March-ing On

We are moving forward into Spring. We have had a wild ride this month with snow, wind, power outages and whatever. In the middle of it, I placed an order for some beads from Rings&Things in Spokane and they were at more door in a mere three days.

Have you ever ordered from them? They are great.  You can find them at www.rings-things.com. They are relatively local for me...in Spokane, WA which is the eastside of the state; I am on the westside. Their products are good and reasonably priced. I received a kit for making resin pendants with everything I need for the fraction of a price if I was buying the pieces separately.

Being a person of color, I love ethnic jewelry and they have a great selection of African trade beads and that is what I bought. I have made one bracelet so far and can't wait to dive into the other beads.

Check out http://www.rings-things.com.

Valentine's Day Is Coming Already

I was at the department store that houses our pharmacy and I noticed all the Valentine's candy, valentines, little sweet gifts and sentiments.  Didn't we just celebrate Christmas and Hannukah?  I think I remember....I still have my Christmas trees up as today is the Epiphany (Celebrates the day the Wise Men showed up); the final day of the the Christmas holidays for me.

Things are moving just too fast. My Etsy teams are asking what stock I have for Valentine's day.  I think I have something that will do on my site: www.Etsy.com/shop/BluJeanBeads. I remember making some beautiful little enamel heart earrings. 

I also have a pearl necklace with a sterling silver heart locket that is very sweet. It would look lovely around the neck of the one you love or around your neck if you are a bride to be. 

Children love hearts so I have a variety of millifiori heart earrings that would be darling on a little girl and some crazy foam heart earrings that are edgy and fun.

So yeah, I guess I am up on this next holiday.....Are you?

New Year Happiness

The beginning of a new year. Bright with promise....Bright with hope. Do we know what will happen?  Do we want to direct the happenings by making resolutions and goals?  It is all up to us and our personal beliefs.

I want mysteries to unfold....I want to play with my beads and string and find out where jewelry making is going to take me.  I also want to set some goals for my job.....for my health.....for my fitness....and my business: www.etsy.com/shop/BluJeanBeads.  I also want to work on my long term obligations.

I am excited for the new year. Had a glorious old year and am glad for what I have, who I am, my family and friends. I am fortunate to have had some good customers and hope they are wearing their BluJeanBeads jewelry into the new year.

Good Health everyone!

Theresa

Cyber Monday

I decided that my blog readers need the affordable and a little fun. I am offering a Pre-Cyber Monday, Cyber Monday and Post-Cyber Monday sale for those of you who want to get your game on with your holiday shopping. Save some monya and spare yourself the onslaught of that large box Mart store where people acted a fool. 

30% off all stock today, Monday and Tuesday.....

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BluJeanBeads

http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.276954773.jpg

This is what I have been working on....memory wire bracelets. I am at that place where in-between fancy, schmancy inspiration I am looking for an easy project, that is fun, wearable and fits the tenet of my shop.....Fun, Funky and Affordable.

Memory wire bracelets fit most wearers and you either slip your hand between the rounds or you can loosen the rounds and wrap it around your wrist. The memory wire does not lose it's shape and if you are using heavy beads it will not slip off if you have more than three rounds.

I made a cute little one for kids and you can see it in my etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BluJeanBeads. It is made from cute little wood beads and larger wood animal beads.  I think a little one would like it.

In early December, I will be doing a bazaar at McLane Elementary School in Olympia (December 2- 4-8 PM) and have been putting together items to sell. I know that at bazaars you get people with a range of budgets and holiday needs.  I put together a little basket of bracelets priced and geared for children's giving to parents and siblings.  I think it is very important that children think of others during "gift getting" time and start to give from a very young age.  My daughter had to start gift choosing and surprises for her grandmother's, her father and her brother, starting at age two.  She is the most thoughtful of gift givers.  The chosen item may not be expensive, it may be handcrafted, it may be an experience but it is always given in good spirit and it is always "right."  I think it is because she has had good practice in selflessness.

At the bazaar I also hope to have varying price points in items for adults and jewelry pieces that can be worn by men and women. I have started using larger lobster clasps not just as a "funky" item and a signature statement for BluJeanBeads but to make my jewelry accessible to folks with different abilities to fasten clasps. I also have pieces with magnetized clasps or no clasps at all (elasctic bracelets). Not every family celebrates Christmas so I try to keep my tags and jewelry boxes neutral.

So onwards to the studio...to creation...to joy!

Easy Peasy Pieces

I was on Youtube tonight and actually learned how to do a basic macrame knot....this is not significant in itself but I think I related early in this blog that outside of writing....I thought I had no skills, talent, or imgination for crafts. 

But at a ripe old age I am finding that this is not true.  I can do things. My future in the home is secured....I will be able to do crafts with all the other blueheads.  Hooray for me.

Check this little video out. This woman is such a placid and steady teacher....


http://youtu.be/47dOXK-BcsM.

Get yourself some string and see what you can do.

Scoping out Google Analytics

So I tied my Etsy shop http://etsy.com/shop/BluJeanBeads to Google Analytics and then everyday I look at it and see if I can determine a new strategy for success.  Of course, I am far from an expert.....I mean really far....I have had this link for awhile and I am now realizing that whenever I post an item on Twitter or Facebook people go to that one item....no further.....So now I am beginning to understand what the Etsy forum was talking about:

"Using Twitter to announce your new product is like shouting over a cubicle wall"!

That is all people hear and their ears are getting tired of the shouting. They may click the linkbut shoppers are not necessarily going to my shop.

Now, why did it take me so long to make this connection?  I think maybe I am a little slow.  So now, I need to think in a bigger way.  How do I get people to go to my site and poke around so that they are interested in my fun, funky, affordable BluJeanBeads jewelry?

For instance, I am using paper (tag board) to create some new pieces.  I want you to look at that.  But I don't want you to stop there....I have a cute pearl necklace with the most darling cast silver rabbit on it.  The rabbit is scratching his or her ear and is just darling. You are not going to see this if you just look at my POG earrings or my POG bracelet.  What is a POG earring?  Go look but don't stop there....look at other things....poke around.....try things on....put them in your cart....contemplate which gift will look great on Mom, Sister, the dog?!  No not the dog....

So how do we as crafters and artisans bring shoppers to our site?  That is the million dollar question and I hope you respond to this blog post and let me know what you are doing.  Let's strategize and blitz the world with beautiful jewelry so people can look good out there....in real time....