New things...

After tonight, I officially have no new jewelry to post on Etsy. It feels like an accomplishment. Though this probably means that my updates will be smaller or less frequent, as of now I fully intend to have at least one new piece to post each week. I actually need to get on the ball with finding new supplies and creating new things.

We'll see how it goes.

Finding for the right audience...

Selling jewelry is a slow business, at least for me it is. I know I have only just gotten started really, but its still frustrating because I know that if the right people saw what I make, I would be making more sales. I just have no idea where/how to find that audience. Making my presence more widely known is obviously a must, but its hard to figure out where to start.

Its time (or possibly even past time) for me to start looking for fall/winter shows (locally this time) where I can set up a small table/booth without digging myself into a financial hole.

I only have a small batch of new items to post tonight. But these ones are completely one-of-a-kind. And much closer to where I started when I made my first jewelry.

First Completed Sale!

Luckily, Sunday was nice enough for me to catch up (at least somewhat) on my jewelry pictures. I’m finally running out of things to photograph. Oh darn, I might just have to make something new soon. Huge bummer…

What actually needs to happen is that I need to buy more materials for my new ideas...but for that I need some money first. *sigh*

So I finally made and sent out my first non-family sale last week. It was also my first online sale with my new inventory. This more than anything else encourages me to start working on jewelry again. I just hope that there are more sales yet to come.

I posted more new stuff tonight and still have enough inventory for another couple weeks of posting, but after that its definitely time to start working again...

Inspiration

So this week, the weather has been pretty uncooperative for picture taking. Hopefully there will be some time next week that is nice enough out so that I can catch up and keep on schedule.

Posting all my jewelry has actually served as pretty good inspiration for some new pieces. It makes me remember just how much fun it is to scour the internet for just the right materials and to put them all together into something special. So once I get everything up online that I've already made I think I'll be starting on some new things. I already have quite a few things sketched up. Its very exciting (to me at least).

The only downside to making new jewelry is figuring out just how to describe it...for some reason that's always the hardest part.

Earring Stand Tutorial

So I've been trying to catch up on photographing my jewelry so that I can get my Etsy started back up. Aside from a broken camera, it was going well until I realized that about half of my earrings are post earrings and that I had no real way to display them. So this week, I set about making one and this is what I came up with.


Once I decided on the shape and size, it was actually pretty easy to make. Since I moved out of my college apartment, all my art supplies are scattered about my basement, so I ended up using the back of a yellow notepad to make this. I made a template out of paper then traced it and cut it out twice from the cardboard and glued them both together to make the main piece about 1/16" thick. The base is made of balsa, but it could easily be made out of the same cardboard. I just preferred the sturdiness of the balsa. I cut an angled notch in the balsa about half an inch back just large enough so that the main piece could fit snugly in it. Then I glued the bottom triangle together and waited for it to dry. I also painted it black with a cheap acrylic craft paint I had lying around just to make it look a bit nicer. To add the holes for the earrings, I picked a spot that looked good (about 3/8" above the center opening) and used a push pin to poke through the cardboard.


It takes a little bit if time, but I think its worth it. It can also be easily taken apart and reassembled for easy transportation and a nice display at any sort of craft show. Feel free to use this if you happen to need it.

I'm posting new earrings to my Etsy tonight, so be sure to check it out.

Lariat Necklaces

So I'm hoping to update this every week or so. Tonight I am posting my first new items to my Etsy since the fall. (Very exciting!)

The necklaces I currently have for sale are Lariats. Unlike traditional necklaces, they do not have a clasp and instead are wrapped around the neck and tied. For this style of Lariat, it is best to tie it loosely just as you would the first knot in your shoelaces:


There is no need to worry about it coming undone - the weight of the beads on the ends keeps the necklace in place. Although if you are planning on doing a lot of running or physical activities, you might want to remove it just to be safe.

This necklace can also be tied at virtually any place and are therefore quite versatile. Here I have several pictures that show different ways of wearing it.


This necklace can flatter a variety of necklines and easily be worn as either a casual or formal piece. The first example shown here looks most like the traditional necklace and could easily be worn with any casual outfit, especially one with a V-neck. The other options make more of a statement simply because of their less common appearance and tend to have a dressier feel.

Hopefully, this explains Lariats for anyone new to the style. If there are any questions, feel free to comment or convo me over at my shop.

First Post

Well, I set up this blog ages ago, and it finally seems like the right time to start posting. So many things in my life are finally falling into place that it just seems appropriate to add one more.

I have been interested in making jewelry since I was in high school, but only started actually making things last summer. After a rather uneventful leap in to the craft world, I realized that I really need to have a much greater presence and a more critical eye towards my own work. I started trying to sell my jewelry in the fall and since then, I've been going in a much different direction than I originally planned, but I am sure it is for the better.

I am currently in the process of revamping my Etsy shop to better show who I am as an artist and to show my work in a better and more professional manner as well as looking for local craft shows where I can both showcase my work and see what other local artists are involved in.

I hope to be updating regularly as I post more things on my shop and have more projects to talk about in general.