Social Media Optimization - Part 2

Here is a very brief summary of the next installment of Artfire's Social Media Optimization. The segment relates to micro-blogging sites such as Plurk and the popular Twitter .

The following are 5 steps to Tweeting greatness and are very similar to the one for blogging success.

• 1. Be involved.


• 2. Update frequently.


• 3. Have a goal.


• 4. Use all available tools.


• 5. Watch other tweeps.

If you are already a tweeting veteran then these are just reminders of things you already know.

Six steps to get your new Twitter account started.

• 1. Register - when you register use your studio name
• 2. Set up a Tweet schedule. Determine the amount of Tweets per day that you want to do.
• 3. Hit the forums. Here you can let other sellers know your Twitter information. Follow your favorite shops and post your Twitter name and information so others follow you.
• 4. Don't forget your widgets. You can add several different kinds of widget to your Artfire studio.
• 5. Find your audience. Find people who talk about things that interest you. Search Twitter forums to find discussions you can jump into and contribute.
• 6. Make use of the many applications. Some of the top applications are Tweet deck, Twit-seeker, and Tweet Later.

As we have said this is just a very brief summary but it will give you some idea of the helpful information that Artfire provides to its sellers. If you are interested in more information you need to check out Artfire, we have provided a link below. This is a community of very talented, friendly and helpful artistic sellers along with an unbelievably friendly, helpful and responsive administrative staff and technical staff. Artfire is The Place To Be!

We have provided our link to Artfire should you wish to check it out and sign up and join us!

Two Artisan Sisters Artfire Mavens Update

This week is Social Media Optimization (SMO for short) week at Artfire. The first installment of information is on blogging and what makes a good and interesting blog. Here is the list of 8 things to remember when you are writing your blog. Here is a brief summary:

• Be genuine. Write about things that interest you or that you love and enjoy.
• Be real. Add personal touches to let the readers know the person behind the blog.
• Have a goal. It can be as simple as "informing my readers" or "thought provoking".
• Use pictures. Even the most interesting newspaper articles have pictures.
• Keep it fresh. Update often with new an fun material.
• Keep it Brief. Usually around 500 words is a reasonable length.
• Preview your post. By doing this you can catch any errors and fix them before going public.
• Engage your readers. you can do so by things such as "part 2 coming soon" or"sign this petition" or ask for comments.

We always try to do all of the above but there is always room for improvement and we will certainly try to do so in the future.

Part 2 coming soon!

Two Artisan Sisters Selected As Artfire Mavens Marketing Team

Two Artisan Sisters is honored to have been selected as one of Artfire's Mavens Marketing Team. Members of the Maven Marketing team will be privy to insider information about all of the latest happenings at Artfire. The Mavens will be the folks to check with to keep up to date will all of the new developments on the Artfire site! Believe me there is always something new and spectacular going on at Artfire! It is definitely the place to be for both buyers and sellers alike!
This past week the administration has had there tech folks posting lessons for the seller on Search Engine Optimization or (SEO) for short! Wow! Talk about great information! Of course it has meant a great deal of additional work for Two Artisan Sisters as we have had to go back through all of our product listings in order to implement the suggested changes. Now we have to wait and see how long it take to pay off. Check back here often and we will let you know the latest developments!
This past week has been very eventful for Two Artisan Sisters as we have also opened our studios to the International market! Looking forward to finding new customers and friends in far away places!

MIDWEST REGIONAL MEETING OF A. C. GILBERT HERITAGE SOCIETY

Two Artisan Sisters was recently privileged to host the A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society at its Midwest Regional Meeting which was held here in Lafayette, IN at Faith Baptist Church Community Center. The A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society was founded in 1993 and is a not for profit organization of enthusiasts and collectors of his famous Erector sets, Mysto Magic sets, American Flyer trains and a list of other toys that you probably never knew existed.



The purpose of the society is to collect, preserve and promote A. C. Gilbert toys as well as to study the life of the man and his wonderful manufacturing company. In addition, members do research and network with each other to identify sets, their parts, the year of manufacture, original layouts, set inventories and the manner in which they were marketed. Some members are also Erector model builders.



Should you wish to join this group of enthusiasts, A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society member ship includes the following benefits:

• Quarterly newsletter packed full of color photos as well as black & white, articles, restoration tips, for sale and wanted ads.


• National membership directory


• Annual, fun-filled conventions with tables of Gilbert treasures for sale, auctions, lots of informal socializing and information-sharing. Some areas of the country also have regional meetings in addition to the annual meeting.

Annual Dues are $25.00

For More information:

Call: Ken Weinig, Secretary/Treasurer, 1-302-737-5537 or e-mail him at kweinig@comcast.net

To join, go to : http://www.acgilbertheritagesociety.com/ and click on "Join Us"

TwoArtisanSisters

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In Celebration of National Zipper Day Today

Did you know that today Tuesday, April 28, 2009 is National Zipper Day? I had no idea there was such a holiday until I recently read an article in the newspaper that pointed out that few people have any real appreciation for the lowly zipper which keeps their clothes fastened together. It's history records a slow birth and many years of rejection, but the zipper eventually found its way into everything from pencil cases to space suits to countless "fly" jokes.

One of the first zippers was actually invented by Elias Howe in 1851, but did not reach the market as Howe was preoccupied with the sewing machine that he had patented in 1846. Whitcomb L. Judson who loved making many different kinds of gadgets came up with a slide fastener for a friend who had back problems and could not tie his shoes. In August 29, 1893 he patented his new "clasp locker"These clasp lockers were used by the apparel industry by 1905 but were not consider practical.

The design actually used today which is based on interlocking teeth, was invented by an employee if Whitcomb Judson's, Swedish born Gideon Sundback in 1913 he patented the "hookless fastener". Later improvements were made in 1917 that became known as the "Separable Fastener."One of the first customers was the U.S.Army as it used the zippers on clothing and gear for the troops of World War I.

In 1925, B.F. Goodrich decided to market galoshes with Sundback's fasteners and the product became very popular, because these new galoshes could be fastened with a single zip of the hand. A Goodrich executive is said to have slid the fastener up and down and exclaimed "Zip 'er up," echoing the sound made by the clever device, hence the fasteners came to be called "zippers."

In the 1930's a sales campaign was started featuring zippers in children's clothing praising zippers for promoting self-reliance in young children by making it possible for them to dress themselves in the self-help clothing. The zipper beat out the button in 1937 in the "Battle of the Fly" when French fashion designers raved over zippers in men's trousers. The zipper was declared the "Newest Tailoring Idea for Men" and among it's virtues was that it would exclude "The Possibility of Unintentional and Embarrassing Disarray." Obviously, the new zippered trouser owner had not yet discovered the experience of forgetting to zip-up!

The next time you zip-up perhaps you will have a little more appreciation for this very useful invention that is so much taken for granted.

TwoArtisanSisters

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14 Uses For Coffee Filters

The following were sent to us from our Aunt who is always coming up with neat things that you never think about. The following are some terrific uses for plain old coffee filter that you can purchase at stores like the Dollar store, Dollar tree, or Big Lots for $1.00 and get 1000 of them.

1. They are great to cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave.
2. They are excellent to use to clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. They are great to use to protect China, by putting a coffee filter between each dish.
4. They work great to filter broken cork pieces from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. They work great to apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter to apply and ball up one to polish with afterwards.
7. They work great to recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. They are great to use to weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. They are great to hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. They work great to stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from dropping through the drainage holes.
11. They work great to prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. They work great if you put a few on a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc. on them as they will soak up all of the grease.
13. They are great to keep in the bathroom as they make great "razor nick fixers."
14. Last but not least, they work great in a Coffeemaker!!

By making use of these terrific ideas for using coffee filters, you should be able to save enough money so that you can spend your money on more pleasurable things like something from Two Artisan Sisters studio!

TwoArtisanSisters

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Green Tips For The Kitchen

The following are several tips for greener ways to cook and clean up.

• A full freezer is an energy saving freezer, so one of the best ways to save is to buy in bulk whenever possible and fill your freezer with what can not be used immediately. This is great for buying fresh vegetable and fruit in season and freezing them. We love to go to a local farm and pick strawberries and blueberries in the spring and early summer and freeze large quantities for use during the long winter months until it is time to pick a fresh batch the next year!
• We have also learned to practice no waste when undertaking baking by using silicone baking mats on baking tray instead of parchment or foil and we also use silicone muffin holders rather than the paper ones that always seem to stick to the muffin or cupcake.
• Another way to save energy in the kitchen is when you are needing to boil a pot of water to put a lid on the pot to prevent the heat and therefore energy from escaping. Doing this not only saves energy but also money with the high costs for electric and or natural gas these days.
• Another item that bears watching also with regard to pots on the stove is their size in relation to the size of the burner on which they are placed. Quite naturally large pots require more energy to heat than smaller ones, so make sure that the pot is always centered on the heating element or flame to get the most benefit from the energy expended. Whenever possible use the same pot for cooking multiple foods.
• Another money saving tip is to avoid opening the oven while baking. As tempting as it is to open the oven door to check and look at what you are cooking the temperature of the oven can drop from 25 to 50 degrees in that period of time, so resist the urge and save energy and also money.
• Running a dishwasher when it is totally full without pre-rinsing the dishes uses less water than hand washing them. To make the most of the energy expended run the dishwasher only when completely full and skip the heat drying cycle and air dry them.
• Unplug and turn off electric switches and appliances when not in use. It may seem insignificant but the savings can add up. Always be sure to turn off things like lights and ceiling fans when you leave a room and are not coming back to it in the next few minutes. a Pulling out your small appliances when they are not in use is another way to save electric, as they still draw a very small amount of current even when they are turned off.

The above items are all things that we have implemented ourselves and have found that they do work and do save energy and in turn money! We hope that if you are not currently doing these things that you will try them. With all the money and time that you will be saving, it will give you plenty of time and money to spend shopping at Two Artisan Sisters.

TwoArtisanSisters

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