When you're an artist working in any creative field for a long time, you see a lot of change. You grow, you evolve and you walk a tightrope between expressing yourself authentically and creating something that other people value and want to buy ... and that's not always easy! So, how do you know when it's time to move on and do something different?

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If you're starting out as an artist, selling your work can be daunting. Should you open an Etsy shop? Can you sell on social media? Do you need a website? This week, I'm here to guide you through some of the options for selling art, both online and in person, and give you some ideas you might not have thought of!

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Find some of my art dolls at Gallery 57 Ltd

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In this episode, to mark the creation of my 700th one of a kind art doll, I reflect on the things I've learned about doll making, running a creative business and life in general.

Video episodes can be found on the Spyderthread Youtube channel

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Here's where you can find some of the tools and materials I use regularly:

Quilting clips

Quilting cotton

Hemostats/Forceps

System3 acrylic paints

Liquitex fabric medium

Derwent Chromaflow pencils

Derwent Blending pencils

Line Maker ink pens

Clover Needle Felting Tool

Heidifeathers Felting Needles

Gutermann Top Stitch thread

[as an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases]

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These days it seems like everything is getting more expensive, so if you want to start a new hobby like doll making, or even turn it into a business to help pay the bills, buying everything you need can feel overwhelming, but don't worry! In this episode I have 7 tips for doll making on a tight budget.

Video episodes can be found on the Spyderthread Youtube channel

Find me on Instagram

Buy me a Coffee

Here's where you can find some of the tools and materials I use regularly:

Quilting clips

Quilting cotton

Hemostats/Forceps

System3 acrylic paints

Liquitex fabric medium

Derwent Chromaflow pencils

Derwent Blending pencils

Line Maker ink pens

Clover Needle Felting Tool

Heidifeathers Felting Needles

Gutermann Top Stitch thread

[as an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you're starting an art or craft business, the online world can feel like a very crowded place, so how do you stand out from the crowd and find your own unique artistic voice?

See what art dolls I currently have for sale

Check out this book for doll making techniques and inspiration:

Susanna Oroyan - Designing the Doll: From Concept to Construction

[As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I share how my doll making journey began, and discuss some of the things I wish I knew as a fledgling doll artist, including the best places to find information, the difference between making art dolls and toys, choosing the right materials and navigating copyright.

Here are some of the doll making books I found (and still find) helpful:

Susanna Oroyan - Designing the Doll [From concept to construction]

Susanna Oroyan - Finishing the Figure

Jan Horrox - Introduction to Making Cloth Dolls

(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)

The video episode is available at https://youtube.com/@spyderthread

Spyderthread art dolls can be found at https://spyderthread.com

If you would like to support the podcast, you can join the Creepy Cute Club at https://buymeacoffee.com/spyderthread

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Welcome to the Divergent Doll Maker Podcast, hosted by Jo Hards, the artist behind Spyderthread art dolls.

Jo is best known for the creepy cute, button eyed characters they bring to life on a narrowboat in Wales. As a late discovered autistic human, making dolls helped Jo to recover from a long period of burnout and opened the door to a full time career.

If you’re a new doll maker, or if you’ve ever thought about making dolls either as a hobby, or as a business, this podcast is for you. In each episode, Jo will share some of the things they wish they knew as a fledgeling artist. So make sure you follow or subscribe for stories and tips to inspire you to find your own creative spark and make dolls as unique as you are.

Video episodes will be available at https://youtube.com/@spyderthread

Jo’s art dolls can be found at https://spyderthread.com

If you would like to support the podcast, you can join the Creepy Cute Club at https://buymeacoffee.com/spyderthread

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.