Naming the Babies

When I first began my business, I realized early on that my designs were reproducible ...after all, I started because of a wedding.  I also figured out that I needed a way to identify each style so orders could be taken and multiples made.  Pretty easy ... each design needs a name.  But what names to use?  Lots of options were considered and I needed to make allowance that the number of design styles would expand and change over time.   With several groups of designs, there was a fair amount to consider.  I wanted a group of names that would communicate elegance and grace – a name like “Bubblegum Jellopops “ wasn’t going to cut it.

My main line of jewelry styles use crystals with either white or cream pearls.  I decided to use it to honor special women (and girls) in my life.   The names are in alphabetical order and almost every name in my “Fantasy Girls” group represents someone who I have loved or admired.  It was hard to come up with names for a couple of the letters so I looked through baby books to see what names meant and chose accordingly.  For the most part, the names from the early part of the alphabet are the small styles and they get progressively longer as we get further down the letters.  And as time has passed, and I’ve gone far beyond 26 styles of earrings, I’ve added second (and sometimes even third) names for the letters.  My business started by making earrings so I have lots of those designs ...but when I started making necklaces, I had a new problem with naming.  While I was in the process of figuring out what to do about those names, I happened to watch a classic movie with the main character being royalty.  It occurred to me that the royal titles seemed a natural next step in extending my Girls line.  Yes ... we have a few typical titles like Duchess or Contessa or Empress ...but we have (or will eventually have) some unique names.  Bantiarna is an Irish Baroness and Grevinna is a Swedish countess. 

"In The Mood" Earrings

My second largest jewelry line uses a variety of pearl colors with crystals to match.  Some designs can cross over from the Girls ... but some styles are unique to this line.  You may already know I’m a fan of movies from the 1930's and 40's, but I also love the music!  So this line is called “Big Band Baubles” and the designs are named for the titles of some great songs from that era!  I started with some of my very favorites from Glenn Miller then moved on to Cole Porter standards and songs done by Frank Sinatra.  “In the Mood” is one of my best sellers!

Right from the beginning, I’ve also made jewelry using Semi-precious stones.  A lot of people impart mystical qualities to various stones, but I’m not of that neighborhood ...so what to name them.  I did want these names to be very distinct from my other design names.  We had occasion to spend several weeks on a working vacation in Florida and I encountered a couple unusual (but very pretty sounding) names - like “Jacaranda” and “Lantana” (both flowers).   As a very northern girl, I found tropical words intriguing ...and the idea for naming the stones was born.  This line is a bit different because each stone family has it’s own name, and then each design has it’s own name.  “Bling” is the same style in every stone.  Many stone families are represented by names resembling their colors.  For instance, Snow Jade, a translucent white stone, is named “Lantana” which is a tropical white flower.  The Jacaranda tree bears blue flowers so was the perfect name for Blue Chalcedony.  Not all names are exceptionally tropical – Banana Fofana seemed like a fun name for Yellow Aragonite and Pirates Cove works well for Black Onyx. 

I have 2 other lines, both with fewer styles.  Bracelets are all named for classic movie actresses – Garland, Taylor, Hepburn, Monroe.  And I have a line of mixed colors based on seasons and holidays called “Seasons Dreams”.  “Autumn Dreams” is a beautiful fall blend of browns, gold, olive and Indian red.  “Summer Dreams” are beachy colors of capri, aqua, light smoked topaz (sandy colored) and white pearls.  In honor of St Patricks Day, “Irish Dreams” features crystals of emerald and erinite mixed with white pearls.  Each of the combinations of the Seasons Dreams line has a miniature called Sweet Dreams.  And I’ve made allowances to eventually offer earrings, bracelets and anklets using each of the Dreams combinations.

There are ideas tumbling around my head for a couple more combinations – new lines that I’ll develop someday.  And they already have names set aside for them.  I love what I’m doing now but my creativity is not limited to Swarovski crystals and pearls – so I actually have another Etsy shop so the name is “reserved” – something more fitting for an entirely different kind of style.  No plans to launch any new shop this year – Gentle Adornments is keeping me busy enough – that and the fixer-upper house we’re working on!  But maybe when the house is settled?.....

Holland Tulip Time!

Yep!  It's that time of year!  Spring is here and the tulips were gorgeous in Holland, Michigan this past weekend!  It's "Tulip Time" in Holland -- and I enjoyed my first successful craft show of the season.

I really wasn't quite sure what to expect.  For starters, I've never done a 2-day show before.  We like to reserve our Sundays for worship and family so I generally don't apply to do craft shows that encompass Sundays.  After lengthy discussion with my husband, we decided to try a couple Saturday-Sunday shows this year -- but I only wanted to do the best.  The Tulip Time Festival has been a local event for decades and draws visitors from all over the world -- it seemed like a perfect opportunity to try a full weekend.  The craft show is held in Centennial Park and is probably the most beautiful venue that we've ever had for a craft show!  It didn't hurt that the weather was generously cooperative -- cool but sunny -- the perfect spring days!

Because I've never done this show before, I don't have a baseline for how sales may have been affected by the economy (rising gas and food prices and the still high unemployment in Michigan).  I was very satisfied with my sales, although I know that several vendors had a rough weekend.  On Saturday evening, my husband spoke to a couple vendors who hadn't even made their booth fee and I know a couple vendors left early on Sunday afternoon due to lack of sales.  As a jewelry vendor, I don't expect to do a really huge business -- there's always a lot of competition for those jewelry dollars--although I also have to say that at this particular show, I didn't see anyone else who's work is very close to mine.  There are several different "flavors" of jewelry crafters and artisans and no one else offered my flavor. It was a delight to know that several buyers were purchasing for their weddings -- I just LOVE that!  Also had a few sales for late-season proms. 

Some of the shows I have scheduled this year will be repeat shows for me -- and I'm curious to see how they will go.  Several shows are in areas with lots of tourists -- it will be interesting to see how gas prices affect the tourist industry.  In talking to long-time vendors at Tulip Time, they felt that the numbers were down this year.  Last year, it was my feeling that, although unemployment was high, those who were still working had spendable cash -- not so sure this year in the light of the prices of gas and food.  

No matter what the future shows may hold, I was very pleased with my results at Tulip Time!  Awesome weekend!!

Silver Gone Crazy!

Nope.  I don't get to write a great blog about terrific new designs -- this one is about the price of silver and what it may mean for my business.  Like many other jewelry designers, I'm feeling the pinch. 

Winter is my "slow time" -- I'm not doing craft shows and because I don't need to replace my supply as quickly, I haven't been buying silver lately.  I bought some silver at the end of January to do a couple weddings and now that I'm preparing for my first craft show (in May), I'm checking my stock and browsing at my favorite sterling supplier.  Needless to say, I was SHOCKED to see how the price had risen!!  When I last purchased silver, the price per ounce was hovering around $27.  Today it's over $45.  This is going to necessitate some price increases -- I wonder if my customers are going to understand?

I have an excel spread sheet that I've devised to track the costs of making each jewelry design I offer.   There is a list of the supplies I use and in the next column the individual cost of each item.  Because most of my designs use multiples of some supplies, I also have columns that multiply the individual cost by certain quantities -- x2, x4, x6, x8 and so on with a few larger quantities to allow for making necklaces which use larger amounts of some components.  (This may seem a bit complicated, but when I was setting it up, I couldn't figure out how to multiply a single component within the formulas I was going to use.)  In this sheet, there is also a list of the designs I make and in the column next to that, each design has a "cost formula" -- a list of the components needed using the cost of each.  For instance, if a pair of earrings uses a 6mm pearl, I'll need 2 (1 for each earring) -- in the formula, I list the box number (column letter and line number) for the cost of 2 pearls.  Each component is listed using the cost for the quantity used and all the component costs are added using the "sum" function to give me the actual cost of making each individual design.   I hope this is making sense -- it sounds a lot more complicated than it is.  This system becomes very effective when I need to change the price of a component.  Today, when I changed the cost of a sterling silver headpin, the cost of every piece of jewelry using headpins was appropriately adjusted.  I can now determine what price I should charge for each design, with the full knowledge of exactly how much the design will cost me to make. 

Unfortunately, today, I had to change a lot of silver prices.  From here, there are different thoughts on how and when to change the prices of my jewelry -- and maybe I can get some feedback from you. 

1.  Even though I haven't purchased silver at the higher price, I should raise prices now to accommodate the new costs.  While on the surface, this may not seem quite fair, it should be noted that I like to keep my prices the same throughout the entire craft show season -- if I raise prices now, I probably won't raise them again this year.  Because I suspect that silver prices are going to continue to increase (the prices are tied to the value of the dollar and as long our government continues it's current course of printing more money and huge spending, the dollar is going to continue to decline), later I will be absorbing additional increases without raising my prices. 

2.  I can raise prices as I purchase new silver.  The upside is that customers buying from my old supply would be paying my old prices.  The downside is that it will also cost me time and money to re-label every time I use more expensive silver.  My craft shows all fall into a certain geographical area so it's entirely possible for a customer to see me at more than one show -- if prices rise between shows on an item they were considering, will they really understand?  Or will it deter them from making the purchase?  

Anyone have any thoughts?  

I've been reading some forums .. it sounds like a lot of jewelry makers are going to increase their use of copper.  I haven't decided how I feel about making such a change for myself ... and maybe we'll explore that on another day.  I also have some concerns about even doing craft shows this summer -- we'll save those thoughts for another day too.

This Country Girl

No doubt about it ... it's been a busy summer.  I expected to move but didn't (yet) so I packed (and now have to unpack stuff because I haven't moved).  And my business has kept me busy.  In anticipation of moving, I applied for a tax license in my new state and registered my business name.  And with a desire to offer more products, I have expanded my selection of colors and worked on some new designs.

I've also managed a few domestic moments.  I did a little gardening in buckets.  Got a little sewing done.  Experimented with a few new recipes.  We've picked blueberries about 4 times -- not sure how, but that became addictive.  And in some not-so-domestic moments, I've been able to go to a couple Nascar races (and have even fixed dinner for one of the Nationwide teams).

Before I knew it, our days have turned crisp.  A few leaves are starting to turn shades of gold and orange.  Farmers are harvesting crops.  And it's football season.

I'm just a simple country girl.  I like quiet pleasures and wide open spaces.  I love to play in the dirt (and call it gardening).  I like the smell of the breeze after the rain.  I love the sound of a shallow creek dancing over stones.  Even in my travels, I've loved the gentle drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, sunrise on the Atlantic Ocean, the southwest deserts in bloom and sunset on Lake Michigan.  I love the colors, the views, the sounds and the smells (well, most of them -- there was this skunk....).

In a part of the world, very remote from my own, the big name fashion designers are launching their spring lines.  It's Fashion Week in New York City.  Now, I've always been a blue jeans and t-shirt kind of girl and I've never been interested in couture.  When I started making jewelry, it wasn't because I loved wearing it -- I loved the art, the craft, the sense of balance and the creativity of it.   But this year, for the first time in my life, I even bothered to pay attention to the fact that it's Fashion Week.  I'm watching the colors.  And when creativity inspires creativity, well, let's just say I have a few new ideas floating around my head.

It's not very likely that I'll be tempted to trade my jeans for runway style, but next spring, when the new clothes hit the racks at Macys, Penneys and Walmart, they will be coming out in the colors seen this week in NY.  And when you buy that cute new blouse or sassy dress, I'll have the perfect jewelry ready for you.  

Drop by anytime ... I'll leave the light on.

Bridal Show

This Saturday, I have the opportunity to display my jewelry.  The event started out as an open house for a church that wants to promote their facility as a wedding venue.   As the organizer has been planning, she has been approached by several vendors who also wanted to display their products, and last week it was opened to vendors.  A local gal who makes wedding cakes will have samples and a florist will do some decorating ... and I will be there with a display of my jewelry.  So my BIG project for this week is to prepare for this open house.

I have no idea what to expect, really.  We have no clue how many brides-to-be may attend.  I do know that I'm not planning to sell "off the rack", but do plan to take orders.  So now I need to figure out what my display should be like -- I don't think my craft show set up it quite the right thing.  And I'm working on developing procedures and policies.   Because everything that I've done before was direct selling, I haven't had to worry about deposits, cancellation policies or payment plans.  I've created a worksheet form for taking orders and I definitely need to remember to take my credit card machine.  I'm working on a brochure -- this will be a bit experimental so I'm not having it professionally printed -- may need tweaking before I do that.  And I still need to decide exactly which pieces (and which colors) of jewelry I should take -- right now, I'm thinking that I'll take one of everything in white/clear to look bridal and take a second of everything in colors to show what things would look like for a bridesmaid.   I'm thinking that the whole display will fit onto one of my little tables (2x4' -- that I use 3 of at craft shows) but I should also take a second table where I can sit with a bride to plan her designs.  I'll bring the fabric samples I have from David's Bridal -- they could come in handy.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed .. and hoping for a successful day.  We'll see what happens!!!

Not This Time

I wasn't able to go to the bridal shows this weekend ... but it seems to be show season and there are several more coming up over the next few weeks.  I have some second chances!

I continue to think about the pros and cons of doing bridal shows ... and what I would have to do to get prepared for them.  Some of my questions will be answered when I can attend a couple more shows ... and some answers may just be within me.   I don't feel very confident sometimes and need something or someone to give me a nudge ... once I'm doing it, I'm fine ... it's just uncertainty that holds me back from trying.   I am blessed to have some brave people around me who have confidence in me when my self-assurance fails.

The next show I attend, I do need to talk to the hair stylists there.  I've been wanting to add crystal and pearl hair adornments to my product line.  I'm wondering if they have preferences about things:  do they prefer combs or pins?  do they prefer metal or plastic combs?  do they prefer the old fashioned hair pins or bobby pins?  do they prefer attachments wired on or glued .. or both?  I haven't done a lot of these things yet, but if I'm going to put the effort into practicing, I want to use products preferred by the people who will be using them.  It's weird sometimes what I lay in bed and think about!!  :)

My First Impressions

Well, I went to my first Bridal Show today.  It was a small one held in a local venue frequently used for receptions.  I had expected the usual variety of photographers, caterers, bridal shops, florists and disc jockeys and I wasn't disappointed.  There were a couple cosmetic vendors, a spa and a local winery.  One of the things distinctly missing from this show was jewelry -- only one jeweler there and he was primarily selling rings.  At this particular show, no one was selling accessories or jewelry, which surprised me a bit ... and makes me wonder why.  A friend went with me and one of the vendors turned out to be someone she knew .. so we felt comfortable asking questions.  We asked about the booth size, what was provided and fees -- all fairly reasonable by the standards that I've been seeing.

I haven't made any decisions about whether I will pursue this option, but I have a little more information to work with.  One consideration is that a bridal show may not recover it's investment on the day of the show -- it's really a place where potential customers are able to browse and see what services and choices are available but most customers do not BUY at the show.  So if I do this, I need to figure out some way to follow up on potential customers.  A lot of vendors were doing a drawing for a free gift -- so those signing up fill in their contact information on their drawing slip.  Some vendors had sign up sheets on a clip board... not sure I like that one.  Have to give that more thought ... develop a good plan.  And if I do this, I definitely need to develop a more "boutique" looking display.  My display needs to look neat, elegant and professional with a touch of romantic.  We definitely want different "layers" or elevations -- the jewelry guy only had flat trays full of rings on tables -- actually looked a little "flea market".  Need to use color very carefully ... and need to know what the "hot new colors" are for this season.  Someone suggested draping a few pieces of fabric in the trendiest colors to accentuate jewelry of that color. 

I plan to go to another show this weekend ... we'll see how it differs and continue to consider different ideas.  This market has the potential of really working for me ... but I have some serious planning and thinking to do.

Wanna Ride, part 2

A few days ago, I made a checklist of things I need to do to make a transition to doing bridal shows with my jewelry. The last item on my list is the need to update my display.

My current booth display is great for craft shows, where customers "cash and carry" their purchases, but it's not really a very "boutique" style display. For one, we need to do something that varies the heights of the displayed items -- right now, there is some variance, but everything falls within the same 2 feet -- I'd like to go beyond that (see the photo on May 22, 2009). I think I need to add some busts to show off my necklaces -- right now I only use 2.
I need to decide on a color scheme -- right now, my displays are all white (with deep green table skirts) -- do I want to stay with white? Or would the jewelry be more striking on black? Or some other color?
I probably need to decide which pieces and colors of jewelry I'll show and whether or not customers will be able to purchase on the spot or if I will only accept orders.
My current show displays are also great because we can set up and take down quickly -- an important factor in craft shows, but probably not so important in bridal shows.
We need good lighting systems and a nice little music system might be nice.
My current setup is quite flexible and will accommodate a variety of booth sizes. I'm thinking that we're going to tape off the floor with several different booth sizes and use cardboard templates to plan the spaces.
I have some ideas to utilize some of what I already have (a budget concern) as well as develop a more "boutique" look -- and fortunately, I'm married to a wonderful woodworker who can do cabinetry work -- we'll be utilizing his skills! More thoughts later ....

further explanation

I was in a rush earlier .. so here's a little more explanation for my last post.

In August, I did something (a mystery) to my knee -- got a small tear in the meniscus and did some damage to tendons and ligaments. A doctor friend advised me how to take care of it .. the meniscus is doing much better, the tendons are going to take some more time. Better all around ... just getting there really slowly.

And it's interfered with my life some. It's been very uncomfortable to travel so all those miles have been rough. If you don't know me very well, my husband and I are missionaries (build church buildings) and our income comes from churches and individuals who support our ministry. Several months ago, we thought we would have some open time this fall and scheduled visits with several churches to update them on what we've been doing. As it happens, we have had some project delays and are still in WI -- the churches have been in other states -- so we've been on the road a lot. We also helped our youngest daughter move from MI to CO.

The discomfort makes me tired ... I sleep alot when I'm home. I've had to limit my physical activity ... REALLY limit. Everything I've done over the past few months has been critical... nothing that wasn't essential. It's actually produced a sense of pressure ... I can't drop the ball and everything I do HAS to be done. And I'm always wishing I could do more ... it's been frustrating to deal with the limitations.

So when I say that I did some work outside today ... it takes on a whole new meaning!!

I'm trying to work smarter, not harder. I've done several craft shows -- they've gone really well. I was very excited last week to get the order for all the jewelry for a wedding!! And at that particular craft show, there were several inquiries about other weddings.

SO I'm in the wee beginnings of checking out wedding shows and how to market to brides ... if anyone has tips, they would be most appreciated!! Undoubtedly, I'll be posting about my research and decisions ... I'm excited at the prospect!

My First Farm Market

Life has been crazy busy the past few weeks. Our daughter is dating a young man -- his brother was killed last week in a hit and run -- a tragic situation. We've had a couple volunteer groups helping here on the building project. I'm still TRYING to get some things organized in my life and get into some semblance of a routine. I'm working on some small changes in business ... at least, they seemed like small changes ... getting them made is taking a lot longer than I thought. I am particularly trying to change the way I display necklaces at craft shows -- I like my ovals on the jewelry displays, but I have a lot more necklaces available than that and need to figure out a better way to show them off.

This past Saturday, I did my first farm market show -- it was great! I really had no idea what to expect, so set a sales range with the thought that, if I sold in that range, I'd be happy -- I exceeded my range!!! The market is in Elkhart Lake, which I've been told is a cottage community for Chicago executives. When it was time to sign up for the farm market, I knew my schedule would not allow me to be there every week and I was a bit concerned about "saturating my market" to be there each time, so I carefully chose 4 Saturdays. It seemed to me that if there were a lot of cottages in the area, a lot of people would "go to the cottage" for Fathers Day -- and I had that pegged. What I didn't realize is that it was also a race weekend for Road America -- town was packed! I've also chosen July 4 -- I expect a lot of people at their cottages again. I picked 2 dates in August -- they are more random but should be when produce is really filling the market. We'll see if I made good choices -- so far, so good!

Today I have a "private show" -- I'll be setting up for some new friends who want to see my work. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go!! Wish me luck!!! Oh, and Part 5 of my new business "adventure" series will be posted in the next day or so.

A Business On the Move - Part 4

I didn’t have much capital to start a business and every penny made (and then some) has gone back into buying supplies and improving displays. While in Florida, I had purchased folding tables – the kind that are 2' x 4' and fold in the middle for storage (since my storage space is so extremely limited). They’ve worked out really well for me, too, because it seems that the booth size of every craft show is different. I have 3 tables, and can configure them in several different ways, depending on the size of my booth. I also acquired a canopy and got matching table cloths. My craft show set up was starting to look professional.

We also developed an idea for new jewelry displays. I needed displays that would be easy to transport, take minimal storage space, and assemble and dis-assemble quickly at craft shows. Because my jewelry is made with Swarovski crystals, the displays needed to allow plenty of light to show off the crystal’s sparkle and they needed to be as elegant as we could make them. I wanted them to be white so that no color would distort the color of the crystals -- but I didn’t want just any white -- I wanted the white of a grand piano. I wanted that deep, rich elegant white. And in our design, unfortunately, we also had to be able to have a good view of everything because some people just aren’t trustworthy. So after much research and thought, we came up with an idea: Keith would make some wooden boxes that would serve as a base. On the ends of each box, we have uprights that look a bit like stairsteps. In each step there’s a little notch where we place a steel bar, loaded with earring cards. Each box has 7 steps and each step holds 13 earring cards – so we can put 91 pairs of earrings on each display and 2 displays fit on each of my tables (they’re about 22" long).. But there’s more!
On the front of each display, there is a detachable shelf, sitting on a slope, with 4 ovals in a row – each oval is the perfect size to display a necklace, so we also have 4 necklaces on each display.

We finished in Florida last year in April and our next building project brought us to Wisconsin. I was able to participate in several craft shows in the fall (including my first juried shows) and I’m planning my 2009 show/market schedule now. Our show set up has been improved again with the addition of table skirts, which I designed and made (I sew too). Things are looking pretty good and I’m looking forward to the new selling season. Now, if only the economy doesn’t kill me .....

Nurturing the Baby - Part 2

I grew up on a farm, and I’ve always had a garden – so I have long understood the concepts of nurturing and patience. (They also came in handy as we raised our kids!) Once the seed was planted to start a jewelry business, things began to happen. I began to develop designs and started looking for supplies. I told the ladies at church about my interest and a couple of them started watching for ads for craft shows. I was a total rookie about this stuff – and somewhat like the gardener needs a little rain at just the right time, I was learning a little here and a little there – just when I needed to learn it.

I have to tell ya ... those first craft shows were a little rough. I only had about 7 styles of earrings. My “display” was a foam board covered with white lace, propped up with plate easels. Earrings were on homemade cards and the cards were tacked to the board with clear push pins. In each show, I had a board full of sterling earrings and a board of silver plated. As I look back now, it was NOT pretty. But it got me through my first few shows and in spite of the terrible presentation, people liked my work – and I made a little money.

Our youngest daughter went to work for a small Midwest chain of jewelry stores. Unfortunately, the stores failed and she was out of work. But when her store was closing, she was able to get some of the displays for me (for free!). So I graduated to spinners for my earrings, put my earrings on real earring cards and I had a couple busts to display a necklace or two. I felt like I was in the big time! As I made the transition to the new displays, I also decided to go exclusively with sterling silver and eliminate the cheap plated stuff – it was a good move. By this time, I was also up to 18 or 20 earrings designs. My craft shows were stepping up and business was improving.

At one of the craft shows, I met another vendor who was VERY sweet! She had a nice business card and had a web store on a site called “Etsy”. I’d never heard of it, but as she explained it, I found myself intrigued. Etsy is an online marketplace for artists and crafters to set up shops – kind of a web based craft show. This gal, who was selling children’s items, was enjoying quite a bit of success. I signed up! But there was a lot I didn’t understand about doing business online .... and I made quite a few mistakes. More to learn. (Sigh)

As I look back at taking those first baby steps, I’m amazed the baby learned to walk!! And like any baby, once they learn to walk, the next thing you know, they’re running! More later...

Crafty Conception - Part 1

I’ve always been crafty – able to work with my hands, take some basic materials and make something pretty out of them. And I’ve used that ability in many settings, but particularly in making a home. Those years when “country style” was popular – well, they were MADE for me! And I’m one of those people who can pretty much just look at something and figure out how it’s made. The one exception was making baskets – I took a class to learn how to make them because, while I knew weaving, I didn’t know much about using reed or finishing a basket. If it involves fabric, I can usually figure it out in minutes and I think I have a natural eye for balance and color – I know that I have memory for color (which has come in handy on more than one occasion!).

A few years ago, I bought a new outfit that was very pretty, but the color was a complete deviation from the rest of my wardrobe. Now, I don’t really wear a lot of jewelry but this outfit was dressy and I knew I would want earrings to go with it (at least). I browsed several costume jewelry shops but found nothing that stood out. I went to visit my daughter, who had recently been to a jewelry making party/class – she showed me a couple basic techniques – and we were off to the craft store! I picked up a couple basic tools and a few jewelry supplies and we headed back to her house where I made my first necklace. I knew about “lead crystal” but I hadn’t heard of Swarovski – but I’d found some Swarovski crystals that looked like they might go with my outfit. They were the Padparadscha color and I mixed them with white pearls – it was a stunning match! And I was hooked!

Because of the travel involved in our ministry (and for a long list of other reasons) I homeschooled our 2 youngest children – over 15 years. For those who are unfamiliar with homeschooling, I can only say that it is a huge commitment of time for the teaching parent. When our youngest daughter graduated from high school, I felt a little at loose ends. I suddenly found myself with a lot of time on my hands. Because we are missionaries, and have never been fully supported, I began looking at a job to help financially. But because we also move so often, my options were very limited – employers don’t usually like to hire someone who is moving in a few months. And I didn’t want a job that would interfere with our ministry and the commitments I have there (these are my first priority). I’ve done home-based businesses and considered them, but they are most successful when you develop repeat customers and some require maintaining stock – neither of which suited our circumstances. I needed to do something with flexibility and mobility but requiring only a small space.

I’d gotten a lot of positive comments from the ladies at church about my jewelry – and they seemed impressed that I could make my own. Then a friend, who’s daughter was getting married, was complaining about how difficult it had been to find nice jewelry that was reasonably priced. Timing is everything! I began to consider a jewelry business – and B-Jeweled By Susan was born! More later....

Whew! The Roller Coaster!!

Have you ever felt like life was a roller coaster? That feeling that you're going WAY too fast? That you don't have much control? And you're hoping the hardware holds out?
That's been my last couple weeks!

Lets' see ... on Thursday, the 23rd, two days before the craft show, we were still in MI working on our daughter's house (they had a water problem in a house they're trying to sell and they've moved away). We had hoped to head for home in WI that morning .... but there were glitches (aren't there always?) and we didn't leave until after midnight. The 7-hour drive was a killer but actually, it was great driving through Chicago -- there was NO traffic at 3 am!! We got home in time to go to work Friday morning. My husband did all the driving but I was afraid he would fall asleep -- so I only got a couple 20 minute catnaps all night.

I was actually pretty amazed how well I did Friday -- hung in there pretty well without sleep -- until about 5 in the afternoon. Then I started really dragging. By the time my husband got home at 9 that night (he had to work out of town that day -- poor guy -- more travel for him!) I was done in. I told him we weren't going to do the craft show Saturday -- I didn't feel prepared and I was totally exhausted. The idea of getting up the next morning at 5 was just too overwhelming! So we went to bed -- nothing packed in the car. Originally, I figured we should leave for the show about 6:30 am to allow us plenty of time to get there and get set up --haven't done a show since December and knew we would be "rusty" about our set up.

So Saturday morning, at 6:20, I got up for a nature call ... felt a whole lot better .. so woke my poor hubby and said "let's go!!". He had been really disappointed that we weren't going so I didn't even have to ask twice -- he was out of bed like a shot. By 7, we were on the road. Given that we had to dress and pack up, that's amazing!

The show went ... ok. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad. We didn't know what to expect but we did expect more people to come. It was a rainy day -- I know that didn't help. And when the show organizers planned the date, they had checked on road construction -- they were told that the road would be resurfaced from June - August. Somebody's calendar was really screwed up because it was all torn up in April! And we expected that the economy would have some impact -- didn't know how much. This show last year had about 2000 attendees -- we figured there were only 700-800 this year.

The show itself was really pretty neat. Some fun vendors -- someone was selling decorated hula hoops -- their booth was really bopping!!-- the booth across from us were selling their own dip mixes (oh my goodness ... SOooooo good!!) and there were just some interesting things being sold. The guy a couple booths down from us was selling metal lawn sculptures -- they were amazing! One lady was selling hair pieces -- sort of for an instant updo. Another was selling bras -- she had her own little booth for trying on. There were some wonderful handmade soaps. Lots of jewelry, but none of it like mine. And the chocolatiers -- yes, there were choclatiers! and the samples? almost heaven!!!

I had a couple of fun sales -- both ladies wanted very custom made pieces. One lady was probably in her late 40's -- she picked a pair of earrings she liked, then pointed to a necklace and said she'd like something like that, only a little different. We talked about what she had in mind, then I made up a couple samples -- she loved one of them and bought it! Later, a younger gal came by -- mid 20's -- getting married in July. She had the jewelry picked out for her wedding party but hadn't been able to find anything she liked for herself. She chose a pair of earrings in white/clear but wondered what they would look like if one of the crystals was sapphire instead (the color of her wedding) -- I made it up for her -- and she LOVED it! But then she wanted a necklace -- I made one similar to a style I have but, like the earrings, substituted a sapphire crystal for a clear in part of the necklace. It came out perfect! It was so cool to do wedding jewelry -- it's an area I want to work in to -- and it was SO fun!!

As for the marketing mix, there were more young women at this show than at the typical craft show -- and I had a lot of attention from most of them. It confirmed that my work has a bit younger appeal than I've been thinking -- which should help with my marketing strategy.

And my shop is open -- it was pretty slow getting things listed and I have LOTS more listing to do -- but that's a story for another day. Come check me out:
www.gentleadornments.etsy.com
So far, the feedback I'm getting is very positive. Most of my photos are pretty decent. No sales yet but I really didn't have enough listed until yesterday. It's really a relief to have it open and be able to list. I've been working on it for so long -- taken SO many pictures! And getting them edited and cropped. Woohoo!! This is me doing the happy dance!!!

Woohoo! Craft Show Coming!!

April 25 (next Saturday) is my first craft show of the 2009 season. I am particularly looking forward to this one – because it’s a different type of show from the normal.

There are many similarities in craft shows. Most of those who attend my craft shows are women, age 45+. They tend to either be crafty themselves or they are supporters of whatever organization/school is sponsoring the show. I’m not sure if I’m reading them correctly, but I often get the feeling that only a few are professional/career women. Most of the shows I'm involved in these days are juried and there is heavy emphasis on artwork and handmade crafts. The typical craft show appeals to a fairly specific market segment.

But this show is different. The theme is "What Women Want" and it is more of a business expo that includes local crafters (as in home-based businesses). Most of the well known home party companies will be represented as will a number of area merchants. I expect to see representation from local eateries, floral shops, boutiques and spas. Demonstrations are planned throughout the day. One of the highlights is the focus on the local Chocolatiers (yes, this show is sounding more and more decadent all the time!).

I plan to keep a close eye on the demographics – because although I’ve been doing craft shows for a several years, I’m not convinced that it reaches my best market segment. And, as with my new Etsy shop, I’ve tweaked a few things and made a few small changes. I’m hoping that the uniqueness of this show (and it’s broader appeal) will provide me with some very important market information .... we’ll see!!

Oh, and if you’re in the area, it’s at the Sunnyview Exposition Center, Oshkosh WI and the show runs from 10-4.
Love to see you there!!