Editor’s note: Here at OMHG we are all about the power of community and what is more powerful then a chance for creatives to come together, share knowledge, and make new friends? Not much! Which is why I jumped on the chance to invite Nicole Stevenson (aka: Random Nicole), co-founder of Craftcation Indie Business & DIY Conference to tell us the story of how the event was created + how we can join in all the fun!
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I started Random Nicole (my crafty handmade clothing and accessories company) twelve years ago in a tiny one bedroom apartment in Hollywood that I shared with four other creative ladies. My desire to pay my rent doing something I loved (making little wooden paintings, purses and tees) motivated me.
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I had no idea what I was doing…no clue how to silkscreen, where to sell my designs, if I needed a business license, how to price my wares or build a website. I learned everything the hard way—lots of mistakes and inefficient business strategies. I sought out help from a tiny network of other creatives who had the same mindset—sharing resources would not only help our individual businesses grow but also build the handmade community.
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Twelve years later, I’m still creating one-of-a-kind goods for Random Nicole but also play an active role in furthering the handmade movement. In 2007, I partnered with my aunt, Delilah Snell, and started Patchwork Indie Art & Crafts Festival. Our goal was to give emerging indie businesses a launch pad for start-up with low booth fees.
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Patchwork has grown from 20 vendors in a parking lot to six shows a year in four Southern California cities with 130+ vendors at each show. Delilah & I noticed Patchwork vendors actively networking and sharing resources at shows and began thinking of a way to gather them together with industry professionals for a weekend retreat. A year later, Craftcation was born.
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Craftcation is a four-day indie business and DIY craft conference in Ventura, CA on March 22-25, 2012. Craftcation provides resources for indie business owners to start, maintain and grow their art, craft or food-centered businesses.
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The conference features lectures and panel discussions on starting a crafty business, maximizing social media, blogging, in’s & out’s of indie craft shows, Etsy, wholesaling, merchandising, accounting, legal issues, branding, website design, marketing on a budget and more. Attendees that possess a love of the handmade (but don’t have a handmade business) can build DIY skills in a variety of workshops including sewing, canning & preserving, cheese making, needle arts, jewelry, embroidery and bookbinding. Delilah and I are honored to have some of our crafty heroes like Jenny Hart (Sublime Stitching), Kathy Cano-Murillo (Crafty Chica), Cathy Callahan (Cathy of California) and Aida Mollenkamp (host on The Food Network) along with 30 more presenters! We will also have a ton of community events including a BBQ social, happy hour meet & greet, morning yoga and an 80’s dance party.
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Our hope is that Craftcation will ignite the entrepreneurial business spirit and strengthen the skills of both seasoned business owners and newcomers to indie craft business. I know if I had the chance to attend Craftcation when I started Random Nicole, I would have been there in a split second and even now as a veteran craftepreneur there’s still so much to learn.
For more information about Craftcation or to register please visit us at www.craftcationconference.com
