Wow. I love you NPR.

I am completely overwhelmed by the response from the NPR segment. I have been furiously answering emails for the last 5.5 hours, and updating my website with new purses, taking down ones that sold, etc. I am ecstatic and exhausted and so happy.

You can read the story here, and make sure to watch the audio slideshow!

I just started to read the comments, and I almost spit my drink out when I saw that the CEO of Etsy posted a link to my etsy shop! Thanks Maria, I look forward to meeting you at the Summit of Awesome!

Thank you again Nell, for listening to me ramble for hours, and for putting up with my crazy cats and house full of books.

And thank you to everyone who has emailed me to tell me how much they enjoyed the story, and how much they love my work. It means the world to me, I want to hug all of you, this has been a wonderful day. I always say I have my dream job in Rebound Designs, but it wouldn’t be nearly as dreamy without all of the support I get from friends, family, customers and complete strangers. Thank you.

All Things Considered

The other week, a reported from NPR, Nell Greenfieldboyce, emailed me to ask if she could come to my studio, take pictures of me working, and interview me. It was for training they were doing for audio slideshows, so I said of course. She was super nice, and we talked and hung out for about 5 hours. I picked out fabrics for a bunch of new Book Purses, showed her some of my favorite purses, as well as the very first Book Purse I ever made. She took a bunch of pictures, and asked me lots of questions, including some I am rarely asked.

Well, long story short, it looks like part of my interview will be making it onto this afternoon’s “All Things Considered.” I am very excited, and also very nervous, because I kinda hate hearing my own voice. Also, I talked for so long, I have no idea what part they are going to use! So, tune in between 4:15 and 4:30, or catch it later between 6:15 and 6:30, and you can get it online after 7 pm!

Also, welcome back, sorry I have completely neglected the blog for a while. More posts to come soon!

Nell with her recording equipment

Nell interviewing my cat Xander

Holiday Heap Fast Approaching!

Nov. 15th from 10-5, come to St. John’s Church in Baltimore for a great show full of awesome crafty vendors. Last year this was one of my favorite holiday shows, and I love all of the Charm City Craft Mafia people, they really do a great job.

Upcoming Events

A few quick notes on exciting happenings in the Rebound world.

Tonight is the opening of Zenith Gallery’s Reincarnations exhibit. It is being held at the Alternative Gallery Space at 1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW DC, from 5:30-8:30. All of the art in the show has been created from found objects and recycled materials. I am exhibiting a series of Book Purses with a travel theme, called “Journeys Through BookPurse Land.” More information about the exhibit can be found at the Zenith Gallery website.

Thursday I will be heading up to NYC to hear a lecture at the American Craft Council Library. The ACC is picking up where SNAG and Imogene left off
in their second ‘Summer in the City Salon’ program, ‘Connect/(Dis)connect.’

Featuring jeweler and educator, Bruce Metcalf, and Chanel Kennebrew of Junkprints, an indie craft artist, graphic designer and Etsy seller in conversation, the two esteemed makers will explore the complicated relationship among the broad spectrum of craft makers today in this not-to-be missed dialogue!

I’m really excited for this! There was some drama between established old school crafters and the “New Wave” group at the ACC show in Baltimore this Feb, and I got pretty riled up. I’m looking forward to hearing a lively debate and maybe even chiming in. It’s also a good excuse to go up to NYC and explore. I’ll be staying in Brooklyn with my friend Margaux Lange who makes the most amazing jewelry out of Barbie dolls. You can buy her production line at her Etsy shop, they’re really something.

Crafting Online 101

I was recently asked to speak at a workshop hosted by the Washington City Paper and Crafty Bastards. I spoke about selling and marketing your crafts through the internet, but since the workshop was limited to 25 people, I’m going to post the whole thing here for you all to enjoy. I’ll warn you upfront; this post is epic.

Crafting Online 101

Having a strong online presence is quickly becoming essential in the crafting world. With the huge boom in the popularity of indie craft, competition is fierce, so the more people who see your work, the better. Here are some tips on how to use the Internet to get your craft business going, or to promote your existing business to new audiences. Don’t get too overwhelmed – you don’t have to do it all at once. I’m not an expert at all of these things and I still have a lot to learn, so if you have anything you’d like to add or correct, please leave a comment.

Your Online Presence: Yourshop.com vs. Etsy

Having a place online where customers can find you is essential to success today. There are two main options: Your own website vs. an Etsy shop. There are pros and cons to each.

Etsy:
Pros: The hard work is done for you: you don’t need to have any computer skills other than being able to take digital photos and type. The internal marketing opportunities within Etsy are excellent, and you have a built-in audience for your work. Plus, it’s a great community. Tina Seamonster has an excellent three-part series on how to market your Etsy shop:
Tina on Etsy Pt. 1
Tina on Etsy Pt. 2
Tina on Etsy Pt. 3

1460 Wall Mountables

Come out tonight for the opening of DCAC’s annual open exhibit 1460 Wall Mountables. Participating artists chose 2′x2′ spaces on a first come first served basis, and can show whatever they like within that space. 8 of my purses are hung right by the bar, so you can’t miss them. And there’s lots of other great artists showing as well, including fellow Craft Mutineers Tina Seamonster, Rania Hassan, and Sean Hennessey. My work is hung right below a new friend, Sean Welker, who I recently met at Artomatic.

Hello and Welcome

Hi new readers! This is my first blog post ever, so bear with me.

I’m Caitlin, artist and crafter and owner of Rebound Designs. I live just outside Washington DC in my live/work studio with my 3 cats, and more books than I can count.

I’ll be blogging about not only my own work, but also other artists and crafters whose work I love, crafting opportunities, and even some how tos. So, keep checking back for more, and thanks for reading!