Lend a Hand!

"In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us." Flora Edwards

The truth is this world can be a cold, harsh place. All too often we feel alone. All too often we feel abandoned. We turn looking for someone, looking for anyone. We reach out for help and no one is there. We are left to cope, to struggle, to mend alone.

The truth is this world can be a warm and caring place too. All too often we feel alone. All too often we feel abandoned. We turn looking for someone, looking for anyone. We reach out for help and a hand grasps ours pulling us back to safety. Sometimes that hand is a familiar friend. Sometimes that hand is a family member. Many times that hand is a complete stranger.

Most of us can't count the many times we have been helped out by some giving soul that has asked for nothing in return. Now, it's our turn to extend that hand - to pull someone back.

If you're not familiar with Larry Hamm, here's a little info about him (courtesy of Blockhead Radio):

Larry Hamm over at Chelsea Lynn Designs on Artfire is a friend of many in the world of handmade, he is also the voice of The Crazy Train on Blockhead Radio. Larry has a fantastic wife Janet, and an 8 year old son Jacob who live with him in Lansing, NC deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Larry is a friend to everyone and just an all around swell guy. He is most definitely the “shirt off your back” kind of friend. Right now, all of Larry’s friends and Blockhead radio are teaming up to help him out in a tough time.

Larry is a disabled diabetic who currently has lost his health insurance. His medication alone monthly is over $2,000. Larry is not receiving disability, he has not been approved yet. His wife is the only source of income and she doesn’t make enough to cover his medications. Larry’s doctors have given him an outlook of only 18 months to live if he doesn’t receive a $17,000 gastric bypass surgery as soon as possible. Larry and his family need all the help from their family and friends they can get! Jacob and Janet need Larry to hang around here with them as long as he possibly can! All of his friends surely want Larry to stick around too!

As you can see, Larry is in need of some help. The folks over at Blockhead Radio are having a Radiothon and Silent Auction hoping to organize the help Larry so desperately needs. But the only way this is going to work is if we all help out. Here are some ways you can help:

• Donate cash.
• Donate items for the Auction.
• Bid on items at the Auction.
• Spread the Word.

So please hop on over to http://blockheadradiolive.com/48forlarry and help out Larry!

Thanks for Voting - Please Vote Again!

I appreciate all of you who took the time to vote for my Easter Egglets in the blockheadradio Artisan's Challenge. They won the knitting, crochet, and needlework category! That means they move on to bigger and better things. They are now in the Weekly Challenge. (Basically, all of the category winners go up against each other this week.) Currently, my poor egglets are getting whomped so please take a moment and vote. It's super easy!

http://blockheadradiolive.com/artisanschallenge

If you hang around to vote in all of the categories, my Old McDonald and Wizard of Oz Finger Puppets are in the knitting and wild card categories.

Thanks you, thank you, thank you!

Vote For Me!

My Easter Egglets are in the Artisan's Challenge on BlockHeadRadio this week in the Knitting, Crochet, & Needlework Category. I'd love, love, love it if you would take a moment and go vote for me. It's super simple! Just follow the link below. And if you have some extra time, vote in all of the categories.

VOTE FOR EASTER EGGLETS

BY WEEKNIT AT BLOCKHEADRADIO

And if you haven't checked out http://www.blockheadradiolive.com/ you really should. It's a great place for artisans to promote and interact. Plus, it's loads of fun!

Where Are You Promoting?

My etsy shop www.weeknit.etsy.com will have it's two-month etsiversary tomorrow. While my mom (aka the Chief Knitwit) has been making finger puppets for decades, the whole online marketing game is still new to me. I'm learning as I go. Terms I didn't know just weeks ago are now part of my everyday lingo. (Blogging, Chatting, Forums, Threads, Posts, Tweeting....oh the list goes on and on.)




So my question today is where are you promoting? What have you found successful? What have you found ineffective? Pass your knowledge on to me and whoever else is looking for some direction.


I feel like my shop, for as new as it is, is doing well. However, I would love to learn from those of you who are saying, "Oh I've been there, done that!" So please comment and share your wealth of knowledge.


My personal knowledge is limited, but here's where I'm spending my time these days. What's working? What's not? I have no idea, but I'm having fun doing it!

• Etsy - I spend time promoting in both the forums and the chatrooms. I know some of my sales have been a direct result of interactions I've had in these places.
• My blog - If you're reading this, then you know I have a blog. It's effectiveness?? Hmmm.. you tell me. http://weeknit.blogspot.com/
• Twitter - I don't quite get tweeting. But I know through google analytics that twitter is sending quite a few clicks my way. http://www.twitter.com/weeknit Plus, it's doesn't take much time.
• http://www.byhand.me/ - This site seems to be up and coming. It's not a selling venue, but a place for artists to come together and a place for you to bring all your info together as well.
• Cafemom Etsy Moms (CEM) - Again, a great community of artisans. This time a great group of creators who happen to also have the job of mom. Fun contests, great interaction, friendly members. I would definitely say check them out. http://www.cafemom.com/group/6632
• http://www.blockheadradiolive.com/ My newest addiction. Listen to some fun and clever artists while chatting and interacting with other listeners (as well as the fun on air talent). Blockhead Rod and AGoodWitchToo are hilarious. Plus, they have a fun competition - the artisan challenge. The winner gets some free promotion. You can't beat that!

• http://www.weeknit.artfire.com/ Okay, so I just opened shop on artfire. I haven't spent a lot of time there yet. But I figured with a basic option that is free, you can't go too wrong.
• www.indiespotting.com You can click into their FAQs and get all the info. But again, free promotion rocks!

So what do you got? Please comment and share.