Iron Dog's Blog

Scented Times at Iron Dog

2010-04-12T13:51:00.002-04:00

Another incense update:

I talked with Rob about the whole incense thing. I wanted to know if it would drive him crazy. He said he wouldn't mind. He didn't give me the instant go-for-it attitude I was hoping for, but just because you hope for something doesn't mean you expect it.
Another thing that will hopefully ease him into it is the fact that he's working now. So, on my short days and days off, I can play with my stinkies while he's at work and not worry about annoying him.

I must admit I'm having a very tiny reservation of my own. One of the things that makes me laugh about Etsy is how often people complain about low sales. Well, my jewelry shop doesn't get many sales at all. But for the most part, that's fine with me. I don't have time for that many sales! I've got a life and a full time job that come first.
So call me optimistic, but I do worry that the incense might sell TOO well and I'll get bogged down with packaging orders. I don't think it'll be enough to drive me crazy. And then there's also the nature of the beast that will make it easier. Incense is relatively easy to make. Kind of a set-it-and-forget-it thing while it soaks and dries.

Which brings me to another question I need to address:
Do I offer only Made-To-Order incense where I do not begin making the incense until the order is received, or do I make a little bit of everything and wait for it to sell?
Made-To-Order obviously is ideal to ensure the freshest possible product. This might be the way I go until I get established. At first, I don't know what scents people will like or when it will be ordered. So I can just start taking it as it comes.
But then if I get lots of orders, and/or if I see a favorite developing, I can try having more pre-made, knowing it will sell soon enough.

I placed a $100 order of fragrance oils yesterday. I'm very excited. Lots of interesting scents that I can't wait to try out. Some are going to be mysteries to me, as far as how good the FO is and how well it translates to incense. But others I know (based on reviews and personal experience) will make good incense.

This order comes on the revelation I had about the best way to soak the incense. I read on a forum that some people use empty water bottles. They store the FO in the bottle, and when it comes time to soak incense, they just shove the unscented sticks in the bottle, close 'er up and lay it on it's side to soak. Just needs a rotation here and there to make sure all sticks get equal attention.
Well, I couldn't figure out what sort of water bottle they were using. But then I found my own. These bottles are tall, skinny, with straight sides and a flat bottom. No nooks and crannies to trap the FO and keep it away from the sticks. And they're slender enough not to take up too much room. I can stand them up in a box when I'm not soaking incense and they'll be out of the way.
The only adjustment I'll have to make is to cut about an inch off the non-burning end of the sticks so they'll fit in the bottle. Not a big deal, there's still plenty of stick left to handle and it will make packaging them for shipping easier.

Gotta run!

BEADS!

2010-02-19T13:58:00.003-05:00

I know, I'm supposed to be working on that whole incense thing. I am... just... very slowly.

Anyway, in other news...
I finally acted upon a desire I've had for a while now.
I've seen some amazing lampwork bead sets on Etsy and I've always thought it would be fun to incorporate them into my jewelry. It would certainly give my stuff a splash of color! And, since I don't have the space or location to do the lampworking myself (*looks wistfully and apologetically at her torch and glass collecting dust*) then I thought I'd hook up with one or more of these amazing artists and get some beads from them.

So I contacted one today and told her how much I loved her beads and what my intentions were if I purchased her beads.
I know people that make these bead sets expect the buyer to use the beads in jewelry or something. But I don't know how many of those buyers plan to sell the finished pieces like I do. So I thought I'd do the right thing and ask. Couldn't hurt, right? And at the very least, I'm complimenting someone.

I think this will give me a little kick in the pants that I need to get passionate about my jewelry again. It ebbs and flows, that passion.
Or maybe, it will just make me pine for my own torch and make me angry that I don't have a place to melt glass myself. Maybe it will give me a kick in the pants in THAT aspect of my life.

Secret's Out

2010-01-26T13:16:00.002-05:00

Well, I suppose I'm not keeping anyone in suspense with the whole "Branching Out" thing. Does anyone really read this blog anyway? Well, regardless, it's a good place for me to write down my thoughts, plans, ideas, hopes, whatever. So here goes.

I'm hoping to open a new Etsy shop that sells only Incense.
I know. Incense is so different from jewelry that they don't even connect at all. I know that. I do plan on keeping the Iron Dog name, though... more on that later.
I'm still not 100% sure of my reasons for doing this.
One reason is that I believe that incense will sell better than jewelry will. There are still quite a few incense makers on Etsy, but not nearly as many jewelry makers.
Another reason: Incense is something I enjoy myself. I love scents and fragrances. I've even purchased incense from a couple sellers on Etsy.
Also, I feel that any sales will help get money rolling in and motivate me to work harder at both my incense shop and my jewelry. Besides, who would turn down more money?
I also feel that, unlike my jewelry shop, I can easily brand myself to stand out from other incense sellers (more on that later, too).
I feel like there was at least another reason, but it has slipped my mind for now.

So, first things first... naming the new shop.
Right now, I've got logo, banner, and product labels all designed up already with the name Iron Dog Fragrance. I recently thought about changing it to Iron Dog Incense... kinda rolls off the tongue better, but as I will probably only be selling the incense online, it doesn't need to sound good, but look good.
For one, keeping it as Iron Dog Fragrance allows me to be able to branch out in the future to... I don't know... soaps, lotions, whatever. Though for now, I don't plan on doing that at all (more on that later).
Visually speaking, Iron Dog Fragrance looks better. Why? Well, for the banner, etc. I chose a flowy, scripty font that I thought worked well with the idea of incense and scents. It just so happens that the lower case g in "Dog" and the upper case F in "Fragrance" kind of flowed into each other to create this neat swirly smoke-like curl. I thought that was quite appropriate and if I were more spiritual, I'd consider it a sign that the name should definitely be Iron Dog Fragrance.

I've done lots of "research" into selling incense on Etsy. I've done daily searches for incense to see what comes up and who are the main sellers.
Most of them don't sell JUST incense. Some do soaps, lotions, or make-up. Some are more spiritual and sell them as spiritual tools for religious rituals or self-improvement.
I plan to stay away from all that and just sell incense. Sticks. Not cones (for now). The only other thing I hope to sell from this shop is hand made ceramic and glass incense burners.
I will not claim any spiritual characteristics. I will not claim my incense is blessed or has magical properties.
I will not sell colored incense sticks as incense is meant to be smelled, not seen.
I will not buy 500 different kinda of fragrances, dip my incense in them and label them with the same name that the fragrance oil has. I plan to be a little more creative and selective. I will test fragrances before releasing them to the public. I will make an effort to make my own blends rather than just going with a one-stop bottle that I bought off the shelf.
I will write my own descriptions, rather than cut and paste the ones the fragrance oil manufacturer gave to the fragrance oil.
I will ask for my customers opinion. This will not be a done-deal once the sale is made. I want feedback about the scent. I will compensate my customers for their opinions with discounts on future purchases. I want to make sure I'm not the only one who has a say in whether or not the fragrance works. Just because I like it, does not mean everyone else will.
I will offer sampler packs.
I will include free incense with the purchase of a burner.
I will offer reasonable package counts. Who needs 50 incense sticks of the same scent? I suppose if you really like the scent, but that's where the custom orders come in. Some sellers ONLY offered packs of 50. I plan on 20.

Heh, turned into a bit of a list of Incense Commandments. But that is how I plan to separate myself from other incense sellers. There are a few others that just sell incense and don't claim it to have any spiritual or magickal properties. But there's always been something about them that just makes it feel a little hokey. Some quirky backstory or claim that just sounded a little too forced, regardless of the reality. I plan to be a no bullshit seller. In fact, I briefly considered making that the shop name... No Bullshit Incense.

So I've ordered 12 or so scents already. I got them from a place that I thought had reasonable prices. They also have a discount system which is nice. I have found another place that is much cheaper. I plan to order a few samples from the second place to see how their fragrances compare.
Some of the scents I have tested are not going to work out at all. I got a Green Apple FO that, when burnt in incense smells more like apricots than apples of any kind. But I still wouldn't dare trying to label it as apricot scent.
A few other scents are definitely keepers.
And others are passable, but I wonder if there isn't something better.

I don't plan on doing cones. Mostly because the drying time (I've read) is much longer than sticks and it's going to be hard enough for me to keep up with the soaking and drying schedules of the sticks.
Besides, with cones, I'd have to get different bags to pack them in. They also use more fragrance oil than sticks so pricing would be tricky. I would love to poll my customers to ask them if they would prefer cones.
I suppose that could be another way to brand myself. I could be as customer-centered as possible. Letting them decide what they want. Do they like the 20 count packs or do they wish the packs would have more? ...or less? Would they want the option of cones?
Giving the customer options is good, but I think too many options would just make things too difficult for me to be worth it. I guess I'll just have to see how well things sell at first. Maybe I'll have a good enough response without options!

As far as specific scents go...
These are the keepers: Frangipani, Rain, Cinnamon Bun, Vanilla, Firewood.

Scents that I'll offer for now, but will look for better versions: Patchouli, Nag Champa, Lavender, Sage & Citrus.

Scents that have, but definitely need to find better versions: Sandalwood, Hazelnut Coffee.

Scents that are right out: Green Apple.

The only scent from my initial order that I haven't tried yet is Strawberry Daquiri. The sticks are dry, I just need to burn it. I have a feeling it'll be more strawberry and less daquiri. But I've learned that incense is a funny animal. It can smell one way in the bottle, another way on the dry stick and then a completely different way when burned (ie Green Apple).

Another big thing I need to consider and discuss, is the support from Rob. When we first started dating, he loved the incense I'd burn. I even gave him some as a gift which he seemed to like.
But now that he's living with me, he seems to get annoyed when I burn incense. Enough so that I feel the need to ask if he would mind if I burned some. I don't think he minds the scent so much as the smoke itself. It seems to float right into his face. I've moved the incense to a different location and that helps. He doesn't complain then. But, when I'm testing, I need to be able to really smell it so I can decide if it's good or not, so I need to close to me. Which almost always means it's close to him, too.
I'll have to talk with him about this. I don't want to embark on this venture if it's just going to annoy the shit out of him. He means more to me than $2.20 a pack.

I had a romantic idea of opening the shop on my birthday. But that is only a week away and I still don't have shipping supplies yet. I don't think the incense packs will fit in the mailers that I use for jewelry, so I'll need to get others. Probably going to go with ULINE.

So I guess that's a good summary of all the stuff up until now.

Iron Dog Featured!

2009-12-22T13:00:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! Iron Dog was featured in a fellow Etsian's blog! Check it out!

Many thanks to The Ash Grove.

Craft show success!

2009-12-08T13:12:00.002-05:00

Well, the largest craft show I participate in was this past weekend. Despite unexpected snow, there was a great turnout and I did fantastic! This has been my best show ever. Ever! I've done this specific show for 4 years now and this one was by far the best.

First, I want to thank Rob. He was a saint. He helped tremendously. Even when I didn't expect him to help. If I was busy with a customer and another customer wanted to make a purchase, he stepped up and helped them. He even made a few pieces right there in the booth during slower moments.

I had several return customers, which is always wonderful. I usually don't get to see my pieces again once I sell them. So when a return customer appears and they're wearing what they had previously bought, it makes it that much more special.

I even got another visit from "The Harmonica Guy". He had visited my booth last year. He's an eccentric guy who plays the harmonica. He told me he takes great joy in going to these craft shows and speaking with artisans and commissioning them to make him a harmonica holder using their specific craft. He's always wearing several of them on his person when I see him.
Last year he didn't commission one from me because he had just recently purchased one in chainmail.
But this year, we struck a deal! We discussed design details and color and size and all the good stuff and decided upon a price. He even gave me a harmonica to use while I'm making it, so I know if it is the correct size or not. I didn't get a deposit from him up front, and I know I should have. If he backs out of this, it's not like I can easily sell a personalized harmonica holder to someone else. But, I figure I have his harmonica! So, unless it's one that he doesn't care about, I'm pretty sure he'll keep up his end of the deal.
Right now, I'm waiting for my supplier to begin production on the rings I want to use for it. We had agreed upon aluminum rings and black anodized aluminum rings. But when I got home from the show that day, I noticed that my supplier had started making black anodized niobium rings. I would much rather use those than the anodized aluminum because in my experience the color layer flakes off very easily with the aluminum. The niobium will be much more durable.
Once my supplier starts making it in the ring size I need, I will contact the Harmonica Guy and suggest the new material.

I was also ambushed into joining a local guild. The Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild is something I had thought of joining years ago. But I didn't because, at the time, they seemed to have requirements (as far as booth set up) that I couldn't afford to comply with. My mother is a member of this guild (and also the vendor in the booth next to me at this show). She's been trying to get me to join forever.
I would love to join because this guild runs several shows a year, all of which are very successful. It is very very difficult to get into one of those shows without being a member.
The vendor in the booth across from me at this show is the current president of the guild. My mother recruited her to come over to my booth and coerce me into joining the guild. They say that even though most shows are saturated with jewelry vendors, my stuff is very very unique. They said I would be a shoe-in to be juried into the guild as well as getting into most of the shows.
So I caved and agreed to join. I just need to find time to sit down and look through the website to see what I need to do.
It also means I'll probably be buying a booth display... i.e. pipe and drape walls. They assured me that I didn't need to do that right away, but I probably will anyway, especially since I did so well at this show.

So, there it is. My last show of the year and it was a huge success, complete with a commission as well as recruitment. A good time was had by all.

A new venture?

2009-12-02T13:10:00.003-05:00

Okay, so that new craft I was going to attempt... mentioned it in my last blog post... remember?
Well, I bit the bullet and ordered a smattering of supplies. Smattering. What a word. It doesn't sound very pleasant. Kind of like a combination of "smelly" and "splattering". Like diarrhea. "Wow, after I ate that kung pao chicken, I experienced the worst smattering in recent times."

Okay, that's gross. I'm done digressing and I apologize for it.

Anyway, my supplies are on their way and I'm wicked excited about it! They're actually on a FedEx truck right now en route to my apartment. Any moment now, it will be delivered. Thank goodness today is a short day at work. I fully plan to go home and check out all my goodies. Maybe even make something!

It's really pathetic how eager I am for it to arrive, even though I'm not there yet to open it. Seriously, it's lunch break at work and I'm sitting here playing on the web and I've got a browser tab open to the tracking page on the FedEx site. I keep refreshing the page every now and then hoping that the status will change from "In Transit" to "Delivered". Gotta love package tracking.

So yeah, keep an eye out for another update after I've had a chance to play with everything. I really think I'm going to go ahead and do this. I've already created a banner for my future new Etsy shop. I actually think I like it more than the banner for my current Etsy shop!
But like a good business woman, I'm going to take my time researching, experimenting and perfecting before I offer anything to the public. Patience, my dearies.

Crossroads

2009-11-24T12:49:00.002-05:00

So, I've come to crossroads with my business. Actually, it's more of a self-imposed fork... or even a branch.
It could be because I don't have time to list items and promote as much as I should, but I'm not seeing as much attention/sales in my Etsy shop as I would like to. So I've been trying to think of ways to bring more customers in.

Alright, I should explain the REAL reason. Got time?

I am at a point in my "real" job/career where I think I'm burnt out. I need a change. Long story short, I thought about buying a bakery franchise and having fun with that. And I think I would. But my boyfriend pointed out that I would have to be there EVERY DAY, even on weekends, and would I enjoy it enough to do that? So, without intending to, he basically talked me out of it.
Instead, I would like to go back to my original dream of quitting my job and just focusing on my own business. The problem is, selling jewelry doesn't get you many return customers. Don't get me wrong, I DO have repeat customers and I love them dearly and appreciate their business. But I just don't get as many as, say, a candle shop, or a seller of baked goods. My product is not "consumable". People don't buy come back for more because the first one is used up.
So I've been thinking of things that I am good at (or would be good at) making. Things I enjoy myself. Consumable things.
I am still trying to think of something jewelry related, but until I am hit with that stroke of genius, I'm considering some non-jewelry related items.
Of course, then the question becomes: Do I create a new Etsy shop for the new items or just try to sell them along with my jewelry? Because I am not looking to replace my jewelry (though, if the new stuff sells well enough, maybe I will!) and the point of it is to get customers in the shop more frequently, so perhaps I will just add the new stuff to the jewelry and if it really takes off, I can set up another store.

I'm probably going to keep the details and specifics to myself for the time being. I don't want to make it public and then end up not doing it. I'd feel like a royal ass. I guess I'm just thinking out loud here, and wondering if anyone has come across a similar situation. I'm sure there has.

Then there's another part of me that thinks I just need to list more jewelry. Add more things that I've got waiting in the wings. I just wish I had the time for that.
Of course, you could say, "Well, if you don't have time for that, then how on earth are you going to have time for this new, special, secret stuff?"
Well, so far, this new, special, secret stuff is something that can be made easily. Photographs are not key, so I don't have to wait for a day off with good lighting. So that's another positive of the new, special, secret stuff: it doesn't require as much time as my jewelry does.

Anyway, I do have plans to purchase a small quantity of supplies and materials for the creation of the new, special, secret stuff, to give it a try. So eventually there will/might/should be a blog post about the experimentation. Stay tuned!

Open House

2009-11-17T13:13:00.002-05:00

My mom was invited to sell her products (she does mosaics, etc.) at a crafting open house at a local office building. Don't ask me how that works out... a craft show at an office building? I've heard of it before, so I guess it works.
Anyway, the organizer said she wanted my stuff there too, but didn't have space, so she invited my mother to have some of my items at her table.
I gave her a handful of bracelets, and necklaces, as well as several of my Starflake tree ornaments.

My inventory has been pretty strong up to now. But, if the majority of those items sell at the open house, I'm gonna have to really haul ass to fill in the gaps for the big holiday show coming up during the first week of December. I'm going to work on as many pieces as I can until then anyway.

Thanksgiving shouldn't be too much of a distraction, even though I'm needing to make three desserts to bring.
Hmm, had I thought of it, I would have taken a few days off before the show to really buckle down and make some items.
Oh well, wish me luck! I think...

Etsy did the right thing, the Etsy community did not.

2009-11-13T06:27:00.002-05:00

Well, that Gift Guide button is gone. Etsy apologized and confessed it didn't think about how it might affect the influx of customers to people's shops.

Sure, I'm glad. What I'm NOT glad about is being a part of a community where some/most of its members fly off the handle so ridiculously. I know I can behave rashly on occasion, but c'mon people! That's the beauty of the internet. You can write something and take time to think about it before sending it. I bet 90% of those people would have never behaved as they did or said what they did if they were saying it in person. I guess that's the downfall of the internet as well... people say things without thinking about the actual person with feelings that's behind what they're mad at.

I wonder how it was decided to put that button on there. Was it one persons idea? I bet they call out of work the next few days. Probably feel like an ass.

Should I go there?

2009-11-11T13:23:00.004-05:00

I'm debating on whether or not I even want to bring up the recent development of, and the volatile response to the addition of the Gift Guide button on Etsy storefronts.

But seeing as how I just did, I guess I'll just give my opinion while I'm at it.

I agree with most of the angry people. Etsy can do what they want with their site. That's the ultimate point, I guess. But they have given us our own space to list our items. We pay them to list our items. We pay them when those items sell. Seems like a fair deal.
Up until now, that space that they gave us was nice and cozy and we were allowed to do with it what we wanted. Etsy has fun coming up with guides and articles and showcases and treasuries and labs and educational stuff. They've got links to that stuff all over the place. EXCEPT on our pages.
Sure, you could get to any of those places from our pages, but it wasn't in your face, so our pages could continue to be our cozy little storefront where we did our best to greet our customers with quality, handmade items in the hopes that they would stay and browse and buy something.
But the addition of this Gift Guide button is a little bit of an intrusion. And to make it so obvious and garish just intrudes even more. All the work we did in our store (as well as the endless work we do outside of our store to get customers IN our store) is for nothing because now those customers are lured away by this glowing beacon of a button.
A poster in the forums had a good analogy. She compared it to two vendors at a craft show. She said it wouldn't be fair for one vendor to put a neon sign that advertised her booth in the other vendors booth. It would be even more unfair if the sign-placing vendor was getting paid by the other vendor to have a booth there.
So, basically, I agree with all the angry people.
Having said that, I could present the alternative and much less popular view:
It's Etsy's site. They can do with it what they want. We only pay them for two things: 1)the ability to list an item for sale. 2) The code for the checkout process.

We don't pay them for all the nice little conveniences they create for us to make listing our item easier. We don't pay them for all the work they do behind the scenes creating things that they think will bring buyers to the site. I would go so far as to say that we don't even really pay them for the page that we call our store. We just pay them for the space it takes to show the item listing itself. Everything around that (the sections, the hearts counter, the feedback system, the conversation system, our profile, our policies, our favorites, the banners and avatars, featured items, vacation mode, batch sorting and shipping, forums and chat, etc.) is extra. Our $0.20 is for the listing only. The 3.5% of the sale price is for the checkout process.
If they really wanted us to be able to completely customize our store appearance, then they'd make it like Blogspot and make every aspect of it customizeable. But they don't. Everyone's shop looks the same. Why?

It's our ITEMS that are meant to attract the customer.
Not a customizeable layout. Not a colorful background that we made ourselves. Not embedded music or a news feed.
This is not Facebook. This is not Twitter. This is not MySpace. This is not Blogspot.
This is Etsy. It's where people come to buy our handmade items, not the "handmade" website on which they're sold.
If our items can't keep the attention of our customer and prevent them from straying off to that orange button in the upper corner, then there's something wrong with our items.

So for all those people that are boycotting Etsy, and refusing to list or relist or renew items because they don't want to give Etsy any money until they remove that Gift Guides button because they say it's ruining their sales, I have some advice.
You'd likely have a better case if you continued as you normally would. Because if that Gift Guides button truly does negatively affect your sales, you need to be able to prove it. You need to be able to say, "Look, I did what has proven to generate sales in my shop in the past, but ever since you added that button, my sales have plummetted." If you have always renewed, relisted, or listed and you suddenly stop, who's to say that THATs not the reason your sales have dropped?

So quit bitching, people. I'm guessing that if you stopped wasting time complaining in the forums and used that time to promote your store, make more items, take better pictures, and just relax, you'd keep making sales. Possibly even more than normal.

Facebook URL

2009-11-07T06:36:00.003-05:00

I'm now easier to find on Facebook. Thanks to my fans, I am eligible for a shorter URL: http://www.facebook.com/IronDogMetalsmiths

You should click it now to try it out. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Starflakes!

2009-11-03T21:13:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again! My Starflakes are pretty popular at the Wakefield show and I'm in Starflake-making mode. I just hope I can make enough to be able to list some on Etsy as well.

They're about 1.5" in diameter and are made with anodized aluminum. I've got lots of fun colors. I'm actually trying to figure out an easy way to give my Etsy customers ideas of what colors are available so they can customize their own ornament.

I call them Starflakes because I can't decide if they look like snowflakes or stars.

Here's another photo.
Whatcha think?

Just an update

2009-11-02T14:13:00.003-05:00

Not much to blog about today. Just a few little bits...

I'm planning to start working on some items with turquoise in them. I've already got a bracelet made with some Swarovski accents in turquoise tones. I've also got some turqouise beads that worked perfectly in my flower chain items from several months ago.
The reason I'm focusing on Turquoise is because it is (one of) December's birthstones and rumor has it, Etsy will be posting items with turquoise in them for their December shopping guide.

I also would like to get some photos of my Starflake ornaments. I might just make a listing on Etsy for them. The thing is, they come in tons of different colors and color combinations, so I'll have to figure out a way to show the color choices and have the customers design their own.
Another problem is that my Starflakes sell pretty well at the Wakefield show I'm doing in early December and so it'll be tough to make enough to sell in both places. I'll have to get Rob working on more for me, as well as bring some rings to work on during my lunch break at the hospital.

HBP - Final Product #1

2009-10-29T20:59:00.003-04:00

It's finished! As promised:

Satin rattail cord, sterling silver chainmaille tassle.
It turned out pretty darn close to what I had envisioned. I had thought to add some Swarovski crystals to accentuate the color in the glass, but once I got to this point, it seemed like they would have just seemed like an afterthought. Besides, considering the bead is the focal point, the color and sparkle of the crystals would have pulled attention away from it.

I'm rather happy with it! Now... to decide what to do with it...

The Homeless Bead Project

2009-10-28T12:08:00.003-04:00

So I mentioned in an earlier post about a wonderful artist, Nomad Crafts, who sends out monthly newsletters as well as a free lampworked bead to anyone on their mailing list. Considering my latent passion for lampworking, I quickly added my name to said mailing list.

Well, a week ago, my first bead arrived!

Ain't she a beaut? I was pleasantly surprised when this little gem arrived in my mailbox for free. Most places that have free giveaways like that only giveaway items that are substandard or unsellable. Maybe this artist has very high standards, which is fine, but this bead is not what I would consider freebie fodder.
It is obviously thought out and planned to look the way it does. Sure, if I HAD to I could try to pick out a few things about it that might not be considered perfect. But then again, who am I to judge with only 10 hours of any sort of lampworking experience under my belt?

So anyway, I am assuming (hoping) that Nomad Crafts will continue to send me specimens like this and my intention (hope/plan/pipedream?) is to make something using each of the monthly tokens and send pictures of the finished item back to Nomad Crafts.

There is a tiny dilemma amidst this project...
Is it ethical for me to sell some of the items I make with thsee free beads? I have every intention of providing as many links as I can to Nomad's etsy shop in the descriptions of these items. I also plan to blog about each month's project (like I'm doing now) which is helping promote Nomad's business. But since I obtained the bead for free, is it then unethical to turn it around and sell it for money?
I suppose I could always ask Nomad how they felt about it. Perhaps they would prefer I didn't use their giveaways to make into items to sell. Perhaps they would prefer if I didn't blog about them at all!

Well, we'll see how the finished project turns out this month. I wouldn't dare try to sell an item that didn't turn out well for fear of linking Nomad's shop with an inferior product.
I'm not even sure what I want to do with it.
One idea was to string it on some satin rattail cord and add a small chainmail embellishment underneath, probably with some Swarovski crystals to compliment the colors used in the bead. But would it be a pendant on a long corded necklace or should I attach a clip to make it a zipper pull or other such adornment?

If I had more folks that regularly read this blog, I could turn it into a contest... Readers could suggest ideas and whomever submitted the winning idea would receive the finished item as a prize. Would that I had that many readers, else we would all benefit from such an idea.

I could also have a contest for people to suggest a name for this idea of turning the monthly beads into an accessory or jewelry item. For now I'm calling it the Homeless Bead Project. Even though, the bead has a home now. It had a home before. But the previous home decided that perhaps the bead could have a better life if they sent it out into the world.
I just want to fulfill that beads destiny.

Too Old for Facebook

2009-10-27T14:06:00.003-04:00

So I just created a Facebook Fan Page for Iron Dog Metalsmiths. Man, I think I'm too old to figure out how that site works. It took me forever just to figure out how to edit my page once I created it. I still don't have it done/ready.
I've got it linked to Twitter, so hopefully, I won't have to worry about updating BOTH place, just the one.

My wonderful friend, Nora, has already become a fan. Perhaps I should get a few lessons from her... How to Navigate Facebook 101.

I'd put a link to the Page, but I'm not sure I'd even know how to do that correctly. So, until I figure it out, just go to Facebook and search for Iron Dog Metalsmiths. And if you can.... HELP ME!

Barktoberfest and a Product Review

2009-10-26T12:42:00.004-04:00

Well, the show was a reasonable success. I made back my booth fee and then some, so that counts as a success in my books. Lots of people took business cards and seemed genuinely interested in visiting my websites. Most people ask for a card just to be polite and use it as an out without buying anything. But lots of people who took cards really seemed intent on visiting my site.

Also had a few people take the cards that I had made up to advertise my next show. Lots of them said something like, "Oh, I'll be in that area at that time!" or "My sister lives there and she would love this stuff."

Maybe I'm deluding myself, but whatever.

I got a picture of my booth.

Oh, and here's a product review for you:
I recently bought a Verizon USB Mobile Broadband modem with the intention of bringing my laptop to shows to process credit cards on the spot. Verizon has a deal called a DayPass where you pay $15 for 24 hours of access. This would be used instead of having a 1 or 2 year contract and paying $20-40 per month for it. The DayPass is perfect since I only need it every so often for shows.
Well, unless you plan on signing up for a contract, you have to buy the modem at full retail price. For this model, that price was $170.
Then, once you're ready to use it, you call an 800 to sign up for a DayPass. Well, if it's the first time doing so, you also have to activate the thing, which costs another $25. (For you number people, we're already up to $210 for the first use.)

So, the night before the show, I call to activate the thing and sign up for the DayPass. She takes my information and my credit card number and tells me to wait 30 minutes so it all can be entered into the system and then the modem should work. She gave me an order number and an application number (whatever that is). She said if it didn't work, to call back and they'd find out why.
I waited 45 minutes and it didn't work. So I called back. Long story short, I spent over 2 hours on the phone with tech support. They had nothing in their system about me or my modem. The phone number that the original lady had assigned to my modem kept coming back as a number for a deactivated cell phone account. Basically, they were as dumbfounded and frustrated as I was. So I asked if maybe we couldn't just start over and reactivate the thing all over again. The guy thought that might work, so he said he'd transfer me to someone who could do that.
Well, she couldn't. She told me I had to call Sales during their business hours to do that.
So, I hung up without any sort of solution.
The next morning was the show. The show opened its doors at noon and I was finished setting up my booth at 11am. But, I was still frustrated from the night before and just decided to give up on the modem for that show and worry about it later. But my boyfriend loves a computer challenge so he pulls out my laptop and plugs in the modem. Go figure, it worked instantly. We're guessing that since it was late in the day when I initially called, the techs decided to wait until the morning to set me up.
It worked perfectly. I was able to process all my credit card transactions right there and then, get confirmation right there and then and have peace of mind that I'd be paid and not have to deal with rejected cards hours after the sale.

Do I recommend this product? Absolutely.
Do I have faith in Verizon's customer service and technical support? Eh... the jury is still out.
Was/Is it worth the cost? More than likely. At my larger shows, I get lots of credit card sales. So far, I've only had one card be rejected when I went to process it from home after the show. But now, I won't have to worry about that at all. It doesn't take any more time than the way I used to do it.
I know that it really won't have paid for itself until I get $200 worth of sales that would have otherwise been rejected due to a bad card. I don't forsee that happening in the near future, but until it does, I do think it is worth the peace of mind.

Also, I'd like to give props to my MacBook for lasting through the whole 6-hour show. In fact, the charge on the battery only dropped to 78% by the time the show was over. I just put it to sleep after a transaction. Sure, I did have to reconnect the modem after doing so, but that wasn't that much of a problem. Only takes 10-15 seconds to do that.
Perhaps I will rethink replacing my MacBook with a netbook since the Mac did much better than I thought it would.

Barktoberfest tomorrow and a Look Ahead

2009-10-24T17:12:00.006-04:00

Well it rained. It IS raining. So Barktoberfest will be held tomorrow. It is supposed to be sunny all day. Hopefully no wind. Mid 60's. Not too bad.

Check back tomorrow evening. Hopefully I'll have time and energy to give a quick blurb about the show. If not, then definitely on Monday.

Also, I received my Bead of the Month from Nomad Crafts. I am pleasantly surprised! I figured it'd be a small bead or maybe a reject. A bead that didn't turn out well. And maybe it is a bead that didn't turn out well. Perhaps the artist had a specific image in mind for this bead and this one didn't quite match it.
Either way, to me, it's a rather nice bead! Quite large at about an inch in diameter. I already have ideas for what to do with it.

So check back after Tuesday night and hopefully I'll have some pictures of the bead itself, and maybe pictures of what I did with it!

Rain Date

2009-10-23T13:30:00.003-04:00

It hasn't actually started raining yet, but it's supposed to. This evening through the night with 90% of thunderstorms all day tomorrow. Looks like that rain date for the Barktoberfest show will be necessary.

It makes me wonder what I should do tomorrow. I'm all ready for the show (or will be once I get home tonight) so there's nothing left to do. Maybe I will take my boyfriend out as a pre-show thank you for coming with me.
I'd take pictures of some items to list, but cloudy and rainy days do not make for good lighting.

T-minus two days

2009-10-22T17:34:00.004-04:00

Man, I always get giddy for shows. It's fun to interact with people. It's fun to be creating something right there in my booth and have people ask questions or ooh and ahh over it. This time especially it'll be fun to see how my boyfriend handles it all since this'll be the first time he's come to a show with me.

Don't get me wrong, the money is nice, too. But there have been shows where I barely broke even with my booth fees, and I keep coming back, so it isn't just the Benjamins. Besides, I have been doing this for six years and I have yet to give myself a paycheck because all the money just goes right back into my business.
It is starting to level out, though... I suppose I've just had an extended start-up period and now finally I'm able to enjoy the return on my efforts, rather than just investing it back into something else I need.

This show will be fun, too. It benefits a local animal adoption organization, so it is for a good cause. The hospital I work at will have a booth there, so my coworkers will get to see me in action.

Oh, I suppose I should plug the show itself!

Barktoberfest will be this Saturday (Oct. 24th) so long as it doesn't rain. If it does, and it looks like it might, the festival will be the next day, Sunday the 25th. Admission is free. Friendly dogs are welcome. There'll be live bands, doggie games, silent auction, and many other vendors besides myself. Noon to 6pm.

So little time...

2009-10-20T13:51:00.002-04:00

Well, the Twitter thing is working out, I suppose. No sales since I joined and I totally expected that. My problem is I don't have enough time in the day. I'd like to be able to get pictures of more items so I can list more, rather than just relist the stuff I already have pictures of.
Sure, I have two hours of lunch break where I can sit here and follow Twitter and forums and this blog, but because I'm not able to create new listings, or take new pictures, I have nothing new to report in these places. I have yet to post a Tweet about a new listing because I haven't made any new listings. And that's one of the big reasons I joined Twitter.
Really, the only thing I am able to do here on my lunch break (especially with the internet connection being as slow as it is) is create more items. Which is fantastic, don't get me wrong. I'm sure many people don't even have that luxury.

I suppose that I'm just going to have to wait until these next two shows are over. Then I will have time to take pictures and the like. As it is now, any spare time I have at home is spent getting my inventory ready and creating signage and checking my supplies/displays, etc.

And since I don't have anything new to report, all I can post about is depressing stuff like this! Sheesh.

Hearts Do Not Equal Sales

2009-10-17T23:47:00.003-04:00

I just hit the 100 hearts mark for My Etsy Shop!

I know, I know, a heart isn't a sale. You don't even need hearts to get a sale. But whatever. I've been on Etsy for nigh on two years now. I've been pretty passive about promoting myself, so I'm certainly not complaining.

And, following up from my last blog post, I have Twitter to thank for it. The last three hearts came today after I was more active on my Twitter page.

We shall see if these hearts amount to anything.

Twitterpated

2009-10-17T15:18:00.003-04:00

I did it. I can't believe I did it.
I created a Twitter account.

Now my minimal spare time can and likely will be spent tweeting. Actually, I'll probably only do it during my lunch break at work. I dare not do it too much at home or I'll never hear the end of it from my boyfriend. He is not a supporter of the online social networking sites.
I didn't use to be, but I've heard how it can really drive traffic to your site. So I dove in.

I'm such a twit.
My Twitter Page

I like people.

2009-10-15T20:13:00.003-04:00

Okay, not really. I mean, that would go against everything I am. I suppose it'd be more accurate to say that I'm happy with some people at the moment.

My Etsy shop has been conversation central. None have resulted in sales, but one is about a recent sale, so there's that.

One conversation was initiated by myself. I discovered a shop that has a really cool promotion. The shop is NomadCraftsEtc. and they make lampworked beads and pendants. Lampworking is near and dear to my heart and once I get a place that can accommodate such a craft, I will get back behind the torch and try my hand at it again.
So I was pretty happy to find out that if you join their mailing list, the kind folks at Nomad Crafts will send you a fee lampworked bead every month. Now, I'm sure these beads aren't huge masterpieces. Probably not anything that could serve as a focal bead or pendant... but still. These are beads that take a little bit of effort to make. The glass is expensive. It takes up resources to have the torch burning. I might only take a minute or two to make the bead, but I seriously doubt these beads are just single color wraps. Well, I HOPE they're more than that anyway.
So I had a few convos back and forth with them and they seem very nice and I look forward to my newsletter and bead.

Another conversation was from a recent buyer. She got her bracelet today and is very happy with it. And thusly I'm very happy about that! To give myself props as a reward for another happy customer, I shall now link you to the bracelet in question. Sneaky me. Of course, as fast as those things are selling, we'll see how long that link lasts.

Thirdly, I got a convo from a fellow jewelry seller asking about the dog in my logo. I've had this question at least once before, if not twice. She asked if it was a Shiba Inu. No, I responded, it is an Akita. Now I won't lie and say that I like Shibas. I really don't. But that's just personal preference. Am I mad when people think it's a shiba? No. It's probably my own fault that people think that. The anvil and the dog are proportioned so that it makes the dog look like a smaller breed... like a shiba or a spitz. But alas, it is my akita. Will I change it? Hell no. This person said she liked the logo in general and thought the dog on the anvil was appropriate for my shop name. And so, I shall now give HER some props and link you to her shop called Moonlight Beadworks.

It'll be interesting to see how long my goodwill towards others will last.

....not long apparently.

Bestseller

2009-10-13T13:14:00.003-04:00

So, I think I have a new bestseller.
My current bestseller is a sterling silver byzantine necklace done in 20g 1/8" rings. Gotta say I like it too.
But, move over sterling, 'cause there's a new fave in town.
My small byzantine bracelet done in all titanium. I'd show you a picture of an example, but I'm not at the computer with the pictures so I can't upload one at the moment. And I can't link you to a listing of one on Etsy because I can't keep them in stock long enough.
Last year I had listed one with nice deep blue connector rings. Gorgeous. Someone bought it for her boyfriend. Then I listed one with pink connector rings. That sold as well. Then the lady who bought the first one came back and wanted another for her father. That was awesome, I love doing custom stuff! Then I decided that I should remake some of the items that have previously sold on Etsy and relist them. So I started with the pink titanium bracelet. I had intended on doing the blue one next when the pink one sold. Not three days later.
So, here I am on my lunch break, trying to crank out another pink bracelet to list and I have every intention on making a blue one when I get home. Assuming those stay for a little bit, I'll take a chance and try green. Then maybe brown or purple. Perhaps I should just stick with a few colors? I know pink and blue do well, but I'd hate to limit myself to just those.

Anyway, it's nice when you have something that you like and really enjoy making and everyone else seems to like it, too!

Life has a funny way of...

2009-10-05T13:13:00.003-04:00

...making it impossible to update your blog.

Okay, so I can't blame it all on life. A small bit of it was my laziness on my part as well. But I have gone through some big crap in my life recently, but now that I'm back in the game, I can make a feeble attempt to keep this blog somewhat updated.

What's new with Iron Dog?
I've got a show coming up at the end of this month. It'll be outdoors. I had sworn off outdoor shows a while ago. Okay, maybe not outdoor shows in general, just one show and one of the several reasons for dropping it was that it was outdoors.
I invested in a canopy/tent. Hopefully, the wind and weather will behave for me and things will go smoothly.

I have a new helper!
My boyfriend surprised me by showing a decent level of interest in what I do. He even asked me to teach him a few things and before I knew it, he'd made 15 items for me. I suppose I'll need to start paying him somehow. He also seems more than willing to come with me to shows and help out that way. Good thing, too, since I'll be needing it with all the new procedures I'm adopting.

Procedures? Yeah, so according to state law, I need to have sales tax listed seperately on my receipts. Up until now, I had just lumped sales tax into the item cost and rounded up to the nearest dollar. That way, I didn't have to bring coin change with me to shows. Just bills. Lots easier, but I wasn't writing out the sales tax on the receipts. I plan on keeping my prices rounded, but I made a cheat sheet to look up how that price breaks down into item price and sales tax so I can note it on the receipt.
Also, I plan to get mobile broadband on my laptop so I can process credit cards on the spot through Propay. Before I'd use the imprinter to make the receipt and wait until I got home to actually process the cards. But at that point, if the card were declined, I'd be SOL. I used to ask for Driver's License to verify the cardholder as well as write down their address and phone number so I could get ahold of them if the card were declined. But I found out that that is a big no-no. So, rather than try to find a way around getting the customers info, I just decided to go all out and make it so I can process cards on the spot. Easier, faster and safer for everyone.

Bah! Enough of the technical stuff. What sort of new pretties have I made? Well, I'm still on a titanium kick. I had an issue with my anodizer, but thanks to my electrical engineer of a brother, it's back up and working full speed.
I've also taken a leap and invested in some gold rings to incorporate into my jewelry. I'm still hesitant to make anything completely gold. Not sure why, but I think it's because I, myself, do not prefer gold jewelry.

I dropped out of that gallery I was showing at. I didn't like the way it was being run, but mostly I was having difficulties scheduling my shifts around my new work schedule. So, I decided to give it up. Sales had dropped off anyway, but it has freed up inventory to put on Etsy and in shows.

Speaking of Etsy, I really need to get some more items up there. With the show coming up in a few weeks, I'm hesitant to put things on Etsy that I will be bringing with me to the show. Knowing my luck, an item would sell on Etsy the same moment it sold at the show. I'm thinking of saving my easy-to-reproduce items for Etsy to help reduce that fear.

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll be back with something a little more exciting. Maybe even some pictures, too.

Found Fish!

2008-08-26T09:36:00.004-04:00

A while ago, I posted about these adorable earrings I had made from a pair of beads that I had received as a free gift along with my order. They were rose quartz and had a hole where the eye would be. I really liked the way they hung like that.
Anyway, the pair of earrings sold quite rapidly at the Gallery and I was dismayed that I could not find any more beads like that to make more earrings.

Well, time passes, and two things happened right around the same time, about a week ago. First, I found a supplier for those beads! They've got them in over twenty different gemstones. They are drilled lengthwise as well as the hole through the eye, but that's okay. I'm just glad I found them in a source that also provides so much variety, and at wholesale prices!
Second, the woman who bought the first pair of earrings from the Gallery had left me a note requesting another pair. She said the first pair she bought ended up as a gift, but she liked them so much, she wants another pair for herself.

That's such good news. It's funny how things go that way sometimes.
This supplier also sells sterling (and gold) findings that are way cheaper than where I've been getting my findings. So I can go to them for that as well. I think they have a minimum order, but it's only $50, so that shouldn't be a problem.
They do carry Swarovski crystals, which I like to use in those fish earrings, but unless my simple math abilities are seriously screwed up, they're not even close to being cheaper than where I normally get my crystals. That's kind of a bummer. But oh well. Such is the way business is done.

Oh! They also have bear beads, too! I've seem them called fetish bears, or zuni bears. I'm probably going to pick up a few kinds of those as well. You know, for those people that don't like fish. Who doesn't like bears??

In other news, I found more cardstock for my earring cards. I had been using leftover cardstock from my brothers wedding. But, I'm down to my last sheet. The 110# cardstock I got from Office Depot isn't heavy enough. It's fine for item tags, but it isn't sturdy enough to stand up on its own while supporting a pair of earrings. But, with the wonderful help of a friend of mine, I discovered that the stuff I had was 80lb. cover paper. I found a local paper supply store, brought in my last sheet, asked for 80lb. cover paper and eureka! It's a match!
So now I have a whole ream of it that should last quite some time. I can get four cards per page and I have 250 pages. So, after I sell 1,000 pairs of earrings, I'll need to buy another ream! I joke, but if people like these fish (and bear!) earrings as much as I do, then they should sell pretty well.

Busy, busy, busy!

2008-08-08T12:11:00.003-04:00

Yes. Been a while. I know.

I'm now up to three sales from my Etsy store, and I'm even working on a possible 4th sale that will be a custom order. So far, my experience on Etsy has been great. Most of my customers have been so nice. I say most because one sale, I've yet to hear anything from. She paid quickly and so I sent her the item. It has been delivered, but I have yet to receive any word from her or even feedback. That's okay, though, perhaps she is out enjoying her new jewelry!

Speaking of feedback, in a previous post, I was lamenting how I wasn't sure if I should leave feedback as soon as the buyer pays or if I should wait to hear from them if they like it or not. Well, originally I had decided to wait to hear from them first, just in case they weren't quite satisfied with it or something. I wanted my feedback to include that sort of communication since I DO believe that paying for something is NOT the only responsibility of the buyer. They are also responsible for communicating their satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with their purchase. How can I make things right if they don't tell me?
But, after that first sale, I just decided to go ahead and leave feedback for the buyer when they paid. Or actually... when I shipped. That way, I can send them a message telling them I've shipped their order, and leave the feedback at the same time. I've done it that way since and so far, I'm fine with it. It was just another thing to try to remember if I left feedback for later. *shrugs* We'll see if it continues to work.

I'm still trying to keep up with the Gallery... as well as trying to make more things to list on Etsy. I got a message the other night from the Financial Secretary of the guild. She's the one that makes sure the artists get paid for what they've sold at the end of the show. She's very nice. She just wanted to tell me that so far I've sold twenty things. She said she didn't know how much I initially brought or if I've been restocking often, but she just wanted to let me know so I could restock if needed. Heh, I guess it's not a common thing for an artist to sell that much in such a short time.

My success in the Gallery has made me think I should raise my prices a little. And everyone I talk to about it agrees. I see their point, but I'm also of the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset. My brother says that if I raise my prices, yes sales might drop a little, but that would mean I wouldn't have to restock so often, and then when I DID make a sale, I'd get more money to make up for the decrease in sales. Sounds like sage advice... I think?

I wouldn't be so worried about keeping up if I didn't have that craft show looming over me in December. I'm still not sure how I'm going to keep up making things for the Gallery as well as listing new things on Etsy as well as have a decent inventory for the show.
I am getting a new order in soon, with lots more supplies. So, perhaps once that is in, I'll be able to just make tons of stuff and then sort it out later.

As I've said before... it's a good problem to have! I'm not complaining!

Follow Up

2008-07-25T10:05:00.003-04:00

The woman that bought six of my items contacted me via email. Which I'm glad for, it's just much easier than the phone, mostly because if I don't recognize the number on the caller ID, I'll let the answering machine pick up.
Anyway, she DOES want that necklace. Or at least she inquired about it and asked how much it would cost.
I told her the price and also that I could bring it to the Gallery to put on hold for her. I plan to do that anyway, since I'm guessing she'll want to buy it, and if she doesn't, I could just bring it back home next week. I had listed it on Etsy intially, so, until I can make a new one (or this woman doesn't want it) I inactivated the listing.
I probably should just make a new one anyway. I went ahead and made a gallery item tag for this necklace, so, if this lady ends up not buying it, then I could just keep it in the gallery and make a new one for Etsy.
We shall see. Oh yes, we shall.

Hooray Me!

2008-07-23T21:15:00.002-04:00

Lots of good news!
First, my dear mother informed me that while she was working the gallery yesterday, she sold one woman six of my items! SIX! AND, she should be inquiring soon about having a necklace made to match one of the bracelets. What's better, is the necklace is already made. It's listed on Etsy so, I can take it down from Etsy until I can make another one to replace the one I sell her. She hasn't called yet. She left her phone number with my mom who passed it on to me, but I don't plan on calling her. I would feel like I was pressuring her to buy the necklace. If she really wants it, she'll contact me.

And second... I made my first sale on Etsy today! YAY! The buyer paid immediately, so all I need to do is get her item to the post office tomorrow morning. The question is now... when to leave feedback?
There's been a few threads in the Etsy forums about this. One there right now, actually. But they never seem to help me decide.
Part of me thinks that once the customer has paid, they've fulfilled their end of the transaction. Another part thinks that the transaction isn't complete until I know the customer received their item and is happy with it.
And then I was thinking just a moment ago how a lot of people think that all a customer has to do is pay and they're done and should get feedback. Well, I disagree with that now. Being a good customer involves communication. I don't expect a customer to respond to every message I send them. But, I DO want them to respond if I ask them a question (about their shipping address, their payment, etc.). And I do expect them to be polite in their response. And, it would also be nice to hear from them when they receive it if they are happy with it or not.

So, I think my decision is to always use delivery confirmation so that I know the customer has received the item. But, do I give them a day or two to communicate with me if there are problems? Do I assume that no communication is good news and they are satisfied with their item?
Some customers are just not talkative. And that's cool. And I guess I wouldn't expect those sorts of people to write me and gush over their purchase.

I just wish there was a non-tacky way to let buyers know that I am not withholding my feedback until they leave feedback. If a buyer tells me they received it and they are happy with it, I would instantly leave feedback. If they are not happy with it, I would work with them to make it right and THEN leave feedback based on how that went.
It has nothing to do with when or how they leave me feedback. It has everything to do with me wanting to be sure they're happy. If I know they are, I will leave feedback regardless of whether they've left it for me or not.

Hmph, I feel like I'm just starting to repeat myself.
I think each customer is different. If they're talkative and I'm getting the feeling they're going to be happy with their purchase, then I'll leave feedback when I ship. But if they're not saying anything, and I can't get a feeling for their level of satisfaction so far, then I will wait until I at least know they've received the item.

Gallery Work

2008-07-18T09:27:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was my first shift as a Gallery Sitter. Liz was there to walk me through everything I needed to do. Though, I think she assumed that my mom had already told me everything since she seemed to kind skip some stuff. But, then again, I guess I wouldn't know that she skipped some stuff without my mom having told me, so there you have it.

I thought she'd be there for the whole shift. But, after she told me the basics, she jetted. That's fine. We didn't finish "training" until 3:15 or so, and my shift was from 1 to 5.

It was rather quiet. The most people I saw were people that came in for a meeting with one of the organizations that is also located in this building. I guess they thought I was some sort of receptionist which kinda irked the shite out of me. One girl I even looked her straight in the eye and said, "I'm not a receptionist." Heh. Nice.
I was getting really pissed off with every person that came through the door and said, "I'm here for the meeting." Okay, well, if you really want me to help you, you're going to have to give me more information than that. There are about 5 organizations that share this building with us.

But then I was reading through our Procedures manual and it said that the Arts Council of Fairfax is the organization that is "renting" us the space for the Gallery. Specifically this one woman... Ann.... something. I forget her last name. And there was a whole page that described how to handle her purchases and how it's so different and special compared to normal transactions because she's been so good to us.
So that made me calm down a bit, since all these people that were coming in for the "meeting" were coming to meet with the Arts Council. I figured it was kind of a favor to them to help their people since they were doing a favor for us and giving us this space. But come on... couldn't you post a sign or something!?!??! At least tell these people beforehand: "The meeting is in X building in X room and here's how to get to that room from X door."

That's just me being a bitch, though, I guess. That's fine. Buy my stuff while I'm being a bitch! Hee hee!

So anyway, the evening was quiet. I did make one sale. A woman bought one of Liz's stuffed bunnies as well as one of my mother's mosaic lazy susans. And you're damn straight I talked her up. "This is one of my mother's pieces!" The woman gushed over how beautiful, yet functional it was and naturally I agreed. She asked how often she made them and told her "All the time! In fact, I just talked to her on the phone and she's making more right now!" Which was true. The lady said she'd go check on her daughters color scheme in her kitchen and probably come back to buy another for her.
I hear that all the time... at shows, when I have a booth right next to my mom. People say that "I have to go check the color scheme." And I wonder, are they telling the truth or are they just being nice and trying to make my mom feel good by making her think they're coming back to buy more when they really aren't? Either way, there's gotta be some way to... I don't know... help.
Maybe mom should invest in a polaroid camera (They still make those, right?), and she could take a picture of the pieces that the people think might match the color scheme, but aren't sure. And they could take it home to check. And for those people who are just BSing when they say that, maybe that nice gesture will make them really do what they say they'll do and it'll result in more sales.
Or, if they don't make polaroids anymore, maybe she could get the persons email address and send them a picture of the pieces they were interested in? I don't know.

Anyway, I'm glad I could make that sale for mom. And yes, I called her afterwards to tell her!
And then I called her again when the cash box didn't match up with what it should be. Don't look at me, my only sale was paid with credit card, I didn't touch the cash box! The cash is supposed to equal $55.75. But it was 15 cents more. I think what happened is that the person from the day before made a cash sale and made a mistake when counting out change... they left out one nickel and one dime for the customers change or something. Because when I came in, the morning person had only written "$55. " for the cash box total. I think she noticed the discrepancy and then intended to go back and count, but never did. Then, as Liz was training me, she noticed that and said, "Oh, well, that's supposed to be $55.75!" and wrote in the 75. So, my mom suggested I take a nickel and dime and put it in the daily sales envelope with a note. Brian thinks I should've just pocketed the 15 cents and called it a day! Heh. No.
Well, at least it was OVER and not under.
So, it wasn't so bad. I did get one stretch bracelet made while I was there. I tried some byzantine with the square wire rings I got... didn't work quite like it does with regular rings. Gonna have to play with it.
Anyway, enough rambling. Go buy something from my etsy store! ;)

Still Rockin' the Guild

2008-07-11T21:45:00.002-04:00

I went to the Gallery today with my mom. She needed to pick up her check from the last show and I wanted to see what I had sold, as well as peruse the gallery to see how my items had been displayed.

Let me just say that I think the set-up committee does a wonderful job. They've got a nice assortment of items on each shelf. And this time, they organized it by color. One shelf would have all blue items (my blue neoprene stretch braclets were there), another would be all purples (my amethyst wiccan moon necklace and my amethyst cab earrings!), etc.

And then there was half of a shelf just for me! Had a good respresentation of my pieces there with a sign that said, "Welcome to our new Member! Susan Cunningham!" Woohoo!

Anyway, turns out I sold one more piece that same day. During the afternoon shift. So all in all, I sold three pairs of earrings, one bracelet and one hanging candle holder. So, I'm sitting here making more earrings! They're quick to make as long as I'm not distracted, and I can widen my profit margin more than on other pieces.

Still looking for those fish beads (Geez, I won't shut up about them, will I?). I found some on Etsy, but they don't match well enough to make earrings work. But the same seller also had those southwestern-style bear fetish beads. Which I like, as well. But again, they didn't match. But it's something I'd also like to try. I think it's the simplicity of the shape that attracts me. It's a simple shape, yet it's obvious what it is. Just like the fish.

Anyway, earrings it is!!

Pay Per Post

2008-07-10T09:20:00.003-04:00

So, I'm a business owner. I've got a bottom line to worry about. Naturally, I rely on my sales to make money to put back into the business, right? Well, yes... but... when do I get paid? That't the whole point of a business, right?
HA! Nooo, *clears her throat and stands straight, hands folded* The point of a business is to provide the community the chance to experience pleasure and happiness through my items. It's all about the customer and making them happy.

Alright, alright, I'm not fooling anyone. I'm here to make money! And while so far, my sales have been enough to keep the business running without any other source of income, it's just barely enough. So how does one bring in extra money to the business besides making more sales?

I found Pay Per Post. It is this service that lets your blog make money for you. It's pretty cool, when you think about it. If you've got a blog and post regularly, why the hell not let it earn money for you? For example, I'm getting paid $20 for this post you're reading right now. And I would've more-than-likely posted about PayPerPost anyway! Seriously. That's no bull.

I've just started, though. This is my first post that I'm putting to work for me. But, there are so many other opportunities that I can take advantage of to make more money. I get to pick and choose what I want to post about. Then, I just make sure my post has all the requirements and links, and cha-ching! Money in my pocket.

It's pretty easy. It's decent money (not some low-end earnings like 2 cents per click). It's a no-brainer. I'm here posting anyway, might as well make it work for me. It's like an employee that pays me instead of me paying it. Can't beat that.

Oh, and they're pretty open about it too. They want everyone invovled to have access to full disclosure about the relationship between you, me and them. A sort of blog-love triangle. Heh, now you can tell people you've been involved in a menage-a trois. So anyway, here's their link to their word of mouth ethics.

Oh, and then there's this cool image to click on, too:
Click on it. Seriously! I got to pick the color and everything, so I made it just for you. Don't let me down.

Rock the Guild

2008-07-10T09:14:00.003-04:00

This feels like the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
The new show at the Gallery hasn't even been open to the public for a week yet, and I've already sold four items. Those four items all sold in the same day, though. I'm not sure if that's better than them being spread out or not. I also don't know if they all sold to the same person.
Joan Hutten, the president of the guild was the Gallery sitter yesterday morning from 9-1. She left me a message saying that she had sold fur of my items that day. That's all.
Great.

Don't misinterpret the sarcasm. I'm very thankful that she called to tell me that. Very sweet of her since the sitters don't have to do that. She's just a sweetheart and thought I'd like to know, since this is my first show. But if I could look a gift horse in the mouth for a moment, it would have been very helpful to know things like: did they all sell to one person or multiple people throughout the morning? And most importantly, what was it that sold? Was it four of the same item? Was it a variety?
I'd like to know so I can get a feel for how it was sold. I won't get as excited over all four items going to one buyer as I would if four different people bought one item each. Also, if four of my stretch bracelets sold, I would want to make more.

Thing is... it is relatively easy to find all that out. I could just go to the Gallery and look it up in the sales book. Or, I could ask my Mom to check for me while she's there Monday morning and let me know then. Or, Brian said he might be able to swing by there on the way home today and go in and ask. Or, I could just wait a week when I go in for my first shift.

I don't want to wait until I go in, because I want to bring things to work on. Ideally, I would bring supplies to make replacements for the items that sold, so I'll need to know ahead of time so I know what to bring. So I think my best bet is to wait and see if Brian goes and/or when my Mom works on Monday.

So there you are. Very exciting. We'll have to see if it was a fluke or not. An anomaly, if you will. An outlier. Heh. No way man, my stuff rocks.

Appropriate Quotes

2008-07-04T00:00:00.003-04:00

Someone on my chainmaille discussion forum had some interesting quotes in his signature. Thought I'd share them here.

"A man who works with his hands is a laborer. A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman. A man who works with his hands, his brain and his heart is an artist."-- Louis Nizer

"I love to hear myself write..." ---Joss Whedon

I don't know who Louis Nizer is. Perhaps I should. I DO know who Joss Whedon is, however. Haven't read his writing, but I do enjoy his television show. Shame it got cancelled.
I can relate to his quote, though, I don't hear myself write as much as I SEE what I write. I can see it in my head as I write. Maybe all writers do? I don't know. I DO hear dialogue, though, I suppose. I hear inflection and emphasis, and some times I hear what the characters voice sounds like.
Though... there is a certain character in our book that I can't ever seem to hear. His voice is deep and soothing, but I still can't hear it. Bothers me a little.

Anyway, as for Louie's quote... I realized the other day that I consider myself an artist now. I haven't been able to do that before, but now it comes relatively easily. I like that. It's not that I have changed what I make or how I make things, but just that I take it much more seriously now. There is a lot more... heart in what I do.
And not just the jewelry itself. I was making item tags and earring cards the other day. I was very proud of how they came out and I was proud that I made them myself, rather than purchase them commercially. I think things like that can help you project more professionality, but since they're handmade, it reminds people that the jewelry is handmade as well.

Oh...
Happy Independence Day!

It's Go Time

2008-07-03T18:41:00.002-04:00

I almost forgot! Today is July 3rd. Today is the first day of the new show in the Gallery, and it opened at 1pm after set-up today! My items are to be featured for the next two months!!!
Well, that means that I have accomplished half of one of my goals, already. My goal was to have my items on display and/or for sale at two brick and mortar stores/galleries. One down, one to go!

Busy Work

2008-06-27T22:12:00.003-04:00

I've been busy working. Early on next week I will need to bring my items to the Gallery for display and sale. I've been busy making earring cards, item tags and items! This will continue throughout the weekend, but I just felt like I need to post something here to keep up with the blog.

So, I'll show you the new earrings I made. They're in the spirit of the Pink Fish Earrings. Like the pink fish beads, I've had these cute charms hanging around. I got them out of a clearance bin at the craft store. They were pre-made charm bracelets. Cheap bracelets, nice charms, so I bought them thinking to use the charms for something. Well, conveniently enough, there were two of each type of charm. Perfect for earrings!

There are three other pairs that are similar... one has a ladybug on a leaf, one is a ladybug on a yellow flower, and the other is just a flower. I plan on posting one other set on Etsy and the other two will go to the Gallery.

I'm getting pretty excited about having my stuff in the Gallery. Though, I'm not excited about the commission they're going to take if I sell something. 25%. And there are no more shifts left to work for this show so, I can't work it down at all. Oh well. That'll teach me to wait to sign up for those extra shifts.

Back to work!!

Locker

2008-06-20T18:49:00.003-04:00

I made this necklace a long time ago. Okay, I guess it's more like a choker of sorts. It's 18" long, like most of my other necklaces, but, it's heavier and bigger than my other necklaces which makes it more like a choker.

It's also meant to be worn as a bondage/fetish piece... making it a ...choker. It closes with a padlock, rather than a standard clasp. It's got a key. Ideally, one would wear it and then one would give the key to their partner, dom, whatever.

No, I'm not into that sort of thing. But I was at the hardware store and saw the two-pack of small, gold-tone padlocks and was inspired to make a necklace like this. So I did. That was... oh... two years ago?

Yeah, this thing has been sitting on my studio table for that long. No, I don't bring it to craft shows. The sort of people at those things don't buy stuff like that. And the people who DO buy stuff like that would most likely ask me if I could make something like that, given the nature of my work (chainmaille... chains... get it?). But they haven't. So it sits.

I also wouldn't dare to bring this to the Gallery to try to sell. The sort of people that frequent the gallery would never buy something like this. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they refused to display it if I did bring it. I also wouldn't be surprised if they revoked my membership if I brought something like this to the Gallery!

Anyway, Etsy seemed the perfect place. There's no censorship there and all sorts of people buy and sell. I'm sure it'll get some sort of lovin' on Etsy.

Free Shipping!

2008-06-20T09:24:00.003-04:00

Okay, so the Yart Sale thing didn't quite pan out for me. But I am going to continue to offer free shipping for the first five orders placed in my store.
I understand that it takes a leap of faith to order something from a store with no sales, so I'm rewarding that trust with free shipping.

I'm SO in.

2008-06-18T20:48:00.003-04:00

So, I just got back from having my work juried to be accepted (or rejected) into the Artisans United Gallery. I dressed nicely, but not overly so. I put my hair up, put on my best smile and stood there showcasing several representative pieces of my work to five women in their mid 60s.
I explained how I open, weave, and close each ring by hand. I explained all the materials that I work with. I explained how I anodize my own titanium. I explained aspect ratio and how it is key to the final look of the piece.

Then, after a short period of me waiting out in the hallway while they discussed my future, they explained to me how happy they would be to have me in the Gallery. They totally loved my work. In fact, the one lady taking down the review notes and comments gave up trying to write all the glowing praise that was coming from each review board member and just ended up writing "Excellent!!" and "Beautiful work!" with arrows to extend those comments across all categories for each piece.

I signed up to work my first four shifts for the first show. I'd like to work more to earn a decreased commission percentage, but until my schedule frees up in August, that won't be possible. Besides, the available shifts were slim pickings for this next show. I assume there will be more to choose from for later shows.

So now I need to get some items ready for the Gallery! I need to have them there by 5pm on July 2nd. I'm so excited! I have no idea what I'll bring! Lots of stretch bracelets (gotta make more of those!), some pendants, wine skirts (and those!), hanging candle holders, and of course, a smattering of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and finger rings. Huh. Guess I DO have an idea of what I'll bring.

So there we go. One of my goals is half acheived! I can't wait to see how successful it will be.
As a treat for my new guild membership, I shall post a link.

My Nephew!

2008-06-14T21:15:00.003-04:00

Welcome to Thomas Warren Anderson! Born today, June 14, 2008 at 9:04am, 7lbs 8oz.

Now, I usually think that most newborns are ugly. In fact, if I tell you your baby is cute, then I mean it! And I think that I can honestly say that I'm not terribly biased about this baby, just because he's my nephew. My brother and I have always been the jokers and he would agree that I would have no problem telling even him that his baby is ugly.

This child is gorgeous. His head is a little misshapen, but, I guess most babies have that at first (except the C-section babies). And his fingers are long and wrinkly. So, there. See? That's honest.

Anyway, nothing to do with my jewelry or writing, but I just had to brag!

Getting Juried!

2008-06-13T10:12:00.004-04:00

So I finally called to schedule a jury to look at my stuff. Wasn't necessarily due to laziness that I put it off. I honestly would tell myself in the morning to do it. But I thought that even though I know the lady works from home, I should wait until later in the day. Thinking it might be too early to call before 9am. But then I'd forget, because something or someone distracted me. And when I remembered it'd be dinner time and I'm NOT calling someone when there's a chance I'd interrupt dinner. And then I'd forget again after that. Next morning, lather, rinse, repeat.

But I finally remembered to call this morning! Spoke with Kathy. She's very nice and seems very excited to see my work. She said that they normally would have had a jury meeting already scheduled for this coming Wednesday. But since no one needed to be juried, they didn't schedule it. But she said she's so excited about seeing my stuff that she's going to immediately call all the jury members and make sure they come Wednesday after all. Nice!

So, I just gotta get stuff together. Clean it up, maybe run it through the tumbler. Whew. I'm excited!

Wednesday, June 18th, 7:30pm. Jury Day.

Oh, and I found a blog that lists all the etsy sellers that accept RME. Submitted my info for inclusion. Yay, RME!

To Yart or Not to Yart...?

2008-06-13T08:44:00.003-04:00

Etsy is full of catchy (and kitschy) slang. "Destash." "I hearted you!" "PIF"

I promised myself I wouldn't adopt any of it. Well, it wasn't really a promise, just a internal decision not to use any of it. Especially not in any of my listings or descriptions, shop wording, etc. Not that I think it's stupid, or unintelligent. It's kind of cute. But I'm not guaranteed that my customers will know what "destash" is. So, rather than alienate and confuse them, I just decided to avoid the slang.
But there's an event going on now, started by a seller. She calls it a Yart Sale. Combining the words yard and art. The idea is for sellers to participate in the Yart Sale and offer discounts or other attractive offers.

Well, I haven't had any sales. And while I'm forcing myself to remain patient and knowing that it is a rare occurrance for people to make sales within the first two weeks of their shop opening, I decided a little promotion certainly couldn't hurt.

So, I joined the Yart Sale and I'm offering free shipping on all orders received during the sale... which is going on now through June 20th.
Wish me luck!

Gut Instinct

2008-06-12T22:13:00.003-04:00

Well, I posted another item. It's my Bronze Belt. I had pictures taken of it while wearing it. But my shirt was covering parts of the belt. So I tried to hold it out of the way, but that just looked silly. Ended up just going with pulling my shirt out of the frame. Looks better than having my hands holding my shirt up... made it look like I was in the process of stripping it off! Figured just omit it from the picture altogether.

I hope it's not too.... tacky. My gut out there for all to see. Bleh.

Fishing LURE

2008-06-08T21:07:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I'm really digging my earrings that I made (see below). But, I can't find any more of these fish beads anywhere! At least not ones I like.
I'm finding tons that have the hole drilled down through the length of the fish. I don't want that! I want the hole drilled through the eye (believe it or not, I do believe it's more aesthetically pleasing that way).
I'm also finding mostly glass beads. I prefer gemstone beads. Why? Well, I think it's a higher quality material than glass. And if I HAVE to have them drilled down the length instead of through the eye, I don't want to be able to see the drilled hole through the glass. Gemstones are opaque for the most part so you can't see the hole.

The pink fish shown below are ones I got from Fire Mountain in a grab bag sort of thing. But I can't find them now. They sell glass ones but they look pressed and... cheap.

I think I've decided to fire up my lampworking torch again and try to make them myself. Yes, I know I said I didn't really want glass. But I'd use boro in all those pretty colors and they'd be handmade and thus.... better than commercially made glass beads.

But I'm giving it one last try. My fishing lure is cast. Does ANYONE know where I can find beads like the ones below?
1.5 - 2cm Gemstone fish beads with the hole drilled through the eye.

Fishing Lure

2008-06-08T11:10:00.004-04:00

I've had these rose quartz fish beads laying around for years now. I always thought they were cute and I should do something with them. So I did.

There are two of them, so the natural choice would be a pair of earrings. I thought the simple design of the fish and the pleasant but unassuming light pink color could use a little pizazz (there's a word I've never typed before).

I've got Swarovski crystals and now that I can make my own, there's no reason to hoard those head pins.

So, this is what I came up with:

(Click image for full size.)

Cute huh? Yeah, I think so too. If I wore pink... or earrings for that matter, I'd wear 'em myself. But alas, I don't, so I shall sell them.
Problem is, where?

Pretty soon I will have three different venues where I sell my jewelry: Craft Shows, Etsy, and the AU Gallery. I need to decide which items I think will sell best in each.
For example, my Arched Necklace. It's a large and pricey piece. I think it would be more likely to sell on Etsy, or at a craft show than at the Gallery. The gallery tends to have more "crafty" items in it, rather than "fine art" items. Now, who knows, maybe the people who shop there have been waiting for something more sophisticated. But my guess is not so much.

These earrings, I think would do well at any of the venues. So, while I think the majority of my items leans towards the more sophisticated class, I need to start setting aside (and creating more) items that would do well in the Gallery.
So, unless someone comes forth and says they absolutely must have these earrings and could I please put them in a reserved listing on Etsy for them, I think I'm going to save them for the Gallery.

Why not just make more? Yeah, I've considered that. Thing is, I don't have any more fish! Well, I have one, a clear glass one. But one fish does not a pair of earrings make. And I can't seem to find any more, even at the place where I got them from.
We shall first find out how these fish fare 'fore I forage for future fish.

Etsian Linkage

2008-06-07T18:53:00.003-04:00

Are you a fellow Etsian with a blog of your own? Want your blog to be listed in my link section?

Beg.

You'll find I'm pretty accomodating.
I don't require that you link my blog to yours in return. But if you want people to think you're nice, you would.

Money saved.

2008-06-07T16:52:00.004-04:00

So, considering I'm planning to cut way back on hours at my "real" job, I've been trying to find ways to save money. Mostly around the house... using coupons, turning off the shower water while I lather up or shave, not buying non-necessities like this Honest Tea Pomegranate White Tea that I simply love. Have you tried it?! Oh my god, it's so refreshing and clean tasting! I don't know if that's a factor of it being white tea or if it's something else they do in the brewing proces---

Heh. I digress.
Anyway. I've always wondered if I could make my own silver headpins. I like the ones with the balls on the end. Which is perfect, because you'd think those would be the easiest to make on my own, right?
Wrong. Erm... I mean, right! They really are easy. I just sat down with my little torch and a few 1.5" segments of fine silver wire (24g) and made four balled headpins in 30 seconds. Sweet! I think I'd rather use sterling though... so I did a little comparison.
My supplier sells a 1 oz. roll of 24g half-hard sterling wire for $24.50. Another supplier I use sells 24g half-hard 1.25" head pins at $10.32 per pack of 50. According to my math (and math never has been my strong point), I can make the same kind of head pins for ~$4 per 50. That's huge savings! Even if I bought 7 packs of head pins from that place (which is about how many I could get from that roll of wire), they'd still cost me $8-something. So, at the very least, I'm saving $4 per 50 head pins I make.
What's $4, you say. Well... a gallon of gas. I dunno! Shut up! It's money saved, alright? It adds up! Besides, the feeling of accomplishment I get from knowing I made them myself is priceless.

The other decision I'd need to make is would I try to manufacture these headpins to sell? But that decision requires more research than I've done at this point, so, that's all you get for this post.

Mas tiempo

2008-06-06T20:01:00.003-04:00

Lots of it. I need more time to get serious about my jewelry business. So, I'm cutting WAY back on my hours at work. I'd already gone part time simply because I couldn't stand to be at that place for more than three or four days a week. But, starting August, I will be going to a schedule that's something like one weekend every three weeks. I'll still be bringing in some money, I'll still get my discount and paid CE, I'll still have my foot in the door just in case.

So, to make sure I stay focused, I've listed a few goals that I'd like to accomplish, or come close to accomplishing within a years time.

1) I'd like to have my jewelry placed in at least two brick and mortar shops or galleries. I'm already working on one gallery. I just need to get juried and accepted, which shouldn't be much of a problem. Unless they're holding out on me, I have yet to see any jewelry in that gallery that is at all similar to mine.

2) I'd like to sell 200 items. I originally had a dollar amount I wanted to reach, but for some reason I chose this goal instead. I'm not sure which would be easier to reach, or which is more realistic. My items vary in price, so I could sell only twenty high-priced items to easily reach a monetary goal, but fall very short of the item quantity goal. Likewise, I could sell 300 low-priced items and still not make very much money. Perhaps I should do both, and say "whichever comes first!"

3) I need to find my "niche". I want to expand my jewelry to include something truly unique or popular. I had some ideas for this, but the more I look at what other people are doing, the more I realize I need something even MORE unique. I think I might have to expand my repertoire of techniques, which would require some sort of schooling.

There are a few other smaller goals... better booth display, nicer business cards, etc. But I figure those are more of things I just need to DO, rather than work towards. Capice?

New Toy Chew Toy

2008-06-06T19:34:00.001-04:00

Apparently, blogging is the thing to do.
Apparently, everyone's got one.
Apparently, it helps get the word out about what you do.
Apparently, I'm one of the few people remaining without a blog.

Apparently.

Okay, that's not true. I've got a blog. I've got two blogs, actually. One right here on Blogger. Yeah, well, this one is going to by my "professional" blog.

This is where I will discuss my doings. My creative juices. My attempt to be remembered for what I make and what I do.

What do I make and do?
I make jewelry.
I write. I try to write anyway. Oh damn, wait, I take that back. There is no "try", only "do". A wise man whom I respect deeply once told me that. No, he isn't short and green. Though, he is bald. And he IS a Jedi Knight. He's also the one with whom I am writing.

So yeah, this is the place where I will talk about those things. Just remember I didn't invite you here, you came of your own free will. And if I did invite you here, well, that probably means I respect your opinion. I'll write another post while your shock wears off.