Arts ‘N Crafts Business Alliance

Colors have an amazing impact on our lives. From the red of our stop signs and traffic lights, to the ever important green of a dollar bill, color is integrated into every facet of our daily adventures. No where is this more clear, than in our art and in our artistic creativity.

Artists and designers are able to use color as a tool to capture our moods and emotions, to identify shapes and objects, and to convey messages. They use color almost like a gardener uses a shovel to dig in the soil. They poke us and prod us with harsh or depressing color mixtures, and they gently sway us or quiet our spirits with subdued or gentle pallets. Color can actually be the strongest element in any piece of artwork, due to the way it affects us on so many levels.

So, how about we look at a couple of the strategies for using color in our creative outlets and our designs, to have the greatest impact on our viewers and to help us become even more inspired.

Color adds a lot to any design, so we must be confident in our expression and use of it. There is a lot to learn from basic design theory, about color, so make sure you study color concepts thoroughly. For now, let us focus on two basics…

1. Experimentation is one of your most powerful strategies in using color. Never be afraid to try anything, with color, in your art. Discover relationships between different colors. Explore playful, soft, dark, bright, vibrant, and any other mixture of color with a fresh, new eye towards inspiration. Now, just to bring sanity back to the table, before you add new colors and inspirations to any piece you are already working on, please test your colors and combinations first. But the concept still rings true… experiment with and explore new colors.

2. Color wheels are another essential tool in any artist’s arsenal. Color wheels, paint chips, or even color reference books, like the “Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color”, or “Color Index: Over 1100 Color Combinations”, simplify the process of choosing colors by providing a reference for how colors work together. There is way too much to cover here, to make a color wheel understandable. Suffice it to say, whether you are a painter, a photographer, or any other artist, you will want some kind of color wheel, or color reference book, to help you get clarity on how colors relate and work together.

The most important thing to remember about working with color, in all your creative exploration, is to know that there is not, and may never be, a perfect combination. But, you can be confident in your own creative expression and artwork, if you will find colors that you enjoy, and that do not go against your own perception of great creative design.

Making homemade candles is not only fun and easy; it can also be a prosperous hobby. Imagine making money from something as fun and easy as making candles. Cashing in on your candle-making hobby has become a popular home business because it is relatively easy to get started. For one, it requires a relatively low cost to set-up and get started. Second, it is pretty easy to actually make the candles. After all, it started as the hobby of many people. The process of making candles in and of itself is pretty simple: simply melt down the wax, add different colors and all the scents you want, and then shape the soft wax into as many molds and shapes as you can possibly conceive. Making candles is the perfect marriage of functionality and fun. Moreover, it is possible to make money simply by creating your own little wax masterpieces.

If you decide that making candles for profit is something you want to try, consider the start up costs that you will need at the beginning. First, decide what kind of candles you will specialize in. Do you want to make paraffin candles or more natural beeswax candles? You should be aware that the start up costs of making natural beeswax candles will be substantially higher than making paraffin candles. However, although the start up costs will be higher if you decide to go with the natural beeswax candles, in the long run you will be able to charge more for these candles. What is the start-up difference between making the two different kinds of candles? You can expect to pay approximately $100 more at start-up if you decide to go with the natural beeswax candle model.

What equipment will you need to get started? The essential equipment you will need includes paraffin or beeswax to melt down (depending on which you choose), dyes, a wick, molds, scents and a special pan where you can melt the wax. The largest of these expenses will probably be the molds. Many of the larger molds can cost as much as $20 each. Many of these materials you may be able to get a hold of for much less by working with a wholesale supplier. There are many wholesale suppliers who can provide you with discounted supplies including wax, dyes, wicks, molds, scents, and other accessories you may need in order to start your candle making enterprise. Even though you don’t need a professional office or work area, it will definitely help keep things organized if you set aside a special area of your house to work in.

Should you take candle-making classes to ensure that the candles you make are professional looking? This definitely won’t hurt, but it is not entirely necessary either. You can always learn by doing. This is the preferred method for perfecting your candle making process. The more candles you make, the better they will look with each coming batch. If you don’t like the way your candles are turning out by themselves, consider using special candle making software. This can help cut down on the time you will need to learn how to make candles.

Once your candle making enterprise is up and running, it is time to see how you can market your candles. One option is to try to wholesale your candles to local shop owners that you are in contact with. Don’t be afraid to call up local shop owners to ask if they would be interested in carrying your own line of handmade candles. Try to set an appointment where you can bring in your candles for the storeowner to look over.