More wonderful tips from Handmade Spark

A quick update on the hair fork for charity..bidding is still going until Wednesday the 21st, so if you want a chance at this beauty please leave a note on this post or the post about the fork and email us your bid! Remember this money is going to help relief for recentr victims of earthquakes, and all the other horrible natural disasters going on , through World Vision.

OK, on to busy business. If you have not signed up for the newsletter on Handmade Spark and you are a craft business seller, you should. Daily tips that are easy to integrate and absorb, and lots of other resources for more in depth workings if you like as well. Today, this one struck me and i wanted to share .
It is about being inspired without thieving somone elses ideas..

Handmade Spark -DO's and Don'ts For Crafters
1. Learn the Craft, NOT the Style


I’m sure it’s happened to ALL of us! We come up with something that we can’t find anywhere else… lo’ and behold a week later someone has been “inspired” by our design!

Or we have found a GREAT way to word our listings, and someone uses the copy and paste feature and uses it word for word.

Now I know the saying “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. It is supposed to be flattering but in reality it’s downright frustrating… and rude. No-one likes it.

So that is rule number one.. don’t copy someones style. If you are inspired to make something similar to someone else, take care to make it your own. I know there are some mediums where everyone seems to have the same thing… crochet (my medium of choice!) is one of them. There are TONS of sellers out there with similar hats, scarves, washcloths, booties, cuffs, you get the idea. Jewelry is another medium like that. It is hard in a saturated market to stand out with your individuality.

So what can you do??
It’s your personal style and spin on things that makes you unique.

Make sure that all your items are a reflection of YOU.

You want people to see your items and KNOW where it came from!! Make sure that all your items are a reflection of YOU.

When someone copies you.. remember what comes around goes around.


Got  that???
So check out  Handmade Spark if you get a chance today, something might jump out at you!