A new way to promote your crafty business!

I received the following email regarding the Happily Handmade Giveaway. Definitely a great way to promote your business!:

"I wanted to let you know about a great promotional opportunity for indie business, called the Happily Handmade Giveaway. You might have heard of it, as we've had many craft mafia members participate in the past. We've just relaunched this event after a two-year hiatus, with a spiffy new website and a team of fabulous volunteers ready to make this giveaway bigger and better than ever before.

Even in trying times like these, we are confident that this giveaway will be more popular than ever. I mean, free stuff? No one can resist the prospect of that. And the cost to participate is minimal. Only $20 plus a donation for the gift boxes. It’s a small investment for a huge return - I think past participants will agree, there is no other tool more powerful to grow a mailing list than the Happily Handmade Giveaway.

A quick backstory:
The Happily Handmade Giveaway began in 2004 as the result of a brainstorming session among a handful of indie artists looking for a unique way to promote their businesses and reward their customers. Since then, it's grown to surpass our wildest expectations. Our last event gave away nearly $15,000 worth of indie merchandise to 51 lucky shoppers around the world. This event, our 8th, is shaping up to be incredible for all those involved.

The goal of the HHG is twofold:
- To promote indie businesses with an affordable promotional opportunity, allowing them to reach new customers and build their mailing lists.
- To reward shoppers for their continued support of indie business, for making the conscious decision to purchase from an independent crafter and not a big box retailer.

We're currently in our sponsor registration period, which lasts through March 20th, and are looking for indie businesses who'd be interested in sponsoring the giveaway. For a small fee (only $20) and a donation to our prize boxes, Sponsors will be listed on our website as an official hhg entry site. Contestants can enter the giveaway by visiting any the participating Indie Shop Sponsors' websites. Each website will feature a separate entry form, allowing entrants to increase their chances of winning by simply visiting more of the Indie Shop Sponsors. Each Sponsor will also have the full list of sponsors on their entry page, creating an active stream of traffic from site to site to site. Businesses participating in the giveaway report a huge increase in traffic to their site and subscriptions to their mailing list (often a requirement for entry).

For more information about the giveaway, our website is the place to go:
http://www.happilyhandmade.com/

Our most recent press release can be viewed here:
http://www.happilyhandmade.com/2009/03/the-happily-handmade-giveaway-a-valuable-tool-for-promoting-indie-business/

I'm also always available should you have any specific questions.

Thanks so much! :)

- Lindsay Landis
Webmistress and Event Organizer
The Happily Handmade Giveaway
http://www.happilyhandmade.com/

It's time!!

I feel it's time to make an announcement.... After 5 long and fantastic years I am closing down my clothing design business, Amet and Sasha, in search of new challenges. This does NOT mean anything for the Craft Mafia that I won't be an official member of the Austin Craft Mafia anymore. Instead, I'll be only the Craft Mafia manager (the position I currently hold anyway!). I'll still be here 100% managing the Craft Mafias and making sure Mafia business plows along.

So what does this mean for you?? A huge huge sale is what! I'm clearing out my stock of fabrics and backstock, so I have both a standard website sale and a studio sale going on until August 16. What happens that day? Amet and Sasha closes down forever... and I head off on my honeymoon. Hooray!!

I want to give a huge HUGE thank you to the Craft Mafia family because without all of you my business may never have developed the way it ultimately did. The support has been amazing, and you all are the best ever!

I should say - I am still working 100% on Stitch - so don't think you're getting me out of the crafting game that easily!! What??? You haven't heard of Stitch yet?? Well, it's an amazing fashion show and craft bazaar happening in downtown Austin on November 10. It's our fifth year running and we're expecting our best year yet! The application deadline is August 28, so hustle it to get yours in!

Norfolk Craft Mafia happenings!

The Norfolk Craft Mafia has been all kinds of busy this summer! We held it down at Pile of Craft, the awesome show put on by the Charm City Craft Mafia!



We held several crafters roundups where we hung out, worked on projects and networked with other creative folks, and hosted the first in a series of Skill Sharing Workshops entitled Get Yr Craft On(line): Photo hosting, blogs and Etsy. We will have a booth at Crafty Bastards in Washington, DC and we're also totally stoked on our upcoming Art & Craft swap meet! Check out our flyer:



Watch for more events and crafty goodness headed from our corner of Virginia, including our first annual juried holiday show, Handmade Parade! Keep checking the Norfolk Craft Mafia website for details, applications coming soon!