Membership
Embroidery courtesy of African Threads
Join a wonderful community of
working fiber artists and textile businesses!
TAFA members excel at what they do.
Take a tour of our members on Flickr:
Fee:
Membership to TAFA is a one-time fee of $75. (It pays for your Member Profile page on our site.)
This is a lifetime membership with no renewals.
Members who wish to support TAFA further do so by purchasing sponsor ads or other products or services.
TAFA members are vetted in based on the maturity of their product/service and on their professional web presentation. The main reasons for rejection tend to come from immature product development or poor photography and outdated websites.
Send your links to rayela @ comcast.net for consideration. (remove spaces)
Send an email to rayela @ comcast.net (remove spaces if copying) with your name, business name, and links to your sites (website, blog, facebook page, etc.) that show your textile/fiber art connection. Include a brief bio, a summary of your work, how long you have had this business, and why you would like to join TAFA.
See your member profile on TAFA as an incredibly affordable ad which also offers a community for those who wish to network with each other. There are no refunds on the membership fee.
Once approved:
Pay for your membership using the rusty/red Join TAFA button, just to the right of the search box. You will receive instructions on how to set up your member profile.
Concept:
The TAFA List membership showcases businesses that belong to fiber artists and crafters, development projects, cooperatives, online shops, wholesalers, designers, galleries, museums, organizations, writers, publishers, and collectors. TAFA brings all of these different groups come together in an illustrated database.
The TAFA List appeals to retailers and galleries looking for new product, to wholesalers or artists looking for new buyers or shows, to bloggers looking for material to write about, and so on.
Criteria:
- Members must have an active business or professional presence on the web. TAFA is not for hobbyists. The TAFA List targets web users as potential clients and customers. Members must show substance in their field and a history of their connection with textiles or fiber art. This includes having a good website, clear photos, information on the artist, availability of product, etc.
- Products represented should have real "value" in terms of historical context, construction and materials used. Member artists must be working with their own designs (no kits or commercial patterns, unless those are made or developed by the artist). Member businesses need to show ethical treatment of the product represented, whether new or old. Businesses using recycling, green, fair trade, and/or sustainable practices are especially sought.
Etsy
About half of our members have Etsy shops, so we have organized into the TAFA Team. Etsy shops are listed on this site and on our Team Blog.
Fees and Sponsors:
Membership fees and sponsor ads help support TAFA's growth, the site and staff.
Members are encouraged to become sponsors (ads flash on site) in lieu of having annual membership dues.
Set up your profile page:
The system will generate a password which will give you access to your account. From there you will be able to set up your profile page. You may edit it at any time.
Join our Hubs (See the Hubs page)
Completely optional, this is where we gather to brainstorm, to decide where to focus our marketing strategies, and to network with each other. We plan on having a member forum on this site in the future.
Spread the Word
Again optional, spreading the word and helping grow TAFA benefits everybody. The more we grow, the more we will generate exposure for all of the members. Adding our logo with a link to your profile page, writing a blog post about TAFA, and subscribing to the TAFA List on facebook through Networked Blogs are all ways in which you can contribute to our success.
Membership Cancellation
The membership fee is non-refundable. If members wish to leave TAFA, they may do so at any time. Returning later would mean going through the vetting process and membership fee again.
Repeated negative comments will lead to a membership investigation. Five peer members will research the situation. If they come to a consensus that a member is bad news for our community, the membership will be canceled.
Examples: A wholesaler receives payment for product but never delivers. A product has shoddy workmanship and falls apart after little use. A store takes product on consignment and never pays its vendors. The reported member will have a chance to explain his or her side of the story with each of those five members, so this should be enough of a process for conflict resolution. An exiled member will not be re-admitted.
Rachel Biel aka Rayela Art
TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List is a project of Rayela Art.