Celebrating two years of online selling

I am three today!

OK, so if it is the dog's birthday, that means it is also an anniversary for my Etsy shop, the first one I opened online, and means that I've now been selling online for a full two years.  I don't claim to have any special insight, but I must admit that hanging out in the Etsy, Folksy and Dreamaid forums, I've seen so many people start off with great enthusiasm and then realise how hard getting noticed is and fade away, that I do feel like a bit of a veteran!

It all has been much more complicated than I thought when I started out - I had that basic "I'll put it online, people will see it and buy it, job done" sort of idea.  I had never really thought about the competition for SEO, the complexities of pricing, how much time social networking would take etc.  Then there are the off-line tasks - photos, listings, business cards, packaging.  It really is a full time job, on top of a full time job.

This week's earrings

My advice to anyone starting out would be don't start unless you are really happy to spend more time on the business of selling than you are on making things.  This works out OK for me, as most of my jewellery is quick to make, and if I spent as much time on that as promoting, this tiny little house would be bursting at the seams.

I enjoy the selling, but the making is still the best part for me. I've moved on in terms of crafting skills as well, and I hope this shows in my work.  There is so much more material available now in terms of interesting and colourful gemstone and findings - as many of you know, I'm as much addicted to buying beads as making things!

And another pair of earrings!

I have five online shops (Folksy, Etsy, Dreamaid, Zibbet and Stylistic Gallery), but my main focus is Folksy, as it gives the best value for money in terms of SEO and that's really what gets online non-crafty customers to your shop.  I've nothing against crafters of course, but I want to reach the real magpies in the population who adore gemstone jewellery but don't want the hassle of making it themselves.  I've been very lucky with around 117 online sales across the shops in the 2 years, and only about 5 of those sales have been to other crafters or handmade shop owners.  Thanks to all my customers, as well as those folks who have given great advice over the two years - I literally couldn't have done it without you.

Other sales in the 'real' world have boosted my total to around 150, thanks mainly to colleagues in the day job, and it's great that they and some online customers are now regulars.  I don't sell to friends and family so if they admire something, I tend to end up giving it away (one of the many reasons why I'll never be a millionaire!) but I have inflicted a number of items on them as birthday and Christmas presents - poor things!

Enough rambling.  In the spirit of onwards and upwards, I'm celebrating this anniversary by launching my own website www.blueforestjewellery.com  Two years ago I could never have dreamed I'd be able to do this, so allow me a proud moment, please!  It is in it's early stages, though, and I'm still on a steep learning curve, so please pop along if you have time and do please send any comments you have.

Fabulous handmade gifts from Dreamaid

Magnolia bud print by Clevedon

Shopping for gifts that give a little extra to charity doesn't mean compromising on style.  Check out these delightful one of a kind, handmade items from Dreamaid sellers. Click on any of the images to go directly to the shops.

Beautiful vintage style bracelet by Josephines

Mini notebook by Jolqa

Dreamy Wednesday - colours of the fall

Time to think of Autumn colours - Dreamaid has some beauties for you to check out!

Click on any of these images to go directly to the shops.








1. This bangle by boho is a lovely upcycled creation, beautiful colours too!
2. Earthy necklace with lovely wooden beads by Nemetona - perfect with this season's tribal fashions
3. A delicate brown dragonfly by Chrissys
4. Sepia duck fine art photo by Emma in Wonderland
5. Brown tawny owl print from an original watercolour painting by a piece of nature
6. Stunning cloth shoulder bag by FFSC (Friends of Street Children)

Dreamy Wednesday: Pretty things

Some lovely new listings were spotted on Dreamaid this week.
Here's a selection.

I love this doll by Mollys knitted.  In fact, her whole selection is beautiful - perfect toys if you're looking for something traditional, with no hard parts and for a real girly little girl.

These heart charm earrings with purple dragon vein and banded agate by Piggyimp Arts would make a great present.  You know how I love natural semi precious gemstones, and purple is one of Pantone's key colours for 2010 fall.

Very colourful, hand-embroided bag by blueshed crafts.  It's as beautiful inside as it is out - check out the listing to see why.

And lastly, for the person that you thought had everything, and is extremely difficult to buy for, why not try the Bacon and Egg Scarf by The Happy Crocheter?  Truly unique, I think.  Also check out her cheeseburger scarf (yes, you read that right!) and some beautiful cloche hats.

Don't forget to watch out for news of Dreamaid's new sales brochure on their blog and facebook pages.

Dreamaid feature - getting a bit arty

Art and prints is this week's theme from Dreamaid sellers.  Click on any picture to go to the store.

1. Aubaterre photo by PaulWardSmith71

2. Pembrokeshire misty morning photo by Welsh Crafts

3. Highland Cow photo by Jayne Strathdee

4.Chocolate Heaven wall hanging by ANGEL

5. 'A FORÇA VEM DOS PÉS QUE EQUILIBRAM O HOMEM' concrete scultpture by Sanreaah

6. Sunday Morning print by Cbaroneart

Remember, all Dreamaid sales benefit others as well as yourself!

Click here to tweet: Dreamaid: shop with a conscience

What makes a successful shop?

This post originally appeared as a guest blog on Iyobo Design's blog.  Thanks to Beata for featuring it :-)

OK, I’m going to make a bold statement now. I think I have a successful shop! Actually, I have four online shops on Folksy, Etsy, Dreamaid and Zibbet. I’ve been selling for 11 months online and across the Folksy and Etsy shops I have 54 sales.

Were you expecting the number to be closer to 5,000? Or 500? What do you think it means to have a successful shop? Is it loads of sales, loads of stock, repeat customers, wholesale orders, being a household name?

I guess like most sellers when I started I was a bit naive and imagined that customers would be queueing up to buy my jewellery on a daily basis – maybe I wouldn’t be able to make things fast enough! I soon learned that making the jewellery and listing it was the relatively easy part. There were all sorts of things about promoting online that I didn’t even realise that I’d need to do – blogging, tweeting, chatting in forums, all that was new to me. Now I spend a lot of time promoting, but I’ve learned to focus on the things I enjoy. And customers still don’t come in droves. So why do I think I’m successful? Maybe I’m just mad LOL

It’s because of the best thing about online selling, something I’d never even thought of when I started my shops. It’s about the customer experience. A lot of people I’ve sold to have emailed me about the jewellery, have left me feedback in the shops, have blogged or mentioned my shop in other forums and online venues. I’ve been lucky all my feedback so far is really positive. And that’s the real joy of it for me.

Everytime I sell an item and put it in the post, there’s a bit of anxiety about whether the recipient will really like it. After all, they’ve only seen a few pictures and read my description of it, and I’m no David Bailey in the photo department! And all my designs are from my imagination and are things I’d like to wear, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the world shares my taste, does it? So the relief and pleasure when you get feedback that it’s beautiful, that my mum will really love it, that it’s well made, that it’s better than the picture etc etc, is really sometimes better than the sale. I don’t think people working in a bricks and mortar shop get that experience very often. So I’m happy to trade loads of customers for a few, really happy online buyers any day!

It’s lucky that making jewellery is my hobby and I do feel for people trying to make a living from their crafting in such tough economic times. And if a hundred people suddenly found my shop and each bought an item, I’d be overjoyed. But just at the moment, on an average of a just over one sale a week, I’m quite a happy bunny. So my advice to new shops would be, don’t be impatient, work hard and the customers will gradually come and then, well, it’ll be lovely!

My recent handmade lovelies...

..I had this lovely bag bought for me as a birthday present.

Looks like a lovely bag with a great print, perfect for the summer, doesn't it?

All that is true, but as well, this clever creation is a work-out for your creativity and knotting skills.  You can make a whole variety of bags in different shapes just by tying the fabric in different ways.

It's called furoshiki and Mich, who runs myfuroshiki stores on Dreamaid, Folksy, Etsy and Coriander produces them in a variety of fabrics. There are also other materials for wrapping gifts and presents available too.  Visit the shop and the blog to see the many styles you can make.  Such a great idea and an original gift for someone too.

Once you've got a furoshiki you never need buy another bag.  However, that doesn't stop me.  I'm a bag-a-holic.

I saw this lovely creation on Folksy from jentwinkle while I was taking part in the June loons challenge (listing one item every day for the whole of June - phew!)  I like cross-body bags because of my back problems, and Jen was kind enough to adapt this one with a longer strap for me.  It's really beautiful with the buttons and embroidery, and the first time I used it it was admired straight away - there's a dental receptionist with great taste!  Take a look round Jen's Folksy store for a variety of items all equally careful crafted and pretty.

So no bags for a while now.  The OH keeps saying no more bags until we have a bigger house.  But he makes an exception for special occasions.  So with the dog's birthday and our wedding anniversary coming up, I should be OK for the next couple of months ;-)

A blue and brown paisley print hobo style bag is next on my list....

What is it about blue?

 Couldn't resist doing a quick blog about this bracelet.  It combines two things I'm really wild about at the moment, the 'Picasso' lampwork beads that look like someone in the millefiori-making room has gone mad, and cobalt blue.






I haven't always liked blue so much - green used to be it for me, but I did read somewhere that it's the nation's favourite colour.  Who knows how they work that out?

Anyway, it's available in the Folksy or Dreamaid shops.  Do I want to keep it for myself?  Absolutely!

Solution: I'm off to break the habits of a lifetime and make a second one for me - belated birthday present!!

The joy of handmade

If you've bought a handmade item, why did you choose it?  Was it because it was unique, one of a kind?  That's got to be the number 1 reason.  In an era when the vast majority of things we buy are mass produced,  unique item has to be a real winner.  No-one else will have one!  And of course with Dreamaid you know in addition that your purchase is going to benefit someone less fortunate than yourself.

Handmade items really are  made with love

Another big plus is having something made with love.  You will get an item that been through a design and production process.  The difference is, that design process may well have taken place in the crafter's head, in the shower or at the kitchen table.  Sometimes an idea of mine is kind enough to land itself when I'm near my design book, but often they come along on the way to the day job, whilst walking the dog or halfway through Coronation Street!

Then there's production.  With one unique item to make, it's got to be right.  With jewellery, sometimes the actual act of putting together doesn't take a lot of time, but again we crafters have to find those few still minutes in a busy day.

Stand well back - knotting in progress!

I love making statement semi-precious stone necklaces where each bead is knotted individually.  The knots take a little while to do, but it's beautifully quiet time and a chance to think about what you're making, and wonder who might wear it and for what occasion. 

There is one part of the process some of us struggle with and might like to get someone else to do, and that's the photography.  You want your picture to convey the beauty of your handcrafted lovely - but often the light, the camera and the props have other ideas!  That's why handmade items are usually even better than you imagined when you see them for real.

So there's a quick step through the handmade creative process.  Now you know that the process begins and ends with a love of crafting, inspiration from real life and a desire to make something really beautiful that will be unique for you.  Each of the sellers on Dreamaid has also made a commitment to donate part of their profit to help those in the Third World.  Together with you, they can help to share that message of love further with each handmade item.

So smile as you browse!

Dreamy Thursday - A green theme

Out in the countryside at the weekend, the profusion of different greens was spectacular and really made me think of how nature reflects her colours in plants and, happily for me, in gorgeous gemstones.  I've just added a page here on the blog about jewellery combinations which I really enjoyed putting together - please have a glance and see what you think.  In the meantime, here are some beautiful Dreamaid green makes with a touch of nature added!

 

1. A lovely cup of tea from dottery pottery
2. Beautiful necklace by the Glitter Tree
3. Cuddly greenfly by MinXtures
4. Three bags in one by FFSC
5. Green nebula pendant by Steam Punk Glass
6. Organza hair clip by Stowlyboxx




Click on any of the product pictures to go directly to the shops.

Dreamy Wednesday - Eat me!

Best not to consume any of these items but they will make your mouth water!








1. My all time favourite sweets (my mum worked at Bassett's!) by jacks knits
2.  Lovely cute gooseberry earrings by owl on the sill
3. Just in time for Wimbledon these strawberry earrings by talking beads
4.  Lemon and lime necklace by Blue Forest Jewellery (oh, that's me!)
5. Delicious apple blossom and berry necklace by Janet Lily
6. Most of Birdcage Creative's shop could have featured in this blog, but it's always nice to finish the evening with a Gin and Tonic, so here you go!  Cheers everyone.

Dreamy Wednesday - This weeks favourite picks from Dreamaid

I post an Etsy feature on a Monday or Tuesday and a Folksy Friday, so why not have a Wednesday devoted to Dreamaid?  After all, Wednesday's the day of the week we all starting dreaming of the weekend, isn't it? 

It's great to see more sellers and items on the site this week.  Here are a few of my favourite items posted on Dreamaid in the last few days. Click on any of the pictures to go directly to that item.

This stunning photo of Snoqualmie Falls, Washington, USA caught my eye.  Have to admit, I'd never heard of the place, but now it's definately on my visit list!  John Gaffen is the UK-based artist who shot this and you can see more of his fantastic photos on the Dreamaid site.

I  bought this card from Chrissys for three main reasons:

1.  It's so charming
2.  It's a perfect card for a man (and it doesn't have a picture of a car or someone playing golf on it)
3.  It's particularly perfect for someone who's concerned about the environment.

So that's my brother-in-laws Birthday card sorted in advance.  Thanks Chrissys!

Next up, an artist with a style I really love.  cbaroneart combines a folk art style with stunning colour combinations and a touch of Eastern Europe influence - at least, that's what I think.  You can see more on her blog which has links to Etsy and Folksy shops.

And last but by no means least, here's my second Dreamaid purchase this week:

I bought it as a card, and it's even more beautiful in real life - really intense colours and textures - Wisteria tree by mochalulu.

A great thing about shopping on Dreamaid, besides the fact that you're donating to charity with every purchase, is the customer service.  Both items I bought came within a couple of days and were carefully packaged with lovely extra notes and sentiments.  You know exactly who you are buying from, and can get in touch with the seller whenever you need to.  That's the beauty of buying handmade.

Hope you like these choices.  More to come - watch this space ;-)