Artists of Transylvania

The Big Crafty...

2011-03-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

Now accepting applications on their website for the July 10th [I know the banner says 11th, but it's on the 10th] event! Should be awesome!!

The Big Love Festival in downtown Asheville - May 1st!!!

2011-02-10T13:27:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is doing great!! Are you ready for Spring? I know I am!! I just wanted to give everybody a head's up about this event.

"The Big Love Festival" is now accepting applications for the May 1st show! This will be the first year, but it should be awesome! The folks that head up "The Big Crafty" have teamed up with "Asheville Grown Business Alliance" to host the event. I'm sure it'll be awesome! I would encourage anyone to submit an application.

That's it for now!! Hope you are all enjoying this gorgeous weather!!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one." ~ Charles Horton Cooley

The Big Crafty & A New Team Member!!!

2010-09-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

First order of business...I would like to welcome Ashley Capps of "Heavenly Girl Creations". Check out her shop...she makes the most precious little cloths I think I've ever seen! Thanks for joining our team, Ashley!!

Second order of business..."The Big Crafty" is now accepting applications for the December 5th show! This is an awesome venue and I would encourage anyone to submit an application.

That's it for now!! Hope you are all enjoying this gorgeous weather!!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"All art is autobiographical." ~ Anonymous

The Big Crafty...

2010-03-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Now accepting applications on their website for the July 11th event! Should be awesome!!

The Handmade Marketplace Book [review]...

2010-03-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

...I just had to share this and let everybody know about this awesome book! One of the main reasons I bought it is because it is illustrated by Emily Martin [The Black Apple], who happens to be one of my most favorite artists/sellers on Etsy. But, I tell you, I have literally not been able to put this little book down. It is chockablock full of useful information from lots of different folks, including crafters, photographers, Matt [one of the founders of Etsy.com], accounts, writers, etc. ~ simply a must have for anybody making & selling crafts these days. Plus, it's only a little over $10!!! Gosh, this would have been gold to me 6 years ago, when I first started out. What has taken me years to learn & figure out is stuffed into a little 210 page book. Amazing! Plus, it's really cute and fun to look at and there are literally a gazillion links to tons of information and resources.

Good luck everybody!! Hope to see and meet you all soon!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy ~ Dornick Designs.

***NEW** I created a group for us on facebook ~ click here to join ~

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them." ~ George Bernard Shaw

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

Look for lots of new, exciting things from Dornick Designs in 2010!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do" ~ Rumi

New things for the group!!!

2009-12-27T12:41:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!! While I took a week vacation from my internet shops, I created two new places for our group:

☆ Flickr Group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/transylvaniacountyartists
☆ Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/artists-of-transylvania

And please everybody, I started this group for the awesome artists of Transylvania County, but I need help! So far, I've gotten people to join, but no input. If anyone has any creative ideas to share, please post them here. If you are not an "author" of the blog, please send me your e-mail address to become one. E-mail me at: Kathy@dornickdesigns.com and I'll get you set up. Lets make our group one of Etsy's best! It's a new year and a new day! And welcome ~ newest members, Suzanne Schmitt of "FifiandMe.etsy.com" and Colleen of "GemstonesandWire.etsy.com" ~ awesome!

Happy New Year Everybody!!!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

Just popping in to say Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas! I would like to also welcome two new member to our Transylvania Etsy Team! They are Sara Strickland of LilyBart designs and Jennifer of Mairsy Dotes ~ please make them feel welcome! I'm trying to get some things in motion for us in the coming year ~ I'll post what I find here and I hope you'll do the same. Thanks for making our county so awesome!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

Cashiers Village Hillside Shops Update

2009-05-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

Breaking (ground) news!

(Click on all images to enlarge.)

We expect construction of the Hillside Shops to be completed by Labor Day. This will allow us to take advantage of the influx of visitors for October's Leaf Season. Opening Day will be Friday, October 2, closing on Sunday, Novmeber 1. Tentative hours of operation are Friday through Sunday, 12am-6pm.

We plan to open the weekend after Thanksgiving, just in time for the holiday shopping frenzy. Christmas hours to be determined.

Each cottage will be 9' wide and 7' long inside, with an additional 7' in length of covered porch.

The shops will be operated by select regional artisans and area merchants who desire a Cashiers Village satellite location. Space is going fast but still available. Please visit our web site and contact us through the information link.

Watch this space for more updates as we move along!

Great Opportunity for Artists at Cashiers Village Hillside Shops!

2009-04-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
I am a Brevard artist working with the developers of Cashiers Village on the Hillside Shops project. I wanted to make you all aware of this opportunity, so I hope you don't mind my post!

There is a planned residential community in development at the Cashiers Crossroads that will include a thriving retail portion, along with a pedestrian friendly, cultural town center. Raven Cliff Land is the company behind "Cashiers Village", and I am working part-time with Raven Cliff on this project, specifically the "Cashiers Village Hillside Shops" portion where the retail cottages will be located.

The Hillside Shops and surrounding garden area will be the heart of the Village and will house a number of small cottages shops in a beautifully landscaped setting. We are about to start construction and plan to have 14 individual cottages for our first season. Our goal is to fill the cottages with select artisans who offer high quality products as well as with established local merchants who desire a satellite presence in Cashiers. Each vendor will be responsible for taking money for their sales, wrapping their goods, and maintaining a consistent presence during the scheduled hours.

Our first full season of operation will begin in late May 2010, but we may open for a few weeks over the Fall leaf season this year to give all of our merchants the chance to try their space for as many of those weeks as they would like. The Hillside Shop hours will probably be noon to 6pm, Friday through Sunday, every summer weekend, closing after Labor Day, and re-opening on weekends in October to catch the Fall Colors crowd. Rent will be 10% of gross sales, paid weekly. In addition, there will be a small merchants' association fee of $25 per week that will be used to promote and advertise all of the cottage shops. It is possible for more than one artist to occupy a cottage which will be helpful to some in terms of cutting down on the inventory needs and time requirements (since many of us still plan to do shows during the season.)

I will have a cottage of my own for my pique assiette/mixed media mosaics. Because I have personal knowledge of the project as a whole, I am very excited about the potential for sales and exposure. You've probably started to see our Cashiers Village Hillside Shops ads in local magazines and papers. We're working hard to not only attract quality merchants (thus the very fair 10% of gross sales "rent") but also to generate steady traffic by being highly visible in this region and surrounding out-of-state areas where many of our visitors live.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, I have a vendor packet that contains the specifics as to the size and appearance of the cottages, the expected dates of operation, the application process for inclusion, and the agreements that will pertain to participants so you know exactly what is being offered to, and expected of, merchants. If you'll contact me by email at laura@ravencliffco.com and send me your mailing address, I will get a packet right out to you.

You can see a blog I'm maintaining as we move forward here.

My Mixed Media Mosaics web site is here.

Thanks everyone! Spread the word.
Laura

Call for Artists.....

2009-03-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give everyone this information. Hope to see you there!

My name is Heather Cotton (hcdesign) and a member of the Asheville Etsy Street Team. I am also the president of the McDowell Arts Council Association and this year we are organizing our first ever arts and crafts festival in Marion N.C. on May 16th 2009. I’m trying to spread the word about our festival to any interested Etsy members that may want to participate. A vendor application can be downloaded from our website www.mcdowellarts.org under the Honey Bee Arts & Crafts Festival. Our deadline for priority consideration is March 31st, and after that we will accept applications based on space availability. We are planning a lot of great entertainment throughout the day including musician/songwriter Laura Blackley as our headline performance. The festival has been featured in the Charlotte Observer, Knoxville Sentinel, Asheville Citizen Times, and will be advertised in Our State Magazine in May. I hope you will share this information with your Etsy group and consider joining us on May 16th!

Save Handmade - Amend the CPSIA!!!

2009-01-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

A "Free" Photo Editing Site & A "Free" Photo Book!

2008-11-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

Wanna make a "free" book!!! I just found out about this!! It's Awesome!!! Snapfish is offering a "free" photo book and all you have to do is click on the "Oprah Viewers Click Here" button on the Snapfish website. You have until 11:59pm PST Saturday, November 22nd to create your free book! It's a $29.99 value and would make an awesome gift for your Mom or Grandma ~ Happy Creating! I would love to see your book once you create it {cuz I'm just geeky like that}, so please do feel free to email the link to me .

And I bet you're thinking....I wonder how she rounded the edges on that little owl picture? It's all done in "Picnik" Talk about fun & exciting! You can do all sorts of things with your pictures and, the best part, it's totally "free"!!!! Click here to get started ~ and once you create some really cool things with your pictures, you can make a book with them :)

Well, I'm off to make some new things with some gorgeous Pearls & Ocean Jasper I got today!
Happy Friday!!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

The Etsy Seller Handbook.....

2008-11-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know this was available. It's a handbook with great tips & advice on selling, advertising, pictures, mailing, etc. Basically everything you need to know about selling on etsy. I just thought I'd pass it along in case you didn't get the e-mail.

Happy Selling!!!

A New Online Boutique for North Carolina Artists...

2008-11-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a message I received today, so I'm passing it along to everyone. It's time to get in the "Holiday Shopping Mode" *Yay*:

"I was wondering if you would let the members of the Transylvania etsy street team know about indieNC, an online boutique featuring products exclusively from North Carolina designers. Now we've added a blog featuring multiple contributors (think domino's daily dose) focusing on "hip" North Carolina covering topics like cool business profiles, designer interviews, NC street style, music, green NC, student work & art, road trips, food & more. http://blog.indienc.com

Also, we are working on a holiday gift guide featuring North Carolinians so if you have a tip, please send a convo to Michelle Smith."

Hope everyone is going good - we are still working on getting that marketing meeting set up over at the Duck Pond Pottery shop. If you are interested in attending, please respond to this blog post. Please also let me know of anyone else that may be interested. I would like to get a group of at least 10 people before we have the meeting. And, Nick has internet service @ the pottery shop, so that will be available to us.

♥ & peace ~ Kathy

Thank you Nick & Jen....

2008-10-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

...for another awesome "Duck Pond @ Dusk" season.

And "Thank You" Suzanne & Jerry {Moon Shine Babies}, for bringing out the "musician" in all of us......"Happy Autumn"!!!"The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards." - Anatole France (1844 - 1924)

Etsy Workshop, "Free" Art Show & Music.....

2008-10-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

1st of all, I want to remind everybody about ~~the last "Duck Pond @ Dusk" for the season. It will be this Wednesday night (October 8th) starting @ 7:00 pm~~. {POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE} ~ Lots of past musicians, including the "Moon Shine Babies" will be playing. Hope to see you all there!!!!

2ndly, "Poppies Market" will be having their annual "Harvest Open House" on November 15th, starting @ 11:00 am. Booth spaces are totally "free" but limited to a first come/first serve basis. In order to reserve a space, please contact Nancy @ Poppies. Her telephone number is 885-5494. I think this will be a great time for us to get together and talk about how things are going with each other and share some thoughts & ideas. Hope to see you there, too!!!

3rdly, I've been talking to Nick from "Duck Pond Pottery" and we are trying to set a date/time for a "Etsy workshop". We want everybody to come to the workshop and bring your lap-tops, if you have one. No worries if you don't a pen & paper will be just fine for taking notes. We will be talking about setting up an Etsy shop, selling, marketing, packaging, listings, photos, etc. If you are interested, please let me or Nick know and please bring anybody you feel could benefit from selling their handmade goods on the internet! It's awesome!!!

Keep up the good work!!! xx00 & peace always ~ Kathy

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." ~ Aristotle

Mark Carter ~ the mind of an Artist....

2008-10-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share this with everyone, since Mark is also an "Artist of Tranylvania" ~ enjoy ;)

An Autumn Treasury & Words of Wisdom....

2008-10-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, this list will make the front page of Etsy! Wouldn't that be awesome! I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather. Happy Autumn!!!

I don't know if any of you read the interview with today's "featured seller", but I love what she said:

Etsy: What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?

Cristina: Be assured that running an online shop does take a lot of work to do it well. Don’t be afraid to invest a decent amount of time into it. There are millions of sellers and buyers out there, chances are there is a good match for what you sell, don’t give up!

Our Team Info for your Etsy Shop!

2008-09-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!!! I have created a profile for our Team on Etsy: http://www.TransylvaniaArtists.etsy.com ~ please incorporate this into your "Announcement" on your Etsy shop page. You can take a look at mine to see what I'm talking about: http://www.DornickDesigns.etsy.com ~ I also signed up for a forum for the group: http://artistsoftransylvania.freeforums.org ~ I'm not very familiar with that site, so I would love for someone to try to sign up and post a comment in the forum, just so we can see how it works.

BTW ~ I think the little bat was a perfect avatar for the group! Happy Thursday!!!

xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy

"Not all who wander are lost" ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Hints, Tips & Smart Advice...

2008-09-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

...is actually the name of a book I have, but I always thought it was quite a "catchy" title. Now I'm not sure about how much "smart advice" I can give, but hints & tips I'm pretty sure I have plenty to share. What I understand from most people on Etsy is that their biggest challenge is pictures. Of course, when you are photographing jewelry, the challenge is even greater. I've found that you can get the best pictures outside, under the shade of a porch, with indirect sun light, or even better on an overcast day. Use the "macro" setting on your camera and get the lens as close to your subject as possible, without losing the focus. Take at least 10 pictures, at all different angles and use whatever props you have available. I have a giant seashell and several big flat rocks {readily available around here!} that I use most of the time. I also have several childrens picture books that are great for backgrounds, as well:But I guess the most important thing is software, so you can lighten/darken your pictures and crop them to the all requested "Etsy Square"! I personally use "PhotoShop CS Version 8.0", but there are lots of other options. If you want to purchase software, "PhotoShop Elements 5.0" is great. It's not very expensive and you can purchase this book "Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 Classroom In A Book" that will teach you hands on lessons on how to use the program. But, if you want something for "free" that is totally awesome, I would suggest downloading "Picasa 3" from Google. It is a wonderful program and allows you to do tons of really cool things with your pictures. I promise you will love it!

Well, I gotta run for now. I have to get dinner fixed, so we can eat before we head over to "The Duck Pond" for some awesome music! But before I go, I must share this awesome necklace I made with one of "Jen Kott's" Raku Pendants! She just opened her shop on Etsy and it's called "BlazingEarth" ~ Please do check out her awesome designs & Welcome to Etsy & our new team, Jen!!Remember, it's all about networking & the more places you can set up a bio for "free" the better off you will be in the long run. Listed below are all of the places I have set up my bio that have actually brought me customers:
http://www.dornickdesigns.com
http://www.dornickdesigns.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dornickdesigns
http://www.myspace.com/brocsmom
http://www.twitter.com/dornickdesigns
http://www.dawanda.com/shop.dornickdesigns
http://www.indiecollective .net
http://www.talentdatabase.com
http://www.artsofbrevard.org

xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" ~ Pablo Picasso

Totally "Free" Camera Flash Diffusers...

2008-09-23T09:05:00.001-07:00

You know how you get the "evil eye" from people when you point a camera at them and the flash from it literally blinds them for several minutes? Well, there's a totally "free" and really great way to avoid that. If your camera has a pop up flash, you can use an empty clear/opaque film canister {I got several from the local CVS, they have them in a drawer @ the Photo counter}. You just cut out a rectangle with a hobby/exacto knife a little larger than the flash on your camera, so that it will fit on there snug enough to not fall off: And that's it! This also works great for taking photos of your items when you don't want the "flash" taking away from the pictures. Another "free" diffuser is an empty cigarette packet. I've never tried it, but people I know who have says it works great:

xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy

Our Team Has Been Added to Etsy!

2008-09-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Yay!! Our Team has been added to the listings on Etsy: "Artists of Transylvania". Now we can start to build our group and decide what we can do to help each other. Any suggestions are welcome. Just so you all know, I LOVE Etsy! Etsy has changed my life and I hope with the help of each other, it can change lives for all of us here. Thanks for being a part of this {soon to be} great Etsy team!!

There is an article today in the "Etsy Storque" about building teams and goals. When you have time, please try and read through it, so we can all get a little bit more of an understanding of the whole "team" thing. I don't want to be "the boss lady", I want us all to share ideas. Thanks!!!!

Hello & Welcome....

2008-09-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

I really want to get a street team started for the Artists in Transylvania County. If you are reading this and are an Artist in our area, please, please let me know and you can join our team. Thanks so much & I'm looking forward to getting things going. Please send me an e-mail if you have any questions. My e-mail address is: Kathy@dornickdesigns.com