Handmade Monday: mostly chain maille but some bag charms too

I'm still obsessed with chain maille (is there treatment available?!) but I did take a bit of a break to post some new bag charms in my Folksy shop.  It's been a good week for sales, and people seem to prefer the multiple purse charms without beads, so I've concentrated on that.  Now which do you like best...

This one is for when you need a bit of luck...

For lovers of emo, goth, steam punk etc,

For lovers of shoes, handbags etc,

For anyone with a dog.

Is that almost everyone covered?!

And this one is chain maille and a bag charm.

Here's a link to see what other crafty people have been up to this week over at Handmade Monday.

See you soon,
Alison

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.

Why should humans have all the fun on Valentines day?!

Check out these little friends on Etsy...

'Just the two of us...' by BlueForestJewellery

Animals are so cute!

Swan Love WildLittleGoos... $25.00	Removable Vinyl wall st... walldesigner00... $58.00	We are together ( two S... ialbert $25.00
Personalized Wedding gi... fancyprints $24.00	Nightowls - 25 Personal... Exlibrisstudio $15.00	Two Little Squirrels Va... SophieParker $2.30
Just The Two Of Us Hipp... CapturedDivine... $10.00	Two Cute Cats Heart Lov... decaldelightco... $16.00	Two Birds Magnet (2.25 ... SickOnSin $4.50
Goat and Pig Love Print... CrowBiz $12.00	Dove Birds YdnarImaging $25.00	Two Little Lovely Rabbi... RaineStyleHome $25.50
The Perfect Two JanPalomboDesi... $44.00	Zen Brush Valentine Two... ZenBrush $20.00	I GOT SOMETHING TO SHOW... blobhouse $54.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

Shop and save: A Dreamaid collaboration for Christmas

Chrissys and Blue Forest Jewellery are taking part in a Dreamaid Christmas collaboration, so it's the perfect time to sort out your Christmas cards and tags, and your jewellery gifts at the same time!

These eco friendly gift tags are so classy!

Every time there is a purchase in my UK online stores, I'll be enclosing a business card from Chrissys which entitles the holder to a discount on her beatiful handmade cards and gift tags on Dreamaid.   Similarly, if you make a purchase from Chrissys, you'll receive a unique 10% discount code for Blue Forest Jewellery.


Don't forget that all purchases from Dreamaid benefit projects in the developing world, so you can buy both charity cards and tags and charity presents this Christmas. 

Single cards and multi packs available

The easiest way to claim your discount is to let the seller know what you wish to purchase, quoting your discount code before buying, so that a special listing can be created and reserved for you at the discount price.  Alternatively, you can quote the code as you go through the Paypal payment process and the discount will then be credited to you as a partial refund through Paypal.

Robins and holly - what's not to like?

It may be the first time that there's been this sort of online joint promotion, so for those of you who are shopkeepers yourselves, Chris and I will keep you up to date with whether this venture increases views and sales in our shops on our blogs. 

A little jewellery sample...

Here's hoping!

Look out for a Dreamaid Christmas special compilation soon on this blog.

Meet the Lonely Jewelers on Etsy 2: Kristy Jewelry

Take a look at these lovely items of jewelry. They are from this week’s featured seller, Kristy Jewelry.

http://kristyjewelry.etsy.com



What about this bracelet! Such a delicate rose and baby pink it’s a real classic piece. Perhaps a gift for a bride or bridesmaid? Or just for a special night out. At 15mm and 8mm, these pearls are big enough to make a real statement!



I love the colours on these peacock earrings, beautifully accented with the tiny faceted crystals. At 4.5 inches long, they are really dramatic. You probably wouldn’t need any other jewelry – although, if you’re a real jewelry fan, you probably never leave the house without a full set of bling on, right?

Kristy, from Springfield, Illinois, has been making beautiful pieces like these since her stepmom introduced her to crafting with some tiny beads and fishing string. Now she’s started selling online, after being asked "where did you get that" or "can you make me this" and is eagerly awaiting her first Etsy sale.

Browsing the shop, you can see how Kristy is inspired by changing fashions and seasons. No surprise then that one of her favourite pieces is one she made to wear with a Halloween costume. She says “I actually bought some cheap beads thinking I probably wouldn’t wear it again, but I love it.”

My favourite item is this button and bead bid necklace:




It’s got a real retro feel, and orange is such a key colour this season.
So visit the shop and have a browse around. Kristy says that she wants other to know that she “loves what I make and I never intended to ever sell it - it just started happening and I just want people to love my stuff as much as I do.” When you’ve had a look around, I think you’ll love it too.

Don’t forget to visit Kristy on Facebook and MySpace too:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristys-Jewelry/134697641966#/pages/Kristys-Jewelry/134697641966

www.myspace.com/kristysjewelry