Friday, September 5, 2008

The Nature-All Well is closed...


I've closed down my shop temporarily.Be prepared for a grand reopening with new types of jewelry.


For now,I've opened another jewelry store with the focus being on animal totem,chakra,color therapy,celtic,and astrology designs.




Tuesday, February 12, 2008




Here's another jewelry artist that I just had to feature. I chose her for her awesome designs and her newness to Etsy.


You can see her shop here SleepyGoldfishDesign.



1) Tell us a bit about yourself.My name is Michelle and I’m a grad student in art history. I live in New York City with my husband and our pet goldfish (hence, the name of my Etsy shop!). You can see some of their photos in my avatar and shop banner, and my husband’s goldfish paintings are also in my shop banner. Because of the student lifestyle, I’m pretty much a minimalist and had never paid much attention to jewelry until just a few years ago, when the stress of my exams caused me to promise myself a beautiful pair of earrings when it was all over. VoilĂ , a new love was born and I embarked on the road which eventually led to my Etsy shop. When I’m not studying or making jewelry, I read the news obsessively online and try to fill my daily quota of style and design blogs. I’m also an avid runner, and my husband and I enjoy watching movies and teaching ourselves how to skateboard.



2) Where did you hear about Etsy?When I first started buying jewelry online, I bought several things from various jewelry designers on Ebay. One of them also had a storefront on Etsy. I clicked over and made my first purchase at the end of 2005. After I discovered Etsy, it quickly became my primary source for finding jewelry and other handcrafted goodies.




3) How long have you been crafting?I started tinkering with the jewelry that I bought for myself about 3 years ago: making things shorter, switching out uncomfortable earwires for different ones, and making various changes to the design. A bead shop near my campus had a loaner set of tools which I used to make my small repairs and alterations. After a few months of borrowing the loaner tools, I decided to buy my own pliers and wirecutters. I realized then that I had the tools I needed to make my own jewelry and decided to give beading a try. I’ve been making jewelry for myself and others for about 2 years. Although my study of art history hasn’t directly impacted my jewelry-making process, I feel that it gives me an appreciation for the visual impact of jewelry, and crafting is a creative outlet and a source of stress relief for me. A friend and classmate has been trying to convince me to make reproductions of jewelry found at historical and archaeological sites!






4) Tell us about what your Etsy shop and what you make.For now, I am making only earrings. They are the only type of jewelry that I wear, and I feel that the experience gives me a yardstick by which to judge what customers look for in earrings. For even the most die-hard minimalist, earrings are a wonderful piece of jewelry to wear; I firmly believe that the items which frame your face – top, earrings, scarf - are the most important and memorable parts of an outfit. I don’t like repeating the exact same design twice, so most items in my shop will be one-offs. I may start making necklaces in the future, but I’d like to be certain that I can make something unique and which complements the aesthetic of my earrings.




5) What are your favorite materials to use?I love using semi-precious stones and freshwater pearls. It feels good to use natural materials and to maximize their visual impact by thinking through color combinations and which metals to pair them with, and I try to use the highest-quality materials I can find. I like to use opaque stones because of their unusual color patterns, and I also like the contrast of earthy-looking stones against silver and gold findings, which makes them a bit fancier. I definitely take inspiration from my materials and am always on the lookout for unusual-colored beads and interesting bead shapes. I generally stick to a fairly subtle color palette so that my jewelry which will be versatile and easy to wear, and I like to make earrings with a sculptural or volumetric quality to them.



6) What does the future hold for you and your shop?For now, I’d ideally like to keep an inventory of between 20-25 items in my shop – I’ve been building up to that for my turn in the jewelry showcase on 2/16. Since I’m finishing my thesis this spring and job-hunting at the same time, I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew, so I’m starting out slowly. Over the summer, when I have more time, I plan to build up to over 30 items; hopefully, I will also have a steady customer base by then. In the future, I’d like to take classes and learn more about jewelry-making techniques, especially how to work with metals.



7) What advice can you give other Etsy shop owners?Develop a niche – Because there are so many jewelry designers on Etsy, it’s crucial to develop a distinctive look and stick to it. Kerri, you’ve given me some excellent advice on thinking about my target customer.Buy good tools and supplies – Good tools will make practicing your craft so much easier. Don’t stint on the quality of your materials; deliver a product that you can stand behind.Be realistic – Don’t be impatient, and give yourself time to build up a customer base. Think realistically about how Etsy fits into your lifestyle and income sources, and put in the appropriate amount of work to reach your goals.


Sunday, January 13, 2008

ETSY SELLER: Dharmadesigns








Here's an interview of a fellow Etsy artist dharmadesigns.Please go check out her shop :)



Tell us some things about yourself.

My name is Wendy Baylis. I'm 33 and live in Portland, OR with my wonderful husband of 4 years - where I'm a regular haunt at the Classical Chinese Garden and the Saturday Market (Kathmandu Cafe's momos and chai are AMAZING). I have Fibromyalgia, but I don't let it get in the way of having a full and wonderful life. I love experiencing other cultures through food, art, and music.



How long have you been crafting?

Ever since I can remember. My real loves are art (painting and pencil portraits) and writing. I'm working on a novel about an evacuation helicopter crew in the Vietnam War (fictional based on fact). I didn't start making jewelry until a few years ago - for myself. I couldn't find anything that fit my style, so I figured - what the heck - why not try it myself? Lots of people have commented on it over the years and a few months ago someone told me about Etsy. That was the first time I seriously thought about selling it. :-)



When did you first start on Etsy and what was your first impression?

Only a few months ago - Oct '07. I LOVE Etsy! It's such a great, supportive community of talented artists who are also wonderful souls. And there's so much wonderful stuff there - I could go broke buying it all - and probably will. :-) I really enjoy being able to connect with like-minded people all over the world.
Where do you get your inspiration from for your jewelry? I have a profound respect and appreciation of Asian cultures, art, and Buddhism - and it really comes across in my designs. I'm also inspired by the Chinese Garden and tea house. It's my sanctuary. I go there every week to recharge my soul.



What's the hardest part of being an artist?

Working in a high tech job. I'm a laidback hippie at heart and constantly want to create, but my day job is so technical it drives me insane. Thankfully I work with some wonderful people who are more like my friends/family - and we have a lot of fun together. We try to laugh all day long. Without them I'd probably go postal. :-)
What do you see in your future for your jewelry? I'd really like to get into metalsmithing, so I could make my own Buddha pendants and rings. It's really hard to find what I'm looking for.
Can you give some advice for other artists? Follow your passion. If it makes you happy, do it - and don't ever give up.



What's the best selling advice someone has given you from Etsy?
DesignedByLucinda gave me the sagest advice I've ever received. When I first started selling my pictures were absolutely dreadful. I used lots of props and the backgrounds were so busy they really took away from the pieces. Cindy helped me overcome my fear of focusing on my work. It's like I'm afraid to let it stand on it's own. I still struggle with it, but I'm getting better. :-)

Monday, December 17, 2007

Jewelry Marketing Website

Alright ,now I know this is giving away a secret in jewelry marketing,but I like being nice.

Check out this site for great tips on everything to do with jewelry and marketing your products.

Click here.....Jewelry Marketing

Friday, November 23, 2007

Take a look at this adorable Etsy cartoon from youtube!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2g31xjdfhQ

This really needs to be shown on TV.

Mayeb then people will have heard of Etsy when I mention it! lol.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Cheapest Display Ever!


I don't think I can credit myself with coming up with this idea. I've seen this before. But,I wanted to tell everyone else about it too.
One of the cheapest ,coolest,simplest displays you can ever have or make yourself.

You can make as many as you want,in any color or pattern you like. It's utterly limitless in the possibilities!


How to make these: Take a sheet of heavy cardstock paper (make sure it's cardstock,light paper won't work) in whatever color you want for a display. Using a paper cutter for a straight edge,cut the paper in half long ways. Now take one long peice of what you cut and fold it in half.(You should have a rectangular peice of paper folded in half now).Unfold it so you can see the crease. Now take one edge (on the short side ) and fold it about 1/2". Now fold the other short side over 1". Now you should have three creases in your paper. Fold the peice in half at your middle crease so it makes something like a tipee. Now tape the other two folded sections on the bottom of it together with the 1" overlapping the 1/2" fold. Use the side view picture to see what it should look like.



Now you should have a tilted paper display that is cheap,and can easily display rings,earrings,necklaces,and whatever else you want.
**For those of you who don't do jewelry,you can use them to display tags,magnets,hair accesories,cellphone charms,headbands..basically a plethora of small lightweight items.
If you're afraid of them tipping over,simply weigh them down with a rock or antoher heavy object.
You can paint these or leave them as is. Or you can decorate them with stamps and stickers too.

Cut vertical slits in the top to hold necklaces and bracelets. Cut a horizontal slice on the top to hold your earring cards.

I've made several of these for my next craft fair.Sometimes when you can't afford a small army of little displays,you have to get innovative.

I hope you enjoy making your own creative paper displays..the sky's the limit!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Mark-Up or Margin?

Mark-Up or Margin?

Many of you might be looking at me blankly right now,not knowing what I mean at all.

Well,here's a handy site that'll explain the difference between the usual mark-up and the much more useful margin when it comes to getting a good retail price on handcrafted products.

http://www.buildingtrade.org.uk/articles/markup_or_margin.html

Mark-Up is basically marking an item up a certain percentage.

Margin is the % of the % your adding on,plus the orginal price ..that makes no sense does it?I give up..Go look at the site already! :P