Free and low cost stitch converters

Truth be told, it's been more than 15 years since I've embroidered or cross-stitched a single stitch. I thought I was done with it. Old news. No longer interested in doing any of my own, even if I do still have a soft spot for other people's handiwork with needle and that delightfully colorful floss.

But then I found out that there are such things as "converters," programs that convert your photos or art into stitching charts. Swoon. I felt almost giddy, with every bit of that rush my twelve year-old self had once experienced at the thought of "painting" with thread.

So I set about finding an open source version of such a program. I literally spent hours chasing dead links and even deader leads. I found what seemed like a million programs that came with embroidery machines. Meh. If I could afford an embroidery machine, would I be looking for open source? (Maybe yes, actually; in my opinion open source is well worth supporting regardless of one's personal finances. Of course it appears that many embroidery machines do come with such a program, so I suppose I wouldn't need an open source version. But I digress.)

I also found several programs that were supposed to be *FREE* (can you picture the flashing lights and confetti?), but just turned out to be free trials that would eventually segue into hundreds of dollars spent on a licensed copy. Thanks, but maybe some other time.

Just when I was about to give it up, I came across PictureCraftwork.com. It's not the prettiest, flashiest site, nor is it completely free. As far as user-friendliness goes, it's available in four languages and you can adjust everything except canvas size.

Personally I think the ability to change canvas size is pretty important, so perhaps it will be added in the future. But overall, if you're looking for an easy and affordable way to convert your pics into basic charts for 10" square canvases, it's not too shabby.

Charts under 1001 stitches are free, anything over that is a flat fee. Each pixel counts as a stitch (eep) so you can expect to pay 5.00 Euro or 7.00 USD unless you're working with a very small, simple design.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Blogger appears to be having issues with image uploading today, so I'll be back later to try again.

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Starting and Running a Successful Craft Business

Whether you've been selling your artistic wares for ages or just starting out - or trying to figure out how to get started - About.com's Arts / Crafts Business section is chock full of information and resources.

Just browsing through the articles you'll find excellent info on the essentials - what to consider when starting up, how to price your wares, participating in shows and fairs, and tons more.

You can also sign up for the free weekly newsletter (I've been a subscriber myself for forever) and read and participate in threads on a variety of relevant topics with other professional artists.

It's definitely worth a look if you've never been there. Check it out, then let me know what you think.

Or, if this is old news to a seasoned vet like you, maybe you'll still consider sharing your thoughts? What's your opinion on the quality of information, and what other sites would you recommend for beginners?

Thanks for reading! Check back soon for the results - and reward? - to my hours of searching for an opensource pattern maker (aka picture converter) for embroiderers and cross-stitchers.

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Call for submissions!

Got a tip or resource to share? Drop a line to "stellarindie [at] gmail [dot] com" with the subject line "SUBMISSION" and the link, tip, tutorial or idea in the body of the email. Make sure to include your name and a link to your own site so I can give credit and a bit of free exposure for your time.

Suggestions for new site features or categories are welcome. I'm also looking for great handmade products to showcase, as well as potential interview features with makers, sellers, and groups like artists' organizations and Etsy street teams.

You heard it, boys and girls. Submit your own products, shop, site, or an organization you belong to, or recommend your favorites. If it's a good fit, I'll post a writeup here and send a free badge for your website or blog.

If you'd like to contact stellarindie for any other reason, you can send your thoughts to the same email. Thanks for reading - I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

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Shop indie at Etsy.com

Just a few months shy of their third anniversary, Etsy is a virtual wonderland for buyers, sellers, and lovers of all types of unique, handmade goods.

If you make and sell practically anything with your own two hands -- or if you sell vintage goods or crafting supplies -- chances are you probably already know it's a great place to sell online. (If this is you, skip ahead to the next post's call for submissions!)

If you make your own wares (or sell vintage or supplies) and this is the first you've heard of Etsy, you should definitely check it out. You can sign up for a free store with subdomain (yourshopname.etsy.com), and listings cost only $0.20 per single item for four months. (That's right. It's not a typo. If you like, you can tell 'em stellarindie sent you.) Just click "Sell" in the navigation bar at the top to get started.

Several innovative, fun and interactive features for finding fabulous goods can be found in the sidebar on the left, and just below these neat toys you'll find a list of the main categories to give you an idea of what can be bought and sold on the site.

A few other features of note:

Shop Local for finding sellers near you.
Help for info on buying and selling, site rules and terms of use, and more.
The Storque for site news and tons of helpful articles on everything from listing tips to handmade weddings.

Did I mention it's also the freakin coolest community of indie artists, crafters, and business people ever? It's true. Go now, and find out for yourself. ;)

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Hello!

Hi and welcome to stellarindie!

As a freelance artist/designer and generally crafty type person, I find I'm constantly researching everything from tutorials to marketing, to the best places to sell online and more.

Right now I'm at a point where I feel the need to shift focus... but to what, I'm not sure yet. So while I work it out, I'll be operating in support mode - by sharing my massive and ever-growing library of free and low cost resources to help you in YOUR business.

Occasionally I'll also showcase fabulous finds from independent artists - people who are making their creative businesses work through amazing art, ingenious products and marketing, wonderful customer service, and stellar contribution to the creative community.

This is a brand spankin' new project, so bear with me as I get it underway. In between posts I'll be tweaking the layout of the site, uploading graphics, arranging navigation and such. Suggestions are always welcome, so please do let me know what you think! :)

Thanks for reading and be sure stick around - there's lots to come!

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