Reaching a Goal

It has been my albeit casual goal to sell at least one item a week for one year. For Etsy, it seemed a not unattainable goal, a sign of relatively good business, so it was a good number to shoot for. Naturally, I would like to be selling better than that, but since I sell more as a hobbyist than as a businesswoman, I'm continue with moderate success.

My first shop, http://magdalune.etsy.com, failed in this respect, even though I'm not entirely sure why. I think that the ice cream sundae jewelry was inventive and cute, but it just did not catch on. So I eventually moved nicer designs to a new shop to let a more refined creativity run wild. At http://theothermagdalene.etsy.com, I finally managed to hit my stride. I've only been there ten months rather than my goal of one year, but I have already sold 52 items in my shop. Some items have been sold outside of the store, but others have been traded, so I figure it evens out.

I'm sure some people are asking how I did it because they want to manage it, too. The truth is, I'm not sure. I can list things I think may have contributed, but I don't have any hard evidence for any of it. It's entirely possible that the success is based as much on luck as skill. Anyway, here's the informal list:

1) Selection: My second shop did not really take off until I had almost or over a hundred items in my store. The key for me was variety - not necessarily something of everything, which would leave the store so eclectic you wouldn't be able to put a finger on what it was for. More like letting my imagination run wild within a broad category. My design series opened up whole avenues of artistic direction, but my personal preferences managed to keep even the wackiest idea cohesive.

2) Solid Photography: I know that I'm not the best photographer on Etsy, not by a long shot. I probably start shooting too late in the day, although I am partial to shadows. And sometimes the focus is in the wrong place or not sharp enough, but the thing I try to bring to each photo is enough clarity to see the jewelry in its truest form. My photography is unforgiving. If my jewelry still looks good, it goes into the store. I've had to put jewelry in the reject pile (i.e. my own jewelry box) because it didn't photograph well, even if the flaws aren't noticed in real life.

3) Style Cohesion: This draws from the previous two in that there has to be an underlying sense that these jewelry pieces are yours. When people see it, they have to have a sense of what the rest of the shop is like. And part of a way to do this, especially when you're as artistically restless as I am, is to stage your items similarly. Not the same - variety is the spice of life, and people don't want to see the same thing over and over again. I personally have established props. Sometimes these props change. For instance, I started out with one silver teapot, moved to another, then moved back to the original because I liked it more. I started out with one silver cup and moved to another one, then found the one I liked. I've stuck with that one. I started out with two books to shoot on instead of one. I used to keep my angles within the confines of my black velvet backdrop, but now I'm enjoying breaking the illusion a bit and getting some of the rest of the surroundings in as well. But it's all the same place, the same props, the same atmosphere. It's all mine.

And once that cohesion starts to come apart, sometimes you have to create another shop. That's what led to my second shop in the first place: I had nicer things that just didn't mesh with the cuter and even younger-themed items in my shop. And now that I'm learning how to wrap and weave wire more artistically, I may have to create another shop. The new wire-wrapped and wire-woven pieces just don't seem to fit as well with the rest of my things, and they're out of the average price range. So you need to be willing to branch out and acknowledge when something just doesn't fit.

4) Networking: I'm one of those people who doesn't like to impose my entrepreneurial spirit on others. I can do it pretty well on Twitter because it doesn't take up too much time and space. I'm getting better at being more open about it on Facebook, in part because many of the things that I share on Facebook I'm genuinely excited about as a person - a jewelry artist and not just a jewelry seller. And now that I've started wearing more and more of my jewelry that I make for myself, more people are asking about where I get it, whether I made it, and whether they can see what I make. Now that's a relative term, "more," but it's still accurate. A friend of mine has bought several jewelry pieces; a coworker bought a pair of earrings; my mother has also bought several pieces. I also give some out as gifts to friends and relatives (I keep to my gift budget, as if I were buying them the gift rather than making it).

Part of it is that I make stuff I would love to wear myself, so I know there's a market for it, for at least one person. :) You do need to be willing to tell people about it when they ask. I pass on the link to my shop without shame, which is a lot for someone who easily feels like they've crossed the boundaries of politeness. And you do need to be willing to use social media. I'm not positive how much Twitter helped, although it's probably helped provide some exposure and interaction with other artists, but I'm fairly certain that Livejournal and Facebook have made a difference, in part because people get involved in the process and the creativity behind the jewelry making.


You'll notice that I don't have a marketing plan or statistics. I don't look at fashion magazines or see what's popular or not. I go by what I myself like and want, sometimes inspired by things I see, and sometimes inspired by things I just imagine. Hell, sometimes I just sit in front of my beads and findings and just let myself go crazy without a plan. Since jewelry making is therapeutic for me, I figure that I'm getting something out of it no matter what, and anything might capture someone's interest.

Don't take my business advice. Seriously. If what I run is a business, then I suck at it. But I think I manage a nice little corner shop, my little niche of the handmade market, and I love sending out my things every week to other people who will enjoy them.

Progress Report

Over the last month, I came into a bit of freelance money, and since I give myself half of that money to put into buying supplies, that meant that I was able to go a little crazy with new components. So weeks regularly felt like holidays for all the packages that I received. And suffice it to say, I'm excited about all the new components, although I still have more to buy as the money gradually comes in.

Once I finished my last freelance gig and let my hands rest from carpal tunnel syndrome and muscle strain (typing injuries are not fun), I got started on new jewelry pieces. As of now, most of my pieces are only partially constructed as components come trickling in. But I'm ecstatic about my fall and winter designs. I tend to make jewelry that's more appropriate for the colder seasons anyway - it's simply my preferred aesthetic. However, there's a sort of rush that you get when you're making something new, when you deviate from some of your old styles. I get to really experiment with layering, gluing, and wire-wrapping in a way that I haven't really done before. It's rough, raw, and occasionally frustrating, but I have quite a few products that just keep getting lovelier and lovelier.

A few things I'm trying, aside from using glue for cabochons:

- I've come up with a new series to stimulate some activity on my first shop. There is not much more that I can do regarding ice cream sundae flavors (except get more expensive components and making them appeal to a different subset of the population, which I'm considering), and the soda roses are incredibly time-consuming for something that really hasn't taken off. So be on the look-out for "Fruit Salad," brightly colored glass and acrylic jewelry that practically glows. They look awesome.

- Layering brass filigree and glass components. Gluing in general is new to me, but gluing filigree requires a little finesse in order to keep the glue from being seen or felt.

- Some of my necklaces are not going to be as minimalistic in my second shop as they have been. I want to dive into more fanciful and fantastic items that draw on the imagination. Keep an eye on my second shop for the new series "Elysia."

What I love about both of my shops is that they don't tie me down to just one or two styles. I can go pretty nuts, limited only by my ability. And in that respect, I'm still learning. My wire-wrapping is getting a little better, which is good because it's probably one of the more frustrating disciplines for me since I go through wire that I don't want to waste.

Etsy Suppliers

Amethystine earrings

Short of getting a sale and maybe finishing a good jewelry piece, there is nothing more exciting for me in the jewelry-making process than buying jewelry components and getting them in the mail. I go nuts over new ear wires. I cheer over new beads. I have to go like a little girl and show my mom all the pretty new things I have to work with.

Since my beginning with Etsy, I've been building up a supplier base. Some suppliers I can only dream about buying from them. Others, I buy from all the time. Others, I've been saving them for such a time as this when I'm about to get a respectable influx of spending money to invest.

While my Etsy selling forays are never as successful as I hope, I continue to provide business to Etsy suppliers, since they have to make a living, too. I feel glad that I have the opportunity to develop a working relationship with them. I love finally being able to buy from sellers who I hearted months ago. I love it when I find new suppliers with beautiful new or vintage items, just the unique components that I'm looking for. My aesthetic isn't unique, per se, but it is particular.

I also don't tend to buy in bulk, although I know that many Etsians recommend it. Hell, even I recommend it. However, most of the time I can't afford bulk buys. I have to purchase components one bit at a time. For instance, right now, I'm mostly able to work in oxidized and antiqued brass, but that's about it. I would love to work in silver, but it's much more expensive than brass. Even working in copper would be difficult, cheap as it is, since I would have to develop a whole new range of jewelry findings and components. I intend to work on that in the future, but for now I work with what I have. And there are plenty of gorgeous components in brass anyway, so I don't complain too loudly. It was so enjoyable to find the right suppliers for my needs when I first started to go into oxidized brass. Now I'm a loyal customer to many of these suppliers.

I don't hide my suppliers, although I don't automatically reveal them either - part of it is that whole "nothing new under the sun" idea. If anyone wanted to look where I get all my supplies, they could find them easily. But I urge everyone to find their own way, discover their own suppliers. I'm one of those people who isn't bothered by the imprecise Etsy search. Sometimes I don't find what I'm looking for, but I usually discover something I didn't even know I wanted.

Sigh. Sadly, the realities of finances are keeping me from doing much more in the jewelry department. I have half-finished pendants waiting for the rest of their components; I have ideas without materials. It's a frustrating world, but there is little I can do about it but wait. And maybe give some artists some showcases. We'll see about that during the next few weeks.

I'll probably do more writing. Unfortunately, not my writing, since I have everyone else's writing to do right now.

Sunday Showcase

Vampire Tears earrings

I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for the gothic aesthetic, particularly when a piece can be used for other purposes as well. My Bountiful Winepress series is inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula, and I consider it more gothic romance than pure gothic jewelry. The brass, filigree, and cut of the glass or style of the jewelry has an air of refinement that undeniably hints at something dark, yet beautiful. I may stick to a few colors in this series, but it will be interesting to see how many things I can come up with within the aesthetic before I have to find something else.

What I Do

Autumn Nights earrings

I have two stores. One has ice cream sundae jewelry, soda rose necklaces, and bold and colorful resin ball necklaces. I call it my casual and kitschy store for cute and fun items. My other store was made so that my first store didn't seem cluttered with too many themes. I like a variety of things in one place, but too much variety ends up looking like a junk store and doesn't look consistent. The second store is for my elegant and eccentric jewelry that can be dressed up or down. Most of it is elegant with a dash of eccentric - some nostalgic, some gothic, some romantic, but they all have a quality about them that's a class above my fun shop. In both shops, my staging for the themes are varied, but there still seems to be a thread of consistency, even among the most different items.

I don't like to be tied down by one or two themes. I create jewelry as something to occupy my hands, as a form of art therapy. It's a little above hobby and more into artistic expression than I originally intended back in October 2008. I'm still finding my footing as a jewelry artist, and I imagine it will be some years ahead before I find what really sets me apart from other people. Right now, I think it's more to do with my photo staging than the jewelry pieces themselves, although they are lovely and I want most of them for myself. :) In just a few months, I've played with any number of styles just within my new shop (I need to reacquaint myself with my other shop, but I haven't been inspired lately ... or at least I can't afford the inspiration). I began with destash bead lots and remnants from other projects, playing with color and simple design. I still like the simplicity of a beaded necklace, but now my tastes are running toward to the more intricate. If you check out the progression of jewelry pictures at my second shop, you'll see a noticeable change in supplies and artistic temperament. You may also notice that the photography has changed slightly.

I'm constantly growing, constantly changing. Fortunately, I've given myself two very open-ended Etsy stores to work with - they were created with the knowledge that I was probably not going to do just one thing. I want to do everything as it comes to me, skill set and finances willing. I anticipate honing those skills even more over the next few months in the areas of necklace design, steampunk, wire-wrapping, and hopefully some chainmaille. The worst part is the waiting to be able to afford the tools and components to begin. But I'm excited anyway.

Art Therapy

"A Cordial Greeting" necklace - Bountiful Winepress

I don't know about you, but although I price my items as a business woman and I'm looking into more business practices, jewelry is primarily a hobby for me. I'm an anxious and fidgety person, with a number of destructive tics, so it's actually very relaxing for me to sit down during the evenings or weekends and make jewelry.

I compulsively search for new components and weed through all my favorites for sold and expired items or new listings from favorited sellers. I love looking through even irrelevant listings just to enjoy the colors, and sometimes I find surprising items that I wasn't looking for but now I just have to have. On any given day, I have 10-14 pages of primarily supply favorites.

It gives me a lift every time I see packages in the mail, even if there are only basic findings (shout out to my main findings suppliers, who I adore!). As my work days get progressively more stressful for me (for reasons I'd like to avoid talking about here), it's a real pleasure to come home to something beautiful. I see potential, and I start planning for my three-day weekend.

Then the weekend comes, and I sit down with all my jewelry components around me and a favorite television show marathon on the TV, and I think So what am I going to make today? Weekends when I can't do this are disappointing, although I sometimes make up for it with a spurt of writing creativity.

When I write, my mind is frenetic, moving from point to point, always thinking of new words. It's a creative rush, and I like it. But because it feeds off my anxiety, I enjoy relaxing with my jewelry. When I'm creating jewelry pieces, my mind shuts up. I'm extremely focused, and while I can sometimes become frustrated (wire-wrapping! not enough components! running out of head pins! what the hell kind of glue am I supposed to use!), when I get into a groove, especially the process of creating the above beaded necklace, for example, jewelry-making is one of the few things that can calm me down, as relaxed as a person like me can get. It may take a long time and a lot of money, and trying to sell jewelry on Etsy may be something of a thankless task, but the process of jewelry-making itself is the therapeutic part. In spite of anything, I can't imagine what I would do if I stopped.