In addition to networking and activities that help us connect as a community of makers and business owners, the weekend will be chock full of speaker sessions, small business classes, panel discussions, and roundtables pertaining to topics that are particularly relevant to those of us in the world of craft businesses.
Want to infuse your Goals with “Reiki Magic”?
Reiki is a Japanese energy technique that supports relaxation, creativity, clarity, and healing. The PERFECT ingredients for manifesting our desires!
Creating a Vision Board is a fun, easy way to not only envision our goals, but to actually achieve them.
This workshop starts with clarifying journal prompts and a short collaborative discussion about your insights and your goals.
Then, you’ll lay back and experience a guided Reiki Healing Meditation. This meditation supports your connection to your intuition and further clarification about your desires.
From there, you create your Vision Boards!
And finally, we do an Intentional Gratitude Meditation to “Reiki Charge” the Vision Boards so you can go home with your own “Reiki Infused” Vision Board.
with Brigitta Dau
This class will outline which aspects of your business are the most important to keep track of, and strategies and suggestions for how to incorporate this into your everyday life so that you aren’t slammed with an overwhelming amount of work come tax-time.
We’ll cover why and how to track revenue, expenses (and which are deductible), business miles, home office expenses, and saving receipts. We’ll also have time for Q&A so bring your burning record-keeping questions!
with Lindsey Ross
Remember when you were young and any object was a few pieces of tape away from being a rocket ship? Imagination was easy to access, creativity was abundant, and play was part of every day. As adults, especially creative ones, play is just as important. Practicing play promotes creativity, helps broaden perspectives, and inspires new ideas. It also makes space for a testing ground where ‘success’ or ‘failure’ isn’t an important measure. In this class we’ll use unconventional materials to practice seeing familiar objects in a new way, challenging you to explore your imagination and make play part of your creative process.
with Zoe Osenbach
Are you looking to sell at more craft shows this year? Are you having difficulty getting into shows? Kristen and Heather will do a deeper dive into a myriad of topics from applying to vending. We will cover everything from picking the right shows for you, to how to apply if you are an omnicrafter, to photo submissions, to what to do at the show itself (or what to do if you are rejected).
Kristen has been a craft show vendor for 30 years and an organizer for nearly 18 years. Heather has been working in show production with various groups for 15 years. We hope to answer a lot of questions, demystify some of the process and leave you feeling excited to get in the craft show game once you leave. We HIGHLY suggest taking Chris Guillot’s class, Merchandising for Craft Shows & Pop-up Shops, right after this class to feel confident in your game from start to finish.
with Kristen Rask and Heather Peek
Join us for a 2 hour hands-on ecoprinting workshop where I’ll guide you through the process of creating beautiful eco-prints with an intention. We’ll start by soaking the fabric and exploring design ideas, then dive into crafting your unique patterns. I’ll be there to answer questions and offer feedback. While the bundles are steaming, I’ll answer any questions and discuss the complete ecoprinting process. Finally, we’ll unveil your stunning creations and discuss care tips. This workshop is a fantastic opportunity to laugh, have fun, and make lasting memories with friends while exploring your creativity.
with Atenas
This presentation is your comprehensive guide to mastering small business management, effectively serving as a “small business MBA in a box.” It covers essential topics including bookkeeping, financial management, email marketing, and strategic planning. You’ll learn crucial skills like when to take on debt, how to hire the right staff, setting appropriate pricing, and fostering a company culture that promotes growth and success. Ideal for business owners seeking to bridge the knowledge gap between their current operations and future achievements, this session will equip you with the universal tools needed to thrive in small business ownership.
with Kellie Phelan
Join us for a 2 hour hands-on ecoprinting workshop where I’ll guide you through the process of creating beautiful eco-prints with an intention. We’ll Learn fundamental bead-weaving techniques and cord management in this Beaded Coaster class. You will create your own set of usable and FUN coasters in Anna’s signature bead style! The skills you learn in this class will forge a strong foundation for further beadwork and the joy of 3-D bead creations.
with Anna Dong
While attending camp in 2024, I helped a lot of campers conquer their fear of posting to their social media. I saw the need for a BASIC workshop that will literally walk you through the steps from start to finish. I want to EMPOWER crafters to use the beautiful visuals their crafts provide and not be so precious about the tools of Instagram and Facebook – quick and dirty is OK! With phones in hand, together we will take photos & video to create a reel which becomes both a post and a story with tags, hashtags and music. We will figure out how hashtags can work for you, who you should follow for more followers and customers, and how to set up your profile so you don’t have to touch it again. Social media is an organic & free medium – let’s get yours working for you not against you!
With Nancy French
Learn how to do punch needle so you can create your own coasters, pillows, bags & rugs. Students will learn the basic aspects of punch needle and will master three different types of stitches.
Students will receive a kit that includes the following punch needle tools so you can continue your project at home – or start a new one:
* Amy Oxford Punch Needle – the Mercedes Benz of punch needles!
* Embroidery Hoop
* Cloth
* Students will have access to our large selection of wool yarn in all colors of the rainbow.
Students will be able to create coasters and/or hot plates with the provided supplies.
with Rosalie Gale
In this hands-on workshop, we’ll re-evaluate your current pricing strategies to reveal simple price adjustments that could have a dramatic impact on your bottom line. Through worksheet activities and practical exercises, you’ll learn techniques for setting and adjusting prices to reflect the true value of not just your product, but your time & effort. We’ll workshop techniques to help you break through common setbacks that accompany price increases, with real-world examples of how small price adjustments have made dramatic improvements to small businesses like yours.
with Katherine Raz
Do you have that nagging feeling that your online shop could be serving you better, but you’re not sure where to start? We’ll talk about four main areas of your homepage that you can brainstorm in class and adjust when you get back to work. Important topics will be:
– How to get your message and story clear
– How to establish trust
– How to plan smart navigation menus
– How to grow your mailing list
with Arianne Foulks
This class is designed for busy individuals who know they should have a business plan but need help figuring out where to start. Hint: most businesses don’t need 50-page business plans; instead, taking the time to write down the fundamental aspects of your business, understanding where and when to do market research, and having a basic financial plan are often all that is needed. This class will utilize the Business Model Canvas and other tools to expedite the planning process. The material in this course will be great for those just starting and those already working on their business.
with Domonique Juleon
Whatever stage your business is at, information is key to success, but can be expensive or time-consuming if you don’t know where to look. Join Supervising Librarian, Jay Lyman who will share some advanced research strategies to help you save money and time. You’ll discover databases that you can use for free, that will help with planning, marketing, site location and market analysis.
with Jay Lyman
Ready to grow your business and expand your customer market by selling wholesale? Or, already selling wholesale but struggling to get new accounts and re-orders? This course will help you create an effective wholesale strategy, that’s proven to build long term buyer relationships and grow your wholesale revenue without having to rely on fickle platforms like Faire that take money out of your pocket.
In this course you’ll learn how to build an effective wholesale strategy that’s easy to maintain, values driven, and builds sustainable long term revenue. This course is best suited for folks who have some basic understanding of what selling wholesale is or who have already begun to sell wholesale. It is strongly recommended that you have your own website and are not selling solely through Etsy/Faire.
with London Tierney
The rules for creative entrepreneurship is a workshop in which we each develop our own set of “rules” that we can follow as a way to stay on course in our creative entrepreneurship journey. Inspired by Sister Corita Kent’s famous list of rules, our “rules” is in quotes because there are no rules and they are meant to be broken. At the same time, we need them in order to create a container for us to hold our ideals and to remind us why we do what we do. This workshop gives you permission to create a values-based structure for your life and your business that reflects who you are as a person, and hopefully you will come away knowing yourself a little better.
with Chelsea Snow
Prepare to shift your perspective on email marketing and bring joy into your subscribers’ inboxes that feels like a ray of sunshine! In this class, you’ll discover how to kick-start (or refresh) your email list in a way that feels exciting, fun, and so YOU. You’ll leave empowered with a clear understanding of how to set the foundations, engage your list, and nurture your community with the long-term in mind. So you can show up, increase your sales results, and do it all without the ick.
with Isabelle Sarley
If you’re a creative looking to create content for your social media channels, this class is designed for you. We’ll be discussing what type of content you can create to promote your business. We’ll be covering topics like how to create a short-form video, how to write and record a voiceover, how to write captions, and more. We’ll also discuss on how to set up a simple content strategy for your brand and business.
with Emmalynn Cortes Ellendt
Camp ThunderCraft wouldn’t be nearly as awesome without our generous sponsors! All these wonderful businesses are helping out in some way to make sure the weekend is super fantastic.
