Art Jewelry Elements: How to Host a Charm Exchange

Art Jewelry Elements: How to Host a Charm Exchange: Before I started hosting charm swaps, I hosted fused glass swaps, sometimes it was fused glass ornaments, sometimes it was a 2" or...

Jennifer Jangles Blog: Sewing Machine Decorations, Holiday Project #1

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feeling stitchy: Colour Complements Threads Test-drive

feeling stitchy: Colour Complements Threads Test-drive: Remember the Colour Complements giveaway we did recently? Well, Lorraine was sweet enough to send some threads my way so I could expe...

feeling stitchy: Tutorial Tuesday

feeling stitchy: Tutorial Tuesday: Hello and Happy Tuesday, everyone! It's back-to-school time for many of us and today's tutorial is a fun way to add some stitchery...

New Work, Textile Collage art

Lately I have been rediscovering old skills.  I started embroidery again, which I haven't used since I was little.  On Etsy you can find my new collages.  I use reclaimed textiles, vintage and antique lace, trims, beads and buttons.  I even used a few old quilt tops.  I added embroidered pieces to many of them.  Take a look.

I have also begun to turn several of my sketches and paintings into embroidery patterns.  You can find the first of these on Etsy.  The Rose from my blue/green embroidered rose above is in the store now as a pattern.  All of these collages are in my Etsy store as well.
Hugs*  Christy

Jennifer Jangles Blog: Eight Free Christmas Patterns

Jennifer Jangles Blog: Eight Free Christmas Patterns: Gift Card Tutorial Are you thinking about Christmas gifts yet? I'm starting to plan out my gifts for this year. It's never to...

Resin Crafts: Taxi Cab Tiles - Into Art Beads

Resin Crafts: Taxi Cab Tiles - Into Art Beads: This post has such an odd title.  I will explain. I do hope the resin covered beads caught your eye!  For this project I am using t...

Jennifer Jangles Blog: Free Patterns for the Holidays

Jennifer Jangles Blog: Free Patterns for the Holidays:  Bunnies and Carrots Garland I am loving my lists here's another. This time we've got holiday projects of all sorts. These wil...

Carmi's Art/Life World: Glitz Knitz Crazy Cuff

Carmi's Art/Life World: Glitz Knitz Crazy Cuff: This is crazy cuff number three.  It features this fabulous  Glitz Knitz Los Angeles yarn they actual call "ribbon fabric" ...

Jennifer Jangles Blog: Free Gift Patterns You'll Want to Sew

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Art Jewelry Elements: Silk Macrame Bird Bangle Tutorial

Art Jewelry Elements: Silk Macrame Bird Bangle Tutorial:   Some of you may remember this bangle from my Spring Fever design challenge earlier this year and as it was so popular I've put ...

Craft Show Displays

Now that things are winding down for me I am trying to figure out where to go next.  I finally finished school and received my second associates degree in HIT, my first was business mngt.  I am waiting a month to take my RHIT certification test, so I have plenty of time to study.  While job hunting I am thinking about going into craft shows.  This has been a mental argument with myself for years.  I make beads and other jewelry supplies but I don't really want to do bead shows because they are expensive and usually pretty far from me.  I do crafts but I have never really set a focus on just a few types.  I think craft shows would be the way to take but trying to make my self focus on just a few craft types is making me bonkers. 
If you are having the same problems you might try figuring out what is trending in your area, not just in fashion.  Hair items are popular on the internet, but are people in your area wearing them?  One problem I face is that my area is a low to middle income area and people just don't want to spend that much on luxury items.  This means that instead of the 50$ sterling silver or copper jewelry I might sell on Etsy, I may have to make only a few of these and make nickle of steel jewelry to meet a lower price point.  One idea are scrabble tile pendants, they are literally choking Etsy, but at a local craft show they would appeal to teens, kids, and adults because they can be kept cheap but look nice.  They can carry fancy designs or anime/ cartoon characters, just as an example.

One you have decided to do craft shows check Pinterest for cool ideas on Craft Show Display ideas.  Below are a few of my favorites:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/160792649170930731/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/160792649170930742/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/160792649170930438/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/160792649170930588/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/160792649170930450/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/160792649170930680/

How to sell on Etsy

For those of you thinking about getting into selling your crafts, supplies or even vintage items, then check these books out:
Etsy Selling Success:  Cash in on Your Creations , Reynolds, Elyse
Sell Your Crafts Online , Dillehay, James
Craft Business Power: 15 Days to A Profitable Online Craft Business

Whether you want to sell on Etsy, Ebay, or another site, these books are great resources.  They contain information on auctions verses stores.  Packaging and Branding.  Advertising/Marketing using different places such as Twitter, Facebook, blogging or Pinterest. 

Finding crafting communities may be another option for talking about your work.  Check out these places for a community you fit into. : 
www.getcrafty.com
www.craftster.org
www.etsy.com
www.indiepublic.com
www.mycraftivity.com
www.ralvelry.com
www.supernaturale.com
www.theswitchboards.com
forum.threadbanger.com
www.lampworketc.com
www.wetcanvas.com

Bottom line is selling your art or crafts online takes work.  It's not just about painting a picture and throwing it up on a website.  You need to figure out how to find customers and how to help customers find you.  Research takes work.  Advertising/marketing takes work.  Doing the financial part of selling takes work.  Good photographing takes work.  Many artists/crafts persons hate these sides of their work, but if you want to make money you have to do the work to invest in yourself.

Clearing out the stash

Clearing out orphan beads on Etsy that have been building up around here.  More to come!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/188833738/strawberry-candy-polymer-clay-cane-beads?ref=shop_home_active_2
https://www.etsy.com/listing/188833111/orphan-beads-rustic-dreamy-art-beads?ref=listing-shop-header-0
https://www.etsy.com/listing/188840519/pink-party-polymer-clay-cane-and-barrel?ref=listing-shop-header-0

Etsy offerings -- beads

New beads are finally starting to be listed on Etsy.  The first on many more to come.  These beads are made from my own hand carvings.  They are then colored and sealed.  These beads are ready for use as pretty focal, pendants or stand alone beads. 

More to come!  It's great getting the creative groove on.

I'm on my way back to you

Be back soon!

I have been working hard finishing up my second degree at school and it is finally coming to an end.  I graduate in May.  After graduation I plan on being a lot more hands on in the craft room and back to blogging.  I've even joined twitter!

Future plans:
I plan on blogging and tweeting/facebooking a lot more to keep my customers and fellow crafters involved in my world.
I have an Etsy store for my crafts that I am hoping to change to mostly jewelry and jewelry/craft supplies.  I will be making more lampwork beads, polymer clay and fabric beads and components and more.  I am really feeling a drift toward rustic, earthy and boho elements in my future.
I have another Etsy store for my vintage sales (bleudogvintage) it's on amazon too.  I will be adding more vintage and antique craft/art books and ephemera in the future.
I am looking into opening an Artfire store for ChristyLDesigns also.
I am still trying to decide if a personal website is worth the trouble of not.
I also have an Ebay shop that I have started for designer brand discounts but that is unrelated to this blog but I will be splitting my time on it too.
I want to start doing a lot more tutorials on this blog too, so watch for those.
All this also includes looking for a job in HIT with my new degree.

Here's to a busy future!   Christy

This picture is from the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio.  In the butterfly room.  It is created by Dale Chihuly.