Hello, What's Your Project?

Ahhh…the never ending side project. Possibly it's a long term effort, or maybe it's something you can get done over a weekend. Whatever the project might be, whether it's a new jewelry design or gardening, or some kind of family project, it's the thing that's on your mind, the thing you want to get to, the thing that you really enjoy working on.

While working for The Home Depot I was trained to always ask “What’s Your Project?” It became a natural reflex when I saw a “weekend warrior” wandering the aisle. I loved the way people communicated when they described their creative projects — I was inspired not only by their ideas, but also by their passion.

I no longer work in the aisles of Home Depot, but I do ask crafty friends and I constantly ask myself, "What's your project?" It's my way of searching for inspiration, of reminding me to get to work on the idea that is bouncing around in my head.

SO, I’m asking you…….”What’s your Project?”…..please inspire me; I’m in a creative rut (again).

I love little surprises....

I’m not only a part time Etsy seller; I’m a full time buyer. (Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little… I'm not shopping all the time). My very favorite thing about buying on Etsy is getting packages in the mail — it's like a mini holiday each time a package arrives. Not only do I receive wonderful hand crafted goodies, I also get to open the creative packaging Etsy sellers put together. Ribbons, stickers, stamps, extra little goodies, oh my… What a pleasure!

So, dear sellers, why not show this off in your item listings? Use one of your five listing photos to let your shoppers know how beautiful your packaging is. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it's also good to let your buyers know your items will come ready for giving. In the photo above, I've selected a few packages that I love! A simple bow to an Elaborately decorated window box. They are charming and add a special touch.

Spring has Sprung in my Etsy Shop

Spring in Atlanta is a short-lived event each year.  The full-on flower blooming, pollen covering, light jacket in the morning and drinks outside on the terrace in the afternoon kind of spring weather lasts for about 90 seconds before the harsh heat of a Southern summer settles over us. And every year, just a few weeks before the daily temps soar; we get to enjoy the blooming flowers and sounds of nature while strolling through the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.  Below are some of my jewelry designs reminiscent of the spring colors in the garden...



We're Living Out of Boxes.......

We're doing a lot of living out of boxes these days. Only 4 more days until the moving truck arrives to take us to our new home across town.  My studio is packed so my Etsy shop is on vacation until March 30th.

During my down time while packing, I found these great Moving Announcements available on Etsy. I Love them all. I think I'll order the "living out of boxes" set to send to friends and family: it best defines how I'm feeling today. LOL

Links to the items features above are can be found here:

Top Left -  http://www.etsy.com/listing/53463476/mayfair-moving-announcement

Middle Left - http://www.etsy.com/listing/65228281/50-moving-announcements-new-job-new-home 

Lower Left - http://www.etsy.com/listing/48304324/packed-and-moved

Right - http://www.etsy.com/listing/52651601/4-packs-shredlines-moving-announcements

HTTP or HTTPS? It's all greek to me...!

From my "Techie" friend....

HTTP stands for Hypertext Transport Protocol, which is just a fancy way of saying it's a protocol (a language, in a manner of speaking) for information to be passed back and
forth between web servers and clients. The important thing is the letter S which makes the difference between HTTP and HTTPS.

The S (big surprise) stands for "Secure".
If you visit a website or web-page, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://.  This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecure' language. In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site.

This is why you never ever enter your credit card number in an http website! 

But if the web address begins with https://,that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on.

You understand why this is so important, right? If it doesn't say `https://’, never enter sensitive information like a credit card number.

How can I make my workspace inspiring?

Life would be sweet, if my workbench tools could find their way back to the rack on their own....



The quickest way to destroy my motivation is to have a messy workspace.  At times I have tried to work through the clutter, but it never fails to effect my inspiration and plague my motivation. Next week we are moving and I’ll have a bigger, brighter, workroom.  I need help getting my jewelry making workspace more organized so I can stay motivated and connected to my projects.  I’ve been thinking about how to create a motivating space and would love to hear some of your ideas!

Really......in the bathroom?!?

My loose beads find their way everywhere; they end up in rooms I never took beads into, like the bathroom!?! They get into my shoes; they hide under the fridge, and get into the hardwood floor cracks. Once I have them safely contained in their storage location, they seem to breed. If just one bead escapes, it splits into two beads and those two breed. Eventually, there are lots of little beads rolling and rattling everywhere. Our vacuum cleaner consistently sounds like I’ve been vacuuming a gravel road.

But the most frustrating thing is that none of these randomly reproducing beads match. Their little beady offspring don't resemble either parent. Oh, no. These beads will be random colors, shapes, and sizes, and none of them will go together. There will be beads that I swear I never bought, and yet, there they are, lurking under the entertainment center or on the stairs leading to the basement.

Beads; they’re taking over!  I’ll show them, I’ll turn them into bracelets if they’re not careful!

Analyzing My Etsy Online Jewelry Sales

To make some sense of my Etsy sales, I did a sales analysis of my shop...

First:  I made a simple chart listing prices $25 apart, and made tick marks to indicate the prices of all my sold items. In 5 minutes or so, I had my answer: I offer jewelry in a price range from $10 - $125, my sales are very much concentrated in the $10 - $50 range.

(items I've sold in this range)

But what category of jewelry is selling best in my shop?  How should I concentrate my efforts to make the best use of my time and materials?

Second: I made another chart listing the types of jewelry I sell: necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and other.  Again, I made a tick mark for each piece sold, and in less than 5 minutes I learned that my online jewelry sales are concentrated very much in necklaces and ‘other’ (bookmarks, pull chains, and key chains).  I found this really interesting, because at shows, earrings are usually my best sellers.

(Earrings I've sold in my shop)

Was I selling jewelry in proportion to the amount of items listed in each category?Do I sell more neckwear and ‘other’ because I’ve listed more of these items?

Third:  So, back I went to the chart for an answer. I listed the number of bracelets, necklaces, etc, in my shop, and compared them to the number of sold items in each category. I did a quick % calculation on each: # of items sold divided by the # of items listed.

It turned out that I got a surprising answer; I’m not selling in proportion to what I’m offering. I sold a much higher percentage of necklaces and ‘other’ items. Earring sales are very low compared to the number of earrings I have listed.

Using What I Learned from My Jewelry Sales Analysis.

Based on my findings, I need to be designing more necklaces and ‘other’ items in the $10-$65 range. Hopefully I will be providing what my customers are interested in purchasing online. I hope to see my sales numbers improve as a result.

Make a couple of sales charts and see what you can learn. What changes in your Etsy shop will you make based on what you find?

Don't forget the Kitty .....

 

It's official, we will be moving within the next 30 days. Our cat is a little anxious about moving again, he seems to be making sure that he is not left behind. No worries Beau... you're going with us.

I'm excited about the move; my lampwork studio will be back in business.  For the last two years we have been living in a townhouse that does not have space for my studio, and every room has automatic sprinklers. I didn't want to take a chance by firing up the torch, kiln, and other heat producing gadgets; sudden rain inside the house is never good!  The new house will have a room just for my studio...Yippeee!

Love is in the air.......

"Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker." - Author Unknown…… Happy Valentines Day! :)

 

Color inspirations #2....

Steven DeGraeve, of DeGraeve.com developed a great tool that I use to generate a color palette from my favorite photographs.  I simply enter the URL of an image to get the color palette that matches the image. This tool is useful for coming up with a color palette inspired by nature. 

Example: I can't drag all my beads down to the beach for color matching, but I can take a picture and use this tool to define the color pallet when I return to my studio. I love this tool, experiment with it the next time you are in need of color inspiration!

dull #555544 #aa9966 #6699cc #aaaabb #667788

vibrant #777755 #ccbb88 #88ccff #ddeeee #7799aa

Bead Giveaway.......

 

Take a peek at the bead giveaway over at Gardanne.  Anne needs some advice on bead show display; just give her some tips and you'll be entered to win this lovely collection of beads. 

Don't delay, the giveaway ends on 2/16/11. Cheers!

Color inspirations...

I find my inspiration for jewelry color combinations everywhere I look. My biggest inspiration is nature; for example, butterflies are a wonderful source of both bold and understated color combinations. I also look at fashion designers work, and my favorite artist's work for inspiration.
Pictured below are my most recent bracelet design and the Monet painting that inspired the color combination:

Take a look at the photo below. How do the colors make you feel? See how they blend together and contrast each other. The photo was taken on Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia. The seashore has always been one of my inspirations for color and texture in my designs. My next jewelry design will be inspired by this lovely photo. I’ll post a photo when I’m finished.



It's Bead Show Day!

If you've never been to a bead show before - it can be awe inspiring and even a little overwhelming. It can definitely be sensory overload if you're not prepared. So when the day seems a little overwhelming, I stop take a deep breath and relax. I'm prepared for a wonderful day of shopping....

1.  Get the coupon -check!

2.  Find my bead show canvas tote bag - check!

3. Prepare a list of supplies that I want to restocking - check!

4. Put small ruler and pen in the tote bag - check!

5. Look for my walking shoes under the bed - check!

6. Set the budget for the day - check!

Departing soon, have a great day!

Bead 'shoppers' by Aaron Macsai: http://mddavis.homestead.com/aaronmacsai.html 

Just not very interesting.....

“Just because you start with one idea doesn't mean you need to stick with it.”  - Michelle Mach

I planned to rework this Necklace (shown below), but as I worked, I realized that I just don’t like this design.  It’s not anything that I would wear and based on the number views I got while it was listed on Etsy, my shoppers didn’t like it either.

I tried to think back on why I was inspired to make this necklace in the first place. At the time I was selling a lot of multi strand necklaces and bracelets.  I liked the color but the design just isn’t working; basically it’s just boring.

I want to revamp this piece and make it more interesting….any ideas?  I need a push to get going……

Logging My Favorites......

This is the fifth installment of a ongoing log of my favorite things. Once a month I will post a favorite. It might be a person, or a place, or even a event. Hopefully it will help you get to know me a little better. I'd love your comments and I hope to make some connections through our mutual enjoyment of these treasures.

Highlands, North Carolina



When my life sometimes becomes hectic in the urban lowlands of Georgia, a few days in Highlands, NC can work wonders to refresh and renew my mind, body, and soul.

From the moment we turn off the main highway and start gaining altitude I feel my body and mind start to relax. We must slow down. I pay attention to the road as it narrows and winds upward. The air feels cooler. The light changes. Peeking through the trees, I take in the views: the pastures, the pines and towering tulip poplars of the Nantahala National Forest, the dramatic drop-off into the Cullasaja River Gorge. The views are breath taking, the pristine mountain air and panoramic beauty melts away my cares and fills me with an inexplicable serenity.

Highlands is a charming small mountain town at the second highest point (4118 feet) in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The town has exquisite restaurants, fabulous shopping, and a great cultural arts scene. The "postcard" downtown offers plenty of art galleries, antique stores and upscale boutiques. In the middle of downtown Highlands is the Old Edwards Inn, one of my favorite spots for a glass of wine and a delicious meat and cheese sampler. I love this little town and hope to visit soon!

Remarkable Update: Just as I was finishing this blog post, my Husband called to let me know he was making reservations in Highlands for the weekend. He did not know I was writing about Highlands and I did not know he was thinking about a road trip this weekend. It is just another example of how much we are in tune with each other. I’m so excited about the trip!

Bead Soup Blog Party - 2011

Soups On!  I’ve joined the Bead Soup Blog Party sponsored by Lori Anderson of Pretty Things.  This is an annual event to help bead jewelry artists work on a project that is outside of their normal comfort zone. 

Studio Time!  Each participant was assigned a partner for the event.  My partner is Ingrid McCue of Wrapped in Silver.  Ingrid selected and shipped me a package of lovely beads that she would use in one of her designs; I will use the beads she selected to create a piece of my own.  I did the same for Ingrid; I shipped a package of beads that I would be comfortable using.  The objective for each designer is to work with materials that they wouldn’t normally select.   I’m excited to get started on the project using the gorgeous beads I received.

(Pictured below are the beads I received from Ingrid….)

 Party Day! On February 26 finished designs will be displayed on each participant’s blog.  That’s when the party begins!  Everyone hops around to as many Party Blogs as possible to see the wonderful results.  I can’t wait to see what Ingrid has designed using my beads.

Drama, Drama, Drama......

There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. So...Love the people who treat you right, and pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is part of LIFE. Getting back up is LIVING.

I'm doing a little relationship Spring cleaning. I need to focus on my positive relationships.  I have so many great friends; I need to surround myself with the people who lift me up and let go of the people who bring me down. It's time for a change!

Just in time for Valentine's Day

Take a peek at my latest designs for Valentine's Day.  One of my goals for this year was to add some holiday themed items to my Etsy shop.  It has already paid off...I just sold one of the heart necklaces. Yippee!

 

I plan to add several more items before the end of the week.  Right after the Holiday I will shop for discounted red and white beads and charms for next year.  I love the little cherubs on the bracelets, I hope I can find some more cherubs or cupid charms.

Upcycled Crystal Beads

Up cycling brings hope as a solid concept and solution for the many environmental dilemmas the earth currently faces. The idea of taking would-be garbage and reimagining, reusing and reinventing it is really quite a novel idea: the materials are free and in frightening abundance, there are (hypothetically) no unhealthy aftereffects for the earth, and consumers gain the satisfaction of reusing something potentially wasteful in a new and exciting context again.

In the photo above are two examples of necklaces that have up cycled beads.  The round clear crystal beads where originally part of a salvaged crystal chandelier.  They made a striking addition to my designs.

I'm anxiously waiting for a box of old broken jewelry from a friends plantation house attic.  Who knows what treasures can be up cycled from the discarded items.  I'll keep you posted!

UPDATE: the necklace on the left was just sold from my Etsy shop.  Yippeee!