What is Craftori?

Craftori is a photo gallery site for arts, crafts and vintage.  Whether you wish to inspire others or sell your hand-crafted items, this is the place for you.
We have strict criteria so you can shop with peace of mind that all items are 100% handmade or vintage.  We have lots of gift guides so if you’re stuck for an idea, you can be inspired here.   All transactions are direct with the seller and all links will take you to their selling venue.
If you’re a Seller, then Craftori is the ideal venue where you can showcase your very best products.  This will not only give you more visibility to a different audience, but will also give you a much improved online presence via backlinks.  We actively promote the site.

What is not permitted on craftori?

– no military (inc weaponry or hunting related items)/patriotic/political items
– no religious items
– pornographic, x-rated, erotic or adult-type content
– anything else that may cause offense
– no free giveaways
– no items with urls/logos/shop names/date stamps/descriptive wording on the images (subtle, illegible watermarks permitted)
– no items with real animal fur or skin from animals killed for their fur or skin alone or exotic species
– no services of any kind including graphic design
– no resellers
– no businesses involving more than 2 people, co-operatives, collectives, galleries or charities
– badly photographed items
– no supplies in the free categories or paid front page, only in paid supplies section
– duplicates of items already uploaded or very similar items, ie a different size/color
– blog posts that are not tutorials
– items with possible copyright or trademark infringements
– items that have sold
– items that are out of Holiday season (upload holiday items 2 months before)
– items advertising a sale
– digital files/products and/or downloads (except in supplies categories if they are patterns/tutorials)
– items not handmade by you and manufactured by a third party (prints of original photos/art are permitted)
– composite images containing more than 2 photos
– items linking to ebay, Opensky, Facebook or other social media
*We do not permit military, political, patriotic or religious items because we do not wish the site to appear to lean towards any faction. We do however permit spiritual content.
**The site is moderated by several people who monitor the site around the clock.
***Sellers who continually submit their items disregarding our submission criteria, will have their accounts locked without further notice or explanation.
**** Sellers who do not manage their author pages by removing sold or unavailable items may have their accounts locked.

NOTE TO JEWELERS:
Please take care to only upload your VERY best items. Craftori is a showcasing site and as such, it is not necessary to upload your entire inventory.  Only the best quality images will be permitted.  We are strict in this category due to the large volume of submissions.

NOTE TO VINTAGE SELLERS:
Take care to upload items that are genuinely old. We’re looking for rare, unusual, unique or antique. Do not upload items that can still be bought today, ie not a string of acrylic beads or a plastic egg slicer. We also do not wish to see electrical appliances. Please also ensure you submit only good quality images. This is a popular category so we have to be strict to keep it effective. Please also ONLY place vintage items in the vintage categories and not in the handmade categories.

FREE TUTORIALS:
The tutorials categories get a huge amount of traffic on the site so if you have a free tutorial you wish to add, please do so.  Please ONLY add them to the Tutorials categories since these do not expire.  Please do not link to YouTube and only upload free patterns and/or tutorials to these categories.  All links must go directly to the Tutorial and must go to the original author page.  Paid patterns or tutorials must be submitted to the Supplies Categories.

What username should I use?

Your username should ideally be the name under which you trade, ie your store name.  It cannot be anything that resembles a url link.  It is not possible to change your username but if you make an error, it is possible to change your publicly displayed name from your profile page.  Just go to ‘my profile’ and enter a different nickname there. Update your profile. Then click on the name from the drop down menu and update your profile again.

Which items are considered to be copyrighted?

These are just some of the brands and companies whom police their trademarks and copyright content vigorously.

– Orla Kiely – no items made from Orla Kiely fabric, or patterns or mentioning Orla Kiely can be submitted.
– Hergé – no Tin Tin or other Hergé items can be submitted.
– Getty Images – No stock images to be used form Getty images unless a license has been granted.
– ‘Taggies’ – this is a registered trademark for tag blankets so can’t be used to describe any items.
– London Underground – The Underground map and logo, New Johnston font and the London Transport Museum poster and photograph collections are protected by copyright.
– Jean Greenhowe patterns – all patterns are for personal use only. This means that products made from Jean Greenhowe patterns can NOT be sold.
–‘Zingy’ (the mascot for EDF energy’s ‘Feel Better Energy’ campaign) – designed and owned by BeatBots LLC. No items depicting the mascot can be submitted.
– LUSH cosmetics. The word “Lush” is not to be used when describing cosmetic or toiletry products.
– GERBER owns the rights to the word ‘ONESIE’ and no products can be described using this word.
– SANRIO owns the rights to ‘Hello Kitty’ – do not use it to describe any similar products and do not copy their items for resale
– TUPPENY HOUSE DESIGNS owns the right to the term ‘memory cushion’
– SARAH KAY – no Sarah Kay hand-stamped items are permitted to be sold online

Items which are allowed:
– Cath Kidston said using Cath Kidston fabric is fine as long as it is clearly described. So “Bag made from Cath Kidston fabric” is okay, but “Cath Kidston bag” is not.
– Alan Dart – items made from Alan Dart patterns can be listed, but must be credited to him
– Amy Butler fabrics usage is allowed – the ‘not to be used for commercial uses’ notice on the fabric selvedge will be removed in the future.
– Fanart will be permitted as long as the derivitive is not the same or very similar to the original. We reserve the final say in what we’ll permit on the Craftori site.

I’ve tried to register but where’s my confirmation email?

Please ensure that you do not mis-spell your email address.  We are getting many undelivered mails with mis-spelled addresses.  Please also check your spam folder in case it’s ended up there.  It needs to be a valid email address that you use.  If you still have not received confirmation, then please use the contact form with your details and we’ll look into it.

Why was my item removed?

The main reasons for images being removed from the site are:

– links going to pages or sites other than for the item in question or links not going to a selling venue
– quality of photography
– unsuitable content, ie an item not fitting the site criteria or a non-craft related item
– url or blatant advertising
– overloading of tags
– username looks like a url
– supplies in free categories
– image was too small
– links and other advertising in descriptions and titles
– pricing in the title/description
– item was a duplicate of a previous submission
– possible copyright or trademark infringement
– the item is sold
– all text in capital letters

How many images can I upload?

There is currently no limit of submissions you can make.  However, we would discourage anyone from uploading their entire inventory.  If you use Craftori as a showcase for your very best products/images, then you will get the best results.  Each author page shows 60 items, any more than this and the page will have to be refreshed to see the rest.

What happens if my item sells?

We ask that you remove any sold or unavailable items to stop your items and that of others which are for sale from being buried.  This also stops our shoppers from being irritated.  Before you begin uploading new items, take a moment to visit your author page by clicking on ‘my profile’, then ‘my posts’ which will take you to your author page.  You can remove the sold items by clicking on the title of the item and then scroll down and click on x delete.

Do I retain copyright of my images?

Absolutely!  We do not take ownership of your images for any purpose.  You upload them to the site and we drive traffic to Craftori, that’s all we do.  All images MUST link direct to the item in question.  By uploading your images, you give us permission to display them on Craftori and other social media sites.  If you do not wish your items to be used for publicity, then please do not make submissions.

Will my item appear on the front page?

Only paid submissions to the Front Page appear on the front page.  Items submitted to the general Categories only appear in the relevant Categories.  To submit to the Front Pages, go here. Choose front page and a payment box will appear at the bottom of the upload form.  Occasionally we may choose seasonally related items to be featured free of charge on the front page. These will be chosen by admin on the merit of subject and quality of photography.

What size should my images be?

The optimum size for images on the site is 800 x 800 pixels (or 800 x 600).  Images should not exceed 2MB in size and should not be less than 600 x 600 pixels.  If you upload smaller than this, then it will not display correctly on the site and your item will be removed.

How long will my listings stay on Craftori?

Items to the free categories will expire automatically after 4 months.  We also have a delete function on the individual items (click on title) so that you are able to manage your own author pages.  We may remove out of season items from time to time.  Items we find that are no longer showing as available or sold will also be removed from time to time.

TUTORIALS do not expire.  They will remain on the site indefinitely.

Which pages are paid and which are free?

All of the main categories are free.  The only payable sections of the site are the Front Page, Supplies and the Gift Guides.  You can hover your mouse over the ‘upload’ link and choose whether you want the free sections or the paid sections. The supplies section is by monthly subscription for unlimited uploads.

How much does it cost to upload to the paid sections?

Front Page: $5 per week per item (choose 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks)
Gift Guides: $3 for 1 month (choose 1, 2 or 3 months) per item
Supplies: $6 for 1 month unlimited items (expire after 1 month)

To submit to the front page or gift guide sections, you use upload form but select either ‘front page’ or ‘gift guides’ sections from the categories.  A drop down menu will appear at the bottom of the upload form where you can select your payment.  Once you have clicked on the ‘submit’ link, you will be taken to Paypal to make your payment.

To submit to the supplies section, click on upload to supplies section and you will be asked to pay for a subscription of $6 per month.  You can then upload unlimited amounts of items to the supplies section.  All items will expire after having been published for 1 month, ie if you upload on the last day of your month’s subscription, those items will stay published for 1 month.  You can cancel your subscription on Paypal at any time but please note that no refunds will be given if you cancel before the month is up.
We do not keep any credit card details, all transactions take place on Paypal which is secure.

What is the benefit of adding items to the paid sections?

Generally the benefit of all the paid sections is that they are more exclusive and your items will therefore be more visible. We also occasionally drive traffic to our paid sections, and due to the very high number of page views and unique visitors we get each month, front page items get a lot of views.

The front page is the page most visitors first land on and items here get the most visibility. Items on the front page tend to also be the most favorited. We have a sidebar widget on all single post pages which means that your item could also be in the top 5 favorited items and be visible on all of those pages.

The Gift Guide sections are very popular pages that are visited a lot. Shoppers love to be given suggestions for gifts and this often leads to sales. The gift guide section was really popular on our old etsyLush.com site and sellers told us they made sales as a result. We also actively drive traffic to these pages.

If you are a supplier, you are able to reach your target audience direct since most of our members are artists or crafters and need supplies. Paying just $6 per month to reach your target audience we feel is great value.

Which category should I place my submission in?

Choose a category that best describes your item.  If items are placed in the wrong categories, they will be removed from the site so do take care to place them correctly.

I made a mistake, how can I edit my submission?

It is not possible to make edits on the Craftori site as we would not be able to keep spam off the site.  Submissions are checked as they come in and once only.  We do not have the resources to contantly check the website and check edits.  For that reason, you need to take care when uploading.  I you have made an error, then you can delete the item by clicking on the title and scroll down to x delete.  You can then resubmit.

What kind of Tutorials can I upload?

Tutorials attract a huge amount of traffic so these are an excellent way to receive traffic to your blogs or websites.  The tutorials we are looking for are those that are free, they must not be tutorials for sale (those should go in the supplies section). They must be complete tutorials, not going to Part I or II and they must show step-by-step instructions.

What is the difference between a fine art print and a reproduction?

A Fine Art Print is an image created by an artist from a plate, stone, block, ie lithographs, stencils, etchings etc. Prints are numbered and signed in pencil by the artist beneath the image, after the edition is printed.  These should go in the ‘Printmaking’ category.  A reproduction is a print which has been mechanically reproduced and where the artist had no creative input.  These prints should go in the ‘Reproduction’ category.  Limited Edition runs may apply to both Reproduction Prints and Fine Art Prints

What is classed as sugar crafts?

The sugar crafts category is for things like cake toppers or sugar craft flowers and/or decorations, not for perishable foods like biscuits, cakes or jams or other things with a short shelf life.  We are not a cookery site. There must be artistic skill involved, not just cooking skill and the emphasis must be on craft.

How can I see what I have submitted?

If you are logged in, you will see a ‘my profile’ link at the top of the page.  Click, they you will see a ‘my posts’ link.  If you click on it, you will see all of the posts that you have submitted.  This is your own unique page.  It has a url unique to only you.  This page can be used for marketing purposes.

Will I be notified if my posts are taken off the site or not?

Currently it is not possible for us to notify sellers automatically when items are removed but when we can, we will send an email outlining any issues with submissions.  We ask that you do not write to us for reasons why their items were removed.  Please check the critiria above carefully to see why your submission may have been removed.  Multiple erroneous submissions could result in your account being permanently blocked.

Occasionally it happens that we have written to a Seller but they do not read or receive our email and continue to upload in the same manner.  When this happens, we will lock the account so that contact is made.  Generally accounts will be unlocked again once we know the Seller has received our information on how to submit.

What happens if I need to delete an item?

You can delete your items by going to your author page (my posts) and then click on the title (not the image) of the item you wish to delete. Once you have opened the individual post, you will then see the X delete at the bottom.  Click this and your post will be deleted.

Where do transactions take place?

To view a Seller’s shop, click on the item you like and it will take you direct to the selling venue from which you can make a purchase.
No transactions take place on www.craftori.com.  All your links should go directly to your listing or shop.  It is not good practice to make visitors have to search for the item by having to click multiple times in any event.

Can I link to my shop or my website?

You can link the item to any SELLING venue other than ebay.  You cannot link to ebay because of the expiry of auctions. You cannot link to Opensky because people have to be registered in order to see your items. You also cannot link to Facebook or any other social media site.  Links must go direct to the item image you have posted.  Do not link to blogs as this is a shopping site and it can irritate people looking to purchase something.  Anyone trying to link elsewhere and not relating to the item will be stopped from using craftori.com. 

Can people submit under different names?

There is no need to have multiple accounts on www.craftori.com as you can upload unlimited images going to any venue.  If you do wish to have separate author accounts because you have multiple shops, this is permitted within reason.

What should I put in the title?

Do not make your titles look like tags or over-punctuate them and DO NOT write in capital letters.  We use the titles to promote your items so make sure they read like a phrase so that it is interesting for our viewers.  Remember too that our search function does not work the same as on your selling venue.  Keep the title space for the name/description of the item ONLY. Do not add your name/shop name, prices, urls or any other information like ‘free shipping’ ‘ready to ship’ or ‘sale’.  Make the title relevant to the item and ensure that you say what the item actually is as this will provide results with our search function as well as search engines.  Items with prices or overuse of sales pitch in the titles will be removed from the site.

What should I add in the description?

The description area should be kept to describe the item only.  Do not use this area to add links to other social media sites or advertise anything else.  You should also not make your description a general advert for your shop.  Do not add prices or your shop name or link.   All images link to the items uploaded so there is no need to add any links in the description field.  Remember we are not a selling venue but a showcase site. DO NOT write in capitals.

What should I add as tags?

Please note that our tagging relates to our website and is not necessarily the same as on other venues.  Your tags should be relative to the item, not what it can be used for or who it can be given to.  Mis-tagging items will mean your item will not show up correctly in searches. Please put on your buyer’s hat when tagging and consider what someone would search for if they were looking for your item.  Ensure that you have commas between your tags or it will come out as one big long tag.  We will not edit those and your item will be removed. DO NOT write them in capital letters.

We consider 12 tags to be a reasonable amount.  Sellers who overload their tags and use multiple words not relative to the item may have their items removed. Continuing to do so may lead to having your permission to submit to craftori.com revoked.

Why has my account been locked?

When someone spams the site, ie places a general advert with wording on the image, your account will automatically be locked without notice.  If we have written to a seller regarding a certain issue with their uploads and the seller continues to upload in the same way, we will also lock the account so that contact can be made.  Once contact is made and we are satisfied that the seller is aware of the problem, we will unlock the account.

Why can I not contact other users or see their profiles?

Craftori is a venue to give exposure to online craft sellers.  As such we are concentrating on this alone.  If your images link directly to the items for sale as is required, it is very quick and easy for people to get in touch with you and you with them.  Most venues have excellent social networking functions so we do not feel that this is necessary on our site.

Can I submit someone else’s work?

Yes you can but bear in mind that the item will then show up  in your author page.  You can find your author page by logging in, clicking on ‘my profile’, then ‘my posts’.