I need advice.

I am trying to put work harder and expand Argyle Whale so that it can sustain me as a full time job but I seem to just be running around in the same circles just more frequently (ie Etsy, this blog, Flickr). I need to find new places to be seen. I especially need to find more boutiques to sell my items and new websites to advertise on. If you can think of any stores around the country or websites that you think my items would compliment, I would be grateful for the tips.

Here are some of the shops I already have in mind:
Magpie
Renegade Handmade
Cog & Pearl, Brooklyn
Rare Device
Jenn and I made these nice little solicitation bundles (see pic above) with a letter, a journal and some notecards to send out to the shops and hopefully peak their interest.

Here are a few sites I plan to use to get myself seen a little more:
Pika Package
Illustration Friday
Paper and Stitch
Modish

Any advice on how to proceed or hints to where my items would be welcomed are gratefully accepted!

Trade ya!

There is no use denying it; Christmas is coming and I'm pretty broke. I have been trying to figure out how I can manage to have presents for my family and I had a fine idea. I'd like to make a couple gifts myself but I really want to dazzle my relatives with surprises from other makers. I may have no money, but I do have things to trade!

So, I have a proposition for you crafty friends that could be mutually beneficial. I would be delighted to trade almost any item in my shop for a special little something from yours (preferably not art since I've got that part covered). My gift recipients are all adults (23-85) and they have a wide array of tastes. If you personally would like something from my shop or think it would make a nice gift for someone you love, just drop me a note and we'll see if we can make an exchange of roughly equal value! I'm particularly hoping for things like jewelry, journals, and home decor type things. Bath and body stuff would be pretty nice too.

I hope this works or else everyone is getting homemade peanut butter again!

I took the handmade pledge.

So, I took this pledge and it felt good. I even said it out loud with my hand over my heart.

I love presents like a bunny loves bananas but I have to admit that the Christmas exchanges usually suck the life out of me. Shopping is hard and even harder when you're political about it. My buying philosophy is pretty strict (which is good because my budget is too).

~ I don't like to buy things made by companies who hurt animals.
~ I don't like to buy things from companies who treat their workers badly.
~ I especially like to buy things made out of sustainable or recycled materials.
~ I don't like to buy things from companies who rip off artists to create their products.
~ I love love love to buy unique things made by creative people.

I don't have a ton of money so I like to get the most out of what I spend. When I buy handmade I'm getting a great item plus the good feeling I get from helping working artists. That is double good! What a deal!

Of course, I can't manage to avoid buying things that are counter to my beliefs all the time. Sometimes I NEED to get some crappy plastic cups with sunsets on them from the dollar store. But at least I'll be following my heart this holiday season by buying (or making) a bunch of excellent gifts for the excellent people in my life. I promise.

BuyHandmade.org