Kate Harper's Blog, page 8

Best time of day to post on social media

Here's a nice graphic that tells you when is the best time to post things on social media.   I'm assuming the time means when it arrives (according to the time zone of the person reading it).






Kate Harper Designs www.kateharperdesigns.com

15 Top Design Skills in Highest Demand

This is an interesting graphic with a large sample of almost 29,000 job postings.  Photoshop wins by a large margin.  I thought for sure web site design would be the tops.






Kate Harper Designs www.kateharperdesigns.com

Exchanging Greeting Card Advice for Yoga!

Because I write a blog about the greeting card business, artists often write to me and ask if they can pay me to consult with them on their card business.



I often volunteer my time helping people through quick emails -- but I
really can't afford the time to talk to someone.  Otherwise, I'd be
volunteering full-time.



In general, I feel a bit uncomfortable asking people to pay for my advice.  I'm not really an industry expert, I'm more of a learn-by-trial and error hacker designer.  I started out running a handmade card business for fifteen years and then transitioned into licensing.  Nowhere in my college were either of these courses offered (joke), so I had to learn on my own.


Awhile back, someone made me a funny offer.  They said they'd give me an Amazon gift card, if I would just chat with them on the phone for 30 minutes.



This request made me laugh out loud (since I'm a big Amazon fan), so I agreed just for the heck of it, and with that gift card I bought art books. This experience felt like a gift exchange, and I found it refreshing.



A week later, another artist contacted me, wanting to pay for a consultation. Normally I would have referred her to a professional gift industry consultant, but since her greeting card business obstacles seemed easy to resolve in a conversation, I suggested we try another "Amazon Barter".



I didn't put a fee on my time.  I let her decide what my advice was worth to her, and then she could apply it to an Amazon gift card. With her generous gift, I was able to buy $100 worth of yoga equipment, books and a DVD.



Now every time I do yoga, I think of Sara at Paper Loop http://www.paper-loop.com/



Both of these experiences were a fulfilling exchange, especially since I don't feel any pressure to perform as an "industry expert".  I can just say what I think, based on my own business experience in the card industry.



If giving greeting card advice helps me do more yoga and art, well... HEY, I'm all for that!



You can contact me at gcdblog (at) gmail (dot) com



Thanks! -Kate


Kate Harper Designs www.kateharperdesigns.com

How to Succeed in the Handmade Wholesale Greeting Card Business

Here are some articles to read if you are seriously considering making and selling handmade cards nationwide.



For 15 years I did this as a full time job and it was a wonderful, rewarding (and busy!) experience.  I had over 2,000 accounts including national chains, and up to 50 independent sales reps who carried my line.  I wrote these articles to offer tips to artists considering this business:













1. How to make a living in the Handmade Card Business



2. How to Set Up a Handmade Card Factory



3. Making Cards: Questions to Ask



4. Simplify Card Making for a Profit



5. Paying People to Make Your Cards



6. Advantages of the Handmade Card Business



7. Interview with Former Greetings etc. Editor, Kathy Krassner







 Two Books on the Card Business






Get Your Greeting Cards into Stores: How to find and work with Greeting Card Sales Reps

[ebook can be read on multiple devices including computer.] If you already make your own
greeting cards, this book explains how to get your cards into stores
and sell them sell nationwide. Included are guidelines on: how to price
your cards for a profit, how to get professional feedback, where to
find a sales representative and and what industry standards you should
follow. All the information is also applicable to gift items, such as
magnets, journals, calendars, collectibles, etc. 

$2.99











 



Start and Run a Greeting Cards Business

Book covers starting a card business in the UK.

Good basic info, but financial/measurement info is in different monetary units.

$18.00Kate Harper Designs www.kateharperdesigns.com

Independent App Maker Seeking Artists

Micah Russo wrote to me and is an independent developer who is planning to launch his first web app called "Toon Talks" and is looking for artists to participate in his project.  Here are the details from him:




"I am seeking a few artists who would like to have their work featured on Toon Talks in exchange for a byline and a link back to their website or portfolio.  



Users of Toon Talks:

1. Browse art from various artists, 

2. Select an image, and 

3. Craft a personal message to post on Facebook or share with friends via email.  



-The long-term vision for the project is to support independent artists through revenue sharing and mictro-transactions.



-Images should be submitted in a set of 4 so that I can dedicate a whole page to each artist.



-Art images may be modified and shared by users of the site.  











Try out the Facebook App at http://apps.facebook.com/toontalks



Artists should visit www.toontalks.com to look at the 'Goopymart Talks' page as an example.  





He can be contacted via the form at http://www.toontalks.com/contact.php for more details.



You can also visit his kickstarter page at:  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1010833921/toon-talks-express-yourself-with-toonsKate Harper Designs www.kateharperdesigns.com

Buddhist Minister Brings Her Spiritual Life into Her Art

I fell in love with Kuon Kubo's art when I first discovered it at an art show at the Institute for Buddhist Studies, part of the Graduate Theological Union, here in Berkeley.  She is a visiting minister from Japan who incorporates her Buddhist experience into her art.



She uses watercolor images and then cuts them into shapes to make a collage. Each one has a story.







This picture above represents the rain of gifts that fell upon her from her spiritual path.  She said there are so many, she cannot catch them all.





Below is the piece I purchased, along with the verse that goes with it:























 This is the back of her business card.  Very wonderful graphic of her
life.  A great idea for making a business card more personal (and
humorous!)












 
















Her postcard.  Koun's mother was a survivor of Hiroshima.









A cute pin she made.




Meeting her reminded me that it is important to bring your spiritual life into your art, to celebrate what matters to you, and to share it with others. When someone is joyful about their art like Koun is, it is infectious.




Kate Harper Designs www.kateharperdesigns.com

My New Check Designs

Just received proofs today of my check designs today.  They are now live at CheckAdvantage.









































Kate Harper Designs www.kateharperdesigns.com

What would you do if your computer was stolen today?

This could be you. And if your art is irreplaceable, then you should have online storage that is in a different location from your computer.  For only $5 a month you can save yourself a lifetime of trauma from losing 5 years of artwork.  External hard drives are not sufficient because they can be damaged or stolen also.



I use Backblaze and Crashplan.  They both backup your computer automatically in the background and I have found they have more free features and better customer service than other storage systems.  Some companies like Backblaze even have mapping system that can locate your computer if it is stolen.








Kate Harper Designs www.kateharperdesigns.com

Taking Pride in Our Work: Policeman and Artists

Boston honors a fallen policeman this week, and I am reminded of my own encounters with policemen.  I've found they have a unique skill where they are able to transform discipline, authority and responsibility, into spontaneity and
humor when the situation requires it.  Perhaps this is because they must be open to everything, all the time.











On
my first trip to New York City, my girlfriend and I
saw a policeman in the middle of Broadway directing traffic.  I had this
sudden urge to meet him, so I ran through the traffic, weaving in and out of taxis, which appeared to cause him alarm.



But I couldn't let this moment escape me. I thought it might be the only time in my life I would ever meet a New York City cop, who I considered one of the toughest guys in the country.  Little did I know,
four years after the photo was taken, this would be proven on September 11,
2001.




While I pleaded my case in the middle of Broadway, requesting a photo, his scowling brow transformed into a gravelly laugh. And while honking cars zoomed by, he opened is gun-ready posture, gave me a bear hug and said "HEY,
why NOT! It's PUUblic RElations!"( in his New York accent of course).



Once again, I
witnessed that transformation taking place... from responsibility to spontaneity. 
As an artist I hope to develop these same qualties in my own job.  I think they are the two elements that make our work the most complete.










Kate Harper Designs www.kateharperdesigns.com

Where to submit your greeting card designs.

I have just updated my list of greeting card companies who seek out submissions from artists and writers.



These listings include companies that have guidelines on their website and I have provided a link to that page.



Check it out at http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/10-card-publishers-artist-and-writer.html












~



Kate Harper Designs www.kateharperdesigns.com