Time management
• Advertising
• Marketing your work
• Networking
• Working with clients/customers
• Finding resources for your work

If you do, and you would like to share it through Handmade in PA, contact me!

Elizabeth Sterling and her husband John market their one-of a kind furniture and jewelry boxes at shows in the Northeast and Midwest, through their web site, and their etsy shop, so wabi sabi. Elizabeth shares her life and love of all things handmade, homemade, and homegrown in her blog so wabi sabi.

I stumbled across this little number on Etsy’s front page yesterday. After I poked around the shop for a few minutes, I noticed – to my delight – that the artist was from Bucks County!

In the piece above, Kristie – the artisan behind Artisan Clay – fuses recycled industrial glass to stoneware in the second of two kiln firings.

From her profile:

In our spare time we pretend to be urban homesteaders on our tenth of an acre on sidewalked streets; fruit trees, berries, and a chicken coop in the old outhouse. OK OK, Hubby is in charge of the chickens, I just shower them with treats and enjoy their awesome eggs and fumble my way around the garden dreaming of a sustainable society.

Are you looking for the HiP blog challenge? Improve the effectiveness of your blog with tips from the premiere site for Pennsylvania artisans & crafters!

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by Melinda from Orrtec Designs. Melinda is PA born & raised and currently resides in Muncy in Lycoming County.

Melinda is not a stranger to creative business – she’s been entrepreneur for some time! She says:

I created and owned my florist/home decor & jewelry store for 16 years. Throughout that time I designed florals including upscale silk design for our county residents and local country club. I also incorporated jewelry in my store, designed my own beaded jewelry line and incorporated bead sales as well. I offered on location home decorating advice and custom designs for home & holiday.

About a year ago, Melinda closed her shop doors and began to play with clay! Her designs are organic – many are earth tones but she’s not afraid of bright, watery colors. She creates pendants, earrings, and buttons patterned with various impressions.

Melinda also stocks a bead & supply shop called Pink Ocean. Here you can find various notions and a wide variety of beads for your jewelry-making pleasure!

So how can you win this fabulous “Lime Pineapple Beaded Necklace” from Orrtec Designs? Well that’s easy! You must:

• be a resident of the US.
• comment on this post (below) with your favorite item from the Orrtec Designs shop on Etsy.
• to gain an extra entry, use the Share/Save button below to submit this giveaway to your favorite social network or bookmarking site! HiP’s favorites are Stumble Upon, Twitter, and Facebook.

This giveaway ends Friday, April 10 at noon. A winner will be selected at random and contacted by email! Good luck!

Linda Johnson is the artist behind Little Flower Designs in Abington. Linda creates “sweet, lovely, handmade” ceramic pieces that are both whimsical & functional.

I create nature-inspired dinnerware and home accessories using both wheel-thrown and hand-built forms. I then etch/draw my designs into the surface which creates a nice texture and depth to the piece. The glazes are applied in a series of washes much like watercolor to enhance the etched details. All of my work is food safe and non-toxic.

My focus on clay began after achieving my BFA in sculpture. I worked for a handmade tile studio as a tile glazer and fell in love with the owner’s lifestyle and clay. I had dabbled in clay a bit in college but this was the first time I saw firsthand how an artist could make a living from their craft. I started working in clay right away and took classes all over the Philadelphia area. After a few years, I decided to set up a home studio which I’ve been working in since about 2001 – in 2004 I decided to launch Little Flower Designs.

In the coming year, Linda plans to concentrate on the retail side of her business & grow her wedding registry!

If you’ve been reading along for a bit, you’ll remember that I’ve become a little crazy for ceramic jewelry. Well, my obsession started with Jessica Sharrah, from Indiana, PA. I am so excited that she is this week’s giveaway sponsor! Eek!

To find out how to win this pair of Caribbean Blue Burst Stud Earrings, keep reading!

Jessica got into crafting ceramic jewelry by accident. She says, “I was making beaded jewelry and decided I’d like to make the colors/sizes/shapes the way I wanted! I was gifted with a kiln and some clay – and here we are!”

Her favorite pieces are her studs and it’s easy to see why. With simple shapes and bright colors, these earrings are ridiculously easy to wear.

Jessica also creates pendants. Some are formed in molds she makes from antique buttons, others are painted with interesting glazes, and still others are marked with zodiac symbols.

If you’re looking for pieces for your own unique creations, Jessica has a supply shop called The Destash.

So how can you get your hands on a pair of these Caribbean Blue Burst ceramic stud earrings? Well, you could go buy a pair at Jessica Sharrah’s Etsy shop or her Artfire shop – at only $12, they’re a steal! Or you could enter this week’s giveaway! For a chance to win:

• you must be a resident of the US
• go to Jessica Sharrah’s Etsy or Artfire shop and report back here (comment on this post) with your favorite item(s)!
• for an extra entry, click the Share/Save button below and share this post on your favorite social network or bookmarking site. HiP’s favorites are Stumble Upon, Twitter, and Facebook. When you’ve shared it, comment here again.

This giveaway ends Friday, April 3, at noon. The winner will be notified by email.

Good luck!

Niki from Happy Clay is new to Pennsylvania after having fled New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She slip casts all of her work in her own studio and then finishes them with commercial glazes, her own custom-made screen printed decals, and typically gives the rims a gold finishing touch!

You could easily work 1 piece from Happy Clay into each of your existing place settings for an affordable and fabulous touch to your table. And while I would love to use them on my table, my mind can’t help thinking about all the unconventional, everyday uses for her pieces – allowing me to sprinkle them throughout my house!