Packed and Shipped

This post has (almost) nothing to do with crafting but I couldn't help myself, I had to share with you the images of our life packed in boxes.

It is the first time when I actually move all my earthly possessions. Before that it was always: pack your backpack with what you need and go. It gives me a funny tingling feeling of something new beginning in my life. (Oh my god, I'm so adult!)

And now the crafting part: I just love the tones of blue created by the wrapping foil!

19 Craft Locations around London

An important note I forgot to add at first: this map was put together with the help of London Stitch&Bitch group and my Twitter followers. Thank you guys!
View Craft in London in a larger map

How-To Tuesdays: Getting the Most Out of Your Twitter Account

Once you follow more than 200 people it becomes difficult to really use Twitter for what it is - minibloging platform. The constant stream of tweets can become overwhelming, making many users discouraged with the tool. Below are my ideas of how to not only manage Twitter information flow but also get most advantage from your account.

1. Take time reading at least some of the tweets on your time line - after all this is what Twitter is all about. I am constantly amazed at what wonderful things I find by following tweets. Obviously it is impossible to read all the tweets, unless you want to do only this all day long. I find it is a good practice to take set aside a given amount of time every day to read a sample of tweets. Treat it like the daily newspaper. This solution has the added benefit of making you more careful about who you want to follow. You can't read all the tweets - so make sure that you only see the ones that count!

2. Read all tweets of a few chosen people. Among those that I follow, there are several fantastic bloggers. Each and every of their tweets carry great value and I don't want to miss them. I keep a their twitter pages bookmarked and at least once a week read all of thier tweets. It is always worth my time.

3. Take time to check who follows you. Every day I check the list of my new followers. I do not blindly follow back. I open every account, read their bio and follow the webpage link they provide. This not only allows me to weed out the spammers and "instant_money_makers", but I get the chance to discover interesting websites and find great craft shops. I only follow people who have the potential to add value to my stream of tweets.

Elfish Elegance or Few of My Favortie Etsy Items

I was hunting for an etsy treasury for the past week. Tonight, after setting up an alarm clock and staring at the screen intently for an hour or so, I managed to finally get one.

It is really gratifying to be able to showcase your favorite items from other sellers. Especially so, for someone who wasts a lot of time browsing crafty creations...

Nevertheless, the system Etsy has in place is really frustrating and I am not sure when I will be bothered again to hunt another one of treasuries. I think someone should rethink the idea and maybe allow you to book slots for the future or allow more treasuries...I know the problem isn't one that can be solved simply, but I think it is worth putting some effort into.

Anyway, enjoy my treasury here.

My First Brownies Ever

Tonight, I baked my first brownies ever. They are very good and I feel so proud, that I just had to share it with you!

This was the first time I have ever baked anything else than bread so it really feels good. So to all of you out there who, like me, are afraid of baking, I say: go for it!

Now I need to clean my kitchen, also known as the battlefield...

My Craft Locations in London

I am soon leaving London for good and in the process of packing I was inspired to organize my knowledge of the city. Below is web address to google map with London craft venues I know and like:

http://tinyurl.com/nl6qbc

To make this map more useful for others I think it would be great to add more addresses to the list. Leave comments with your favorite (or most hated) venues and I will place them on the map.

How-To Tuesdays: What Should I Tweet About

There has recently been a lot of chatter among the social networking savvies about the quality of tweets. According to data analytics provider, Pear Analytics, 40% of all messages on Twitter constitute pointless bubble. What they mean by pointless bubbles is not even spam (3.75%) but rather messages of the "I feel like ice-cream" kind.

Sure enough, the numbers change if we pay more attention to who we choose to follow. Nevertheless, these stats uncover the sad truth about Twitter - many people don't know what the tool is for and don't know how to use it.

What should I tweet about? - the answer will vary from person to person, depending on their personal style, the reason they joined Twitter in the first place and what their followers might be interested about.
When you are a crafter you should divid your tweets into two categories: self-promotional and community-minded. Use 15% to 20% of self-promotional tweets and 80% to 85% community-minded ones and you will be fine.

1. Because Twitter is ALSO a marketing tool:
Let's not kid ourselves, most of us joined Twitter to promote our craft. Yes, we want to connect with other crafters and read what's new on etsy but mostly, we are there to let people know about our latest projects. And that's ok.

Twitter is a potent marketing tool and, if used properly, will direct traffic to your shop and blog. Tell your followers about new handmade items you posted to your shop. Most of them follow you for this information exactly. Tell them about the great feedback someone left, after purchesing the fabulous bracelet you made. They will share your excitement.

2. Because Twitter is NOT ONLY a marketing tool:
Once you shared links to your shop and blog, realise that Twitter is not only about self-promotion. It is also about the community:

- share knowledge (by posting links to articles, tutorials and blog posts)
- share finds (by posting links to craft artists or objects you find amazing)
- retweet valuable tweets
- share your craft moments (tweet about inspirations or lack of these)

And most of all, be personal about your tweets!