How to Start a Craft Business

If you're a crafty person who's looking for a bit of extra money, a craft business may be the answer for you. However, it can be difficult to simply start a business with no previous experience. For some ideas on how to get started, read this wiki article on How to Start a Successful Craft Business!

In case you missed these, here's a few suggested books on a related topic .... organization tips and inspiration from working artists!

Make a Pansy with Air-dry Clay

This pretty Pansy is a good flower project for a beginner who's tried a few clay flowers and is ready to tackle something a little more challenging.



The following demonstration is an excerpt from the new book "Amazing Clay Flowers: Creating Realistic Flowers and Floral Arrangements" by Noriko Kawaguchi.    In her list of materials, she lists "resin clay" which we know as air-dry clay.   In Japan, polymer-based air dry clays are usually called resin clays.  


Note: There are 4 general types or 'groups' of no-bake air-dry clays currently popular.  The paper-based (actually wood pulp) clays such as Creative Paperclay, the stone-based (pumice) clays such as LaDoll, and the polymer-based clays such as Deco Clay, Lumina, Luna and many other brands of "soft" clays usually used in crafting clay flowers.  The 4th group is the homemade and commercial cold porcelain clays, which are very popular for creating clay flowers.


Any of the above could be used to make these Pansies but the softer clays are usually better suited to making thin petals.

Gray's Anatomy online

The all time classic reference material for the human body used by artists and sculptors is online, free for you to use at bartleby.com.    The Bartleby.com edition of Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body features 1,247 vibrant engravings—many in color—from the classic 1918 publication, as well as a subject index with 13,000 entries ranging from the Antrum of Highmore to the Zonule of Zinn.

Bookmice - Let's Make Some!

This cute (and useful) bookmark is a great little craft to make with the kids or a quick and easy gift for all your friends!

The original polymer clay tutorial is from the National Wildlife Federation crafts page .   We have edited that polymer clay tutorial and converted it to the air-dry clay tutorial shown below.

You'll never lose your place with these easy-to-make bookmarks!

What You Need:

• Leather string (jewelry cord or shoelace)
• brown, gray or tan air-dry-clay (enough for body & ears) 
• black air-dry clay (for eyes and nose)

Makin's Clay, Hearty Clay and Model Magic are some of the air-dry clay brands that are available in colors but you may pre-tint other (white) air-dry clays using your craft paints.  Just add a little paint to a ball of clay and knead to mix evenly.   You may also send most air-dry clays (such as Paperclay) thru a pasta machine to blend color.  If your brand of clay is a very sticky type, it may not work so well in the pasta machine!  ;-)

Note: Delight Clay is a very lightweight paperclay and would be great for these bookmarks.  Das and a few other brands may be too heavy and not suitable for this use.

What You Do:
1.  Cut a piece of leather string about 10 inches long. Tie a knot at one end.

2.   Mold a lump of clay around the knotted end of the string. Shape the clay into the form of a mouse's body, as shown. (large teardrop)    Use very small amounts of water to smooth surface if necessary.

3.  Add clay ears, eyes, and nose. Press them down firmly to the mouse's body so they won't fall off.   Add white glue if they refuse to stick.    Optional:  Two small black beads can be used for eyes.

4.  Set aside on a flat surface to dry!  It may take a day or two.   (Don't try to speed up drying, you may end up with cracks.)

That's it!  Now, put your bookmouse to use!

Curing Tips continued...

More tips on curing from Susanna Oyoyen.  Excerpts from her book Fantastic Figures: Ideas and Techniques Using the New Clays. The following applies most specifically to Creative Paperclay, but the basic techniques and effects are essentially the same for all air-dry clay products.

"Creative Paperclay is basically water, paper pulp, talc,

Curing tips for air dry clays

The following tips are excerpts from the book  Fantastic Figures: Ideas and Techniques Using the New Clays by the late and great Susanna Oroyen.

"When I asked other artists how they proceed, I found about half work pretty much as I do. The rest do all kinds of interesting things....The following descriptions apply most specifically to Creative Paperclay, but the basic techniques and effects are approximately the