I had planned on getting a lot done today, but with this headache I don't know that any of it is going to happen. For instance, I had planned on starting my next set of magnets from New England Crafters. Despite the fact that shipment after shipment they keep telling me that I didn't cut either the felt or the foam smoothly enough, they continue to send me another set of ten magnets to complete.Honestly, I'm beginning to feel that the magnets are a waste of time. I work my butt off painting, cutting, and sewing them, only to be told that they're not good enough. The thing is I know that they're good enough. Maybe I'm a little biased, since I am the one who is making them and all, but I think that my magnets look better than the sample one the company sent me. My circles are smoother. My handwriting is a lot neater, and, despite what the reviewers have been telling me, the edges of my felt are every bit as neat. The only place where my magnets fail is in the thickness of the felt. The sample's felt is a lot thicker and, in turn, a lot less hairy, but how is it my fault that they continue to send me a thinner, cheaper felt?
At times, I have been so frustrated with the magnets that I have thought about starting my own online craft store on ebay. However, after browsing other online crafts listed on the site, I started to wonder whether I would ever make enough money to break even, let alone turn a profit. Not only would I have to buy craft and mailing supplies, I would have to pay ebay a monthly merchant fee as well. I don't have the extra funds to spare at the moment so I just let the idea drop.
I may have to revisit the idea, as I have found a site that lets you list your crafts for free, Artfire.com. At Art Fire, when you sign up for a basic user account, you can sell up to ten handmade gifts at a time for free. There is no catch; when Art Fire says free, it means free. Unlike a lot of other sites, Art Fire does not charge a listing fee, a commission fee, a sales fee, or a renewal fee. However, if you want to list more than ten items at a time with Art Fire, you'll have to upgrade to a verified user account. Normally, Art Fire charges a $20 per month verified membership fee, but if you're one of the next 2794 people to sign up, you can lock in a lifetime price of $7 per month as part of Art Fire's Artisan Stimulus Package.
In case you need another reason to take advantage of Art Fire's free listings, here is one. Art Fire will plant a tree for every user that signs up for its services. The company works closely with the nonprofit group Trees for the Future, which works to rebuild forests in places like Honduras, Ethiopia, and India. By doing so, Art Fire isn't just trying to save you money; it's trying to save the environment as well.
The only question that remains is what can I create artistically that others will buy? That question, unlike the question of how am I going to sell the creations, is going to require a little bit more thought. Any suggestions?
