CraftMe.co.nz- Craft Ideas for kids- craft kits and art supplies for children- free online shopping NZ

CraftMe.co.nz- Craft Ideas for kids- craft kits and art supplies for children- free online shopping NZ
http://www.CraftMe.co
Spark your Child’s creative imagination with arts and crafts…
Arts and crafts seem to take a back seat with our kids today, instead to be replaced with the electronic age. Paintbrushes are being replaced with mobile phones; scissors and glue sticks are being replaced with PlayStation and iPods.
Kids need to have an outlet with which to develop their imagination, a place where they can re-engage and let those creative juices run wild. Arts and crafts have provided that outlet for many years, and continue to offer vast opportunities and activities for hours of fun-filled entertainment. There are a wide variety of ideas out there that kids can expand on to make their craft journey an interesting one.
Sitting down with a craft project keeps kids’ minds active, and these craft projects can be as inexpensive as you like, you just need to know where to look. Whether it is ready made kits, or gathering supplies to make a unique creation, the choices are limitless and rewarding. Have you ever noticed the look on your child’s face when they bring home a piece of their own artwork from school?
Arts and crafts have often been used as a learning tool. Many craft kits include a wealth of knowledge about the topic. When digging for Dinosaur bones for instance, your child will get to assemble the Dinosaur and understand what it looked like back in the day, as well as learning fun and interesting facts about their dinosaur.
Teach them all about recycling as well as the basic science behind robots when they build a Tin Can Robot. Or what happens when you mix Baking Soda and Vinegar together when they launch their very own Rocket!
They can learn the science behind Fizz while making some cool bath bombs; or what about the cool trick of Shrinky Dinks shrinking plastic. Kids can learn and have fun all at the same time.
There are arts and crafts out there suitable for all age groups. You don’t have to be a child to enjoy arts and crafts, in fact they are a fantastic opportunity for children and their parents to spend some quality time together having fun and being creative.
Many craft projects can be given as gifts. A handmade gift made by a child and given to a parent, grandparent, or friend become cherished keepsakes. The receiver understands the time, energy and love that have gone into the making of their gift. The child comes away with a feeling of deep satisfaction knowing that they’ve made something for someone that they can be extremely proud of.
But let’s not forget our littlies, capture their interest in arts and crafts at an early age, and nurture their creative streaks, find something they like doing and build on it. They may be interested in painting or folding paper aeroplanes. Making figures out of oven bake clay, or creating new fuzzy monkey friends they can carry around in their pocket. They may like to make cars out of pegs, or make their own twirly tutu to dance around the house in.
These activities along with many more will spark a child’s imagination, allowing them to come up with some exciting pieces of art or a thrilling craft project. Gather a whole bunch of craft supplies together and give them free rain, what they come up with will not only surprise and excite you but will work on those fine motor skills that are important in a child’s early development.
If it’s craft kits and supplies you are looking for, then our store on Craftme.co offers you just that. Come on in and take a look. Nina Billington, The Crafti Bug

CraftMe.co.nz: Artisan jewellery maker on New Zealand’s arts crafts online marketplace.

http://www.craftme.co
http://www.craftme.co
CraftMe.co: Another artisan jewellery maker is joining New Zealand’s arts and crafts online marketplace.
“We are pleased with the recent NZ designer to join us. “All Occasions”- handmade designer jewellery, designed by Sheila Sullivan has recently joined CraftMe.co. We are happy to start working together and excited to start promoting her recent line of designer jewellery for weddings on our website.” said Roy Rodriguez, the founder and the manager of CratMe.co.
We asked Sheila Sullivan, the designer behind “All Occasions” to give us some more details about her decision to open a new online store on CratMe.co:
“I have worked in the craft industry for many years, and I have always enjoyed making and sharing of craft, i can remember sitting at my mother’s feet embroidering as a young child, my mother was a craft enthusiast and i guess because i was the youngest and the only girl in the family it seemed natural that i would follow these interests also.
Throughout my own children’s younger years i was a knitter, rug maker, embroiderer and sewer. Then i was introduced into the world of Porcelain Doll Making, where i became very involved in the industry, becoming the president of the NZ Doll Federation, a group formed to join crafters of the doll making industry from all around new Zealand and to encourage excellence in their field. I am now a life member of that organisation.
I excelled in doll making winning many awards covering New York, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia, and was successful in selling high quality individual pieces to collectors everywhere. It was through this industry that I purchased the event Midwinter Doll, Teddy and Craft Festival which I successfully organised and ran for 12 years. During this time i undertook study at A.U.T and achieved a Diploma in Event Management, later adding a Small Business Certificate.
What has all this to do with jewellery you might ask? Well!! I just can’t stop!!! My creative hands and active brain had to try something new, so after making my first necklace, and having all my friends wanting one also, the jewellery creating has evolved into something that keeps my hands pretty busy. It’s my evening activity and I enjoy the relaxation that I get from playing with beautiful beads and designing amazing one off pieces to match that very special outfit for the special occasion, hence the business name all - Occasions. I conduct jewellery parties hosted by friends or business acquaintances from time to time and also sell direct to the public. I undertake commission pieces and have recently developed the “bridal suite” which is a small collection of jewellery for brides.
Developing my online store on CraftMe.co, starring as number one on so many Google searches, is another step in the process of building my strong brand. Surprisingly, in just a matter of minutes, I had my online store up and running. It’s a fast and easy online solution, well recommended to any other artist and craft person in New Zealand, who wants to go online at no time, in a quick and affordable way. Rather than just building your own website, join an ever growing marketplace for artists and craftsmen; what a bright idea!”
“We are welcoming “All Occasions” with open arms and excited to see more unique designs on CraftMe. Here for many years of successful and fruitful work”, conclude Rodriguez.

CraftMe.co Nz Artist painting auctioned for 4k- where to sell my art and craft online?

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CraftMe proudly announces: New Zealand’s artist painting auctioned for $4000
A painting by a local New Zealand artist has fetched 4000 NZD at an online auction.
An oil painting by a Devonport artist Daryl Lex Price was sold for 4000 NZD, a record high price for contemporary and modern paintings by a Kiwi artist on CraftMe.
The oil painting, called “The Truth of Alice”, has been sold at CraftMe New Zealand by the artist, only a few weeks after listing his artwork on the website. Price’s collection of artwork on CratMe.co valued at a total of 100,000 NZD. (Click here to read more).
The painting shows rural New Zealand countryside, ”A woman in white waits... locked in the remote countryside asylum for the visitor who never arrives” describe D. Price.
"The buyer wishes to remain anonymous; I can only tell that he is from Queenstown area. I am very pleased with the results. Presenting my art online is the only way to reach people in other areas, rather than just presenting in Auckland and Wellington. I opened my online gallery on CraftMe in a few minutes and got high results on Google searches in a matter of days. If it worked for me, it can work for other art and craft people. It is a great wake up call to my fellow artists: “If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got.”
“The price is a new record for CraftMe, an online marketplace for emerging artists and crafters in New Zealand” said Roy Rodriguez, the founder and the manager of CratMe.co.
“CraftMe is a growing collection of online galleries, allowing local artists to showcase their work in a quick and affordable way, while they gain high ranking on Google and other search engines.”
“We are so excited with this first major sale”, adds Rodriguez. “We hope to attract more local artists and help them to present their artwork on CraftMe, while creating a vibrant marketplace for arts and crafts. Artists in New Zealand must understand that they have to adopt new technologies and advertise their artwork on the internet. Exhibiting in galleries gains only a local exposure, while going online gets the artist national and international exposure. This publicity cannot be achieved by a small local gallery”.
“With more new members joining us every day, we are expecting exciting times ahead. The website is growing, we add more content, and continue the development of the project” says Rodriguez.
“We have international members from China, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, United Kingdom, USA and other countries. Our ranking on Google around the globe is very high. These valued members found CraftMe.co and registered with us, simply because they are in the market for New Zealand art. Why not offering them your art, if they are interested in seeing it? Let us help you with that, summarise Rodriguez.

Sell Craft! NZ Art Auctions, Craft Supplies Sale, Art Supply, NZ Artists Galleries, Kiwi Design, Fine Art Centre, FREE Kids Art Activities, Craft Ideas, Art History Lessons

Sell Craft! NZ Art Auctions, Craft Supplies Sale, Art Supply, NZ Artists Galleries, Kiwi Design, Fine Art Centre, FREE Kids Art Activities, Craft Ideas, Art History Lessons

Not just craft on CraftMe.co: New Zealand Artist is listing artwork valued at total of 100,000 NZD

http://www.craftme.co


CraftMe proudly announces the showcasing of distinguished New Zealand artist Daryl Lex Price’s artwork on their website. The inclusion of not only crafts people but also artists is an exciting step forward for this dynamic emerging company which aims to be the leading arts and crafts market in New Zealand.


Daryl Lex Price, a Devonport artist, just listed on CraftMe artwork valued at total of 100,000 NZD.


He says of his art:
”I have always painted; the last twenty five years fulltime. Thick paint, influenced by the 'impressionists' seems to be from where my style has evolved over the years.


The effects of light are endlessly fascinating to me and one day I'll get it right. Although some people think that it is pretty good now having purchased several of my works each.


While I paint full time, the amount of paintings I produce couldn't be described as prolific since I am driven to produce the best I can at the time with the desire and aim to put something special into each work.


I have participated in many NZ art exhibitions, and have received good comment and the occasional award for my work.


“I admire the determination of the CraftMe team” says Daryl. “A wonderful online gallery system has been created that delivers great results in Google searches.

As an artist it is important to gain both national and international exposure and CraftMe gives me that opportunity. In addition, the connectivity to facebook, twitter and Google from my online gallery makes marketing to thousands of potential customers a breeze. With only a few clicks of the mouse thousands of potential buyers can view my gallery and even order commissioned artworks.


“I hope that exhibiting my art, which looks great in my new online gallery on CraftMe, will encourage other New Zealand artists to join CratMe.co.


“With more and more people researching a potential purchase of art on the internet, it is essential that all artists and craftsmen have an online presence. The ability to process online sales for those customers who are comfortable purchasing in this way is essential for artists in our modern technology driven environment.” says Roy Rodriguez, CraftMe founder and manager.


CraftMe is excited to help fellow artistic kiwis to market themselves, in a quick, affordable and effective way. It is a growing marketplace where all creations- unique, handmade, vintage, handcraft, artisan, art & craft (and supplies) can be bought and sold, commission free.



Source: http://www.craftme.co

Craftme.co- 4 easy tips for your craft shop: How to Reduce Craft Show Costs

http://www.craftme.co brings you: 4 easy tips for your craft shop: How to Reduce Craft Show Costs
You probably just started to present in art and craft market. There are so many of them in New Zealand, the main ones are in Auckland.
So you ask yourself: how do I reduce my costs, so I can generate a better income from my art and craft store.
I found that it is not always easy to reduce your costs. You can be creative with how you peel your art and craft show costs down, so let me help you with that. I figured that there are at least 4 main ways to trim down your costs, without sacrificing the quality of your art and craft, nor affecting the general sales.
Tip number 1: Buy your supplies in bulk - You do it for your foodstuff in order to save a few cents, so why not on your art and craft supplies? Think about it, if you are buying pipe cleaners for example, a paper for your origami craft or wood for your woodwork and you only need 10, it might cost you $5 - because you are paying for a single packaging and the convenience of only purchasing 10. However, if you bought 100 units instead of one, in a grey cardboard box - you might pay only $2 per unit. All of a sudden you have dropped your cost tremendously on each craft item that you create. So that's smart business tip- pinch pennies from your material cost.
Tip number 2: Use less frequent trips to your art shop. We all live in an instant satisfaction world. We already got used to idea that if we need something right now, we go and get it on the spot. There is no difference when you work on your creation and need a couple of supplies for you unfinished handmade work. You probably often take it for granted that there is fuel in the vehicle and that you can travel across town to your favourite craft store that sells your supplies. With the rising costs of fuel, it makes more sense to buy your art and craft supplies online and save your fuel costs. If you already going to drive to your art store, buy more items that you may need in the future for your craft projects. Step by step, you are going to save a great deal of time and money for your craft show business expenses bill.
Tip number 3: Reduce and reuse your craft materials and tools. You can reduce the amount of waste you create with your craft show items. By doing so you are going to cut down on the costs of producing your craft items for sale. In the same way, try to reuse some of the tools or art supplies that have previously gone unused. Be creative and save money- always find ways to make a little go a lot further. Remember, you can recycle, but do not sacrifice the quality for your arts and crafts projects.
Tip number 4: Plan your artwork. Think about the above tips to help you to make more money from your craft (online and offline) and get your craft show budget plan. Plan when and how much you are going to spend will help you to make to make good decisions and reduce your costs of producing your arts and crafts projects. Those who are not planning ahead buy less material, spend more money on travelling and they are very likely in the end to waste more supplies and pollute our environment. We all know that this is not the way to build your successful art and craft business.
Each dollar that you save when you are making your crafts is a dollar that is back in your back pocket. If you can reduce your costs by $1 for each craft, and you sell 1000 crafts, that is $1000 extra money in your hands. All of a sudden, reducing costs seems very important for your work.

CraftMe.co- Obama economy-

Tools and Equipments Required For Decoupage Project
Decoupage (or Découpage) is the art of decorating an object by gluing coloured paper cut-outs, combining special paint effects, silver or gold leafs onto a flat base and then varnished. Commonly an object like a small wooden box or an item of furniture is covered by cut outs from magazines or from special purpose manufactured papers. Each layer is sealed with varnishes (most often multiple coats) until the "stuck on" finished product appearance disappears and the result looks like painting or inlay work. The traditional découpage technique used 20-50 layers of varnish which were then sanded to a last polished finish. This was known in 18th century England as The Art of Japanning after it was presumed its origin in Japan.
One of the advantages of decoupage is that it requires very little equipment, and it's likely that you already have the tools that you need to get started with your first project.
Only few tools are essential for decoupage. Among them you can find scissors, glue, varnish, cotton swabs, damp rag and an assortment of images of all kind of sources. You can also take advantage of more tools, which are not always necessary for your decoupage project. These tools may include : paintbrushes, rollers, tweezers, craft knife, cutting mats, craft sponge, long metal ruler, coloured pencils, water-soluble pen and decoupage medium.
You can create your Decoupage project at home while you need the following ingredients. We give you some tips how to create most of them at home, without the need to buy expensive materials in art and craft shops. You need:
Good Glue. There are so many brands of glues available, some made specifically for decoupage. From my experience, white PVA glue makes excellent glue, although some glues may need to be diluted a little with water before using it. For simple Decoupage projects, you can mix two parts clear drying craft glue with only one part water. Decoupage glues may be used full strength most of the time, except on glass where they should be diluted.
You can simply use the following recipe for making your own glue if you find it difficult to obtain decoupage glue: ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of flour, ½ teaspoon of powdered alum, 1¾ cups of water, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon oil. Simply mix the sugar, flour, and alum in a medium sized saucepan. Increasingly add the one-cup of water, stirring strongly to break up any lumps. Boil until clear and smooth mixture while you stir it constantly. Remove from heat and add the remaining water and oil, stirring until it is thoroughly mixed. Put into a screw top container and use it for your Decoupage projects.
Glaze. You can mix together three parts PVA glue with one part water. Then, you add more water if necessary. Add two tablespoons of varnish, for shine, to enhance the glimmer of your work . Put into a screw top container.
Cotton Swabs. These are used to spread the glue around. They are a very cheap alternative to paint brushes, so get yourself many of them and keep them handy.
Scissors. Keep your scissors as sharp and clean as possible, because certain paper cuts can gradually blunt scissors. It is better to have a pair of scissors put aside solely for decoupage and always try to use them in cutting fine sandpapers. It will keep them sharp and clean. Embroidery scissors, which are well known by it’s sharpen are great for decoupage and curved scissors can be helpful also in cutting out unique awkward shapes. You also may need to use a craft knife or scalpel when cutting intricate parts of decoupage or parts from inside the illustration itself.
Damp Rag. Damp rags will help you to wipe up any excess glue that leaks out, as you don't want the residue to lie on top and ruin your Decoupage artwork.
Clearly, Decoupage can be one of the cheapest crafts around. Although you can buy expensive supplies made specifically for decoupage, you can also use supplies that you probably have lying around the house. Good luck with your new Decoupage project!


Have a crafty day, and thank you for your reading,
Roy Rodriguez, MBA
http://www.CraftMe.co
Founder and Manager


Roy Rodriguez has been appointed Chief Executive Officer for Auckland ecommerce solutions software developer http://www.CraftMe.co Ltd. Rodriguez joins the company from Up4Sale Ltd, where he was general manager. Before joining http://www.CraftMe.co , Rodriguez gained an extensive experience in business development, management, sales, marketing and engineering roles in the software, technology, communication and security sectors in New Zealand. Rodriguez brings his technical expertise, entrepreneurship flair, vision and leadership required of this significant role. Rodriguez holds MBA and 2 Electronic Engineering degrees.

http://www.CraftMe.co is a growing collection of quality NZ art and craft online stores, where you can showcase your art, craft, hobbies and artistic services in one location, tell more about yourself, sell your items, accept credit card orders and invoice your customers directly.
It is a place to buy and sell all things unique, handmade, vintage, handcraft and supplies.