Posts Tagged ‘Crafts’

Minimalists VS the Crafties

July 7th, 2009
Zen

Minimalist

crafts

Crafties

Every day I read a selection of frugality based Personal Finance blogs, besides the general topics of getting out of debt, building wealth and preparing for a financially sounder future, they usually write about their leisure pursuits and philosophies.  The authors seem to fall into two separate philosophical camps the Minimalists and the Crafties.

The Minimalists are all for de-cluttering their homes and their lives. They are very Zen. I imagine their homes to be very white and hyper tidy. In the Minimalist camp there are several great blogs/websites that will help you figure out how to get rid of your clutter, such as Unclutterer.  Zen Habits can guide you through how to work more efficiently with less stuff. And for you Minimalists in training, there is Becoming Minimalist for all your minimalism questions.

The Crafties are a slightly different group in my eyes.  They are into using their spare time to put their talents to good use, by making jewellery, vintage hunting, knitting and sewing then selling their wares on Etsy and the like. I think of their homes as been warm and comfy, possibly with pets running around.  Being a Crafty person is now on trend and fits well into the Personal Finance realm because you can make money from your skills.  Sian at Walletpop UK has just written a great series of posts about opening her Etsy shop.  There are several other great crafty, DIY websites such as Craftster, Make it and Mend it and if you are interested in learning to be a Crafty then try Create Boutique.

My big question is can a Crafty ever be Minimalist and vice versa?  I would love to live a life of a Minimalist but I am afraid that I have the soul of a Crafty. I have an Etsy store, where I sell my handmade crystal earrings, vintage buttons and any other vintage stuff that comes my way.  The problem is deep inside I would like to be a Minimalist but it is nearly impossible with all the paraphernalia I have.

Which side of the fence are you sitting on?  Do you like all your surfaces clean with no clutter or are you someone that always has a project on the go?

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Posted in Crafts, Random Ideas

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I thought it would be Etsy

June 5th, 2009

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I have opened an Etsy shop to selling handmade beaded earrings and some vintage finds.  When I started on this adventure I didn’t realize that there were millions of people selling on Etsy and they all seem to put a heck of a lot effort in the whole process.  I was silly and thought my product might speak for itself.

I learned to bead when I was in college in New York, working for the incredibly high-end jeweller Erickson Beamon.  I still work for them once in a while when they get a giant order in and it is all hands on deck.  So I do know how to bead, what I don’t know is how to take a decent photo of a pair of earrings – big problem!

I have written before about my snowflaking efforts but is it a good idea to spend money on the possibility of making money?  If I intend to follow on with this Etsy idea/plan, I will need to get a better camera and more beads to make more stock.

What do you think lovely readers?  Is it worth the money, time and energy?  I do love to make stuff and to hunt for fab vintage items to sell but lets face there is only so much time in a weekend or evenings after work.

What do you guys think, too many fingers in too many pies to make any real dough?  Or shake every tree to get some fruit?

PS You can see my Etsy store here. Feel free to comment, please I need the feedback.

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Posted in Crafts, Leisure, Snowflaking

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Make do and Mend

March 12th, 2009

makedo1

Make do and mend was one of the slogans of wartime England since clothing and fabric was rationed for the war effort.  It seems these times, of a kind, are back again in that we are fighting an economic war of sorts.  We have redundancies, people worried if they are going to lose their job at the drop of a hat which is making people reluctant to spend their very hard earned cash.

I believe this is the main reason there is a resurgence in crafting. Learning to sew, knit, crochet, and make jewellery has become trendy.  The trend has been bubbling under for a while with certain groups like the Queens of Vintage.  Making things is not only for people that are interested in the past, many young want to be fashionistas, are making their own interpretation of designer items.  Who can blame them when the price of a designer item has same cost as a couple of months rent.  One of these fashionistas is Outi Pyy, who calls what she does Trashion and is profiled here. I love her view on finding and reworking garments.

There are many people out there that are fed up with disposable fashion that is cluttering up our wardrobes and landfills, as well as looking like everyone else.  For us sad souls (like myself) that did not learn to work with our hands, there are many classes, and crafting groups that are offering to help.  To look for classes go to your local college, sewing or knitting store. There is The Make Lounge in London that will teach you what you need to know in a semi social environment.  They teach survival sewing, the basic how to use a sew machine, jewellery making just to name a few classes.

There seems to be quite a few of these type places cropping up or at least there should be.  Please drop me a line if you find anymore as I am going to put together a little list for The Lean Times readers.

I am hoping that the Credit Crisis will bring more to us than strife; perhaps we will learn to make more than just dinner reservations. I am hoping that we will not be as celebrity, status bag driven and start to want to be individuals with our own sense of style.

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Posted in Fashion, Fun, Leisure

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