Eclectic Pixie

Hello!

2010-01-29T17:06:00.000-08:00

I haven't used this in a long time and I feel guilty! I should post more!

Well I'll start this post off by saying 2009 ended up to be a good year because one buyer bought a lot of things from me! It was such a great surprise! I hadn't been doing too hot that year and ending it that way left me happy!

Anyway, earlier this week my daughter assembled a mini book to show off to people when they ask me to see my work! It's much easier showing a variety.
Here's some pictures! Printed on this pretty glossy paper that came with the kit. My daughter came up the idea. We were in InkStop which was having great discounts due to going out of business. She brought it to me and said it would be great to show customers pictures rather than a piece you just happen to be wearing. She decided to assemble it and here's how it turned out!

Hair clip design

2009-03-15T18:14:00.001-07:00

I made a new design for my hair clips :)
They're on alligator clips.
This will help with anyone who worries about breaking the flower. Now you don't even have to touch it :D

Click on it to go read about it!

Thank you cards.

2009-03-14T11:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went and made copies for thank you cards. I have 48. 24 have a canvas texture to them, and the other half is card stock.

The canvas textured ones look really nice and have a really nice feel to them.

The card stock ones look cleaner. You can see all of the details that I put into it.

I love them both. I can't wait to use them! (So buy from me so I can send one! :P)

On the back of them, I'll inscribe a personal thank you note written in my purple fountain pen :)

Title goes here.

2009-02-27T13:20:00.001-08:00

So, I never really know what to blog about.
Just had a sale, which is always exciting.
Lately I've been really busy with school. I'm taking Biology and Sociology.
I haven't really created things in a while. But that's okay because I have two boxes full of things I STILL need to list.
I was going to take pictures today but it's really rainy outside. And supposedly it's going to be snowing on Sunday but we'll see. :)

Anyways, here's what I sold!

Yay! :D

I love sales.

2009-02-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

Just like everyone, I love sales :)
The feeling of getting one never gets old!

I just sold this:

Going to list another similar design like it later :)

How to keep your jewelry and jewels lasting longer

2009-02-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

I originally wrote this for my site, but, why not bring it on over here? :)

I wrote down this information from an old article I read somewhere. It's basically a summary of it.

How to keep your jewelry and jewels lasting longer:

Gold
Dip in sudsy water. If your gold is not pure gold, add a few drops of ammonia and brush gently. If you are unsure whether your piece is not pure gold, take to a jeweler for examination, and/or polishing.
Platinum
Dip in sudsy water.
Silver
Use a silver specified cleaning cloth. Rubbing with towel paper or any other kind of paper other than silver cleaning designed cloth, can cause scratches.
Keep your jewels lasting longer with these techniques.

Peridot, Sapphire, Tanzanite, Amethyst, Ruby

Separate them to avoid scratching. Immerse in mixture off warm water and mild dishwashing liquid (softener-free). Scrub with a baby toothbrush-gently, rinse, and let dry.
Emerald

Dip emeralds in room temperature water, brush gently with a baby toothbrush and let dry. Never use warm or soapy water because most emeralds have tiny cracks that are filled with oil and may make the cracks more noticeable. Have your emeralds reoiled by a jeweler every couple years.
Opal

Use a soapy but soft cloth and rinse. Be careful with handling and storing these stones because of their prone to chip. Opals need to absorb moisture from air because of their ability to chip, so store them in a jewelry box that you open a lot. Do not place in airtight spaces that are never opened.
Turquoise

Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Never use a cleanser, since the stone is porous, it could absorb the fluid and become discolored. Clean turquoise frequently so it doesn't discolor. Turquoise can also discolor with too much sun.
Pearl

Real, cultured, and faux pearls are all fragile and lose luster quite easily. Apply perfume/makeup before putting on a pearl necklace, bracelet, etc. Wipe your pearls with a soft moist cloth after each wearing to rid it of and residue due to cosmetics, etc. For a thorough cleaning dip a baby toothbrush in a mix of mild soap, and warm water. Scrub your pearls and wipe with a wet cloth. Lay the strand flat to prevent string from stretching. Expensive pearls should be examined every couple months by a jeweler to determine if they need restringing.
Amber

Use a water moistened cloth. NEVER add soap it can dull the gem.

I'm alive.

2009-02-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've been neglecting my blog for quite some time.
I have no idea what to talk about, really. :)
This year is pretty slow. No sales this month, but I am slacking on promoting.
I need to promote some more somehow and list more. I have so many pieces I have yet to list.

Is your year slow so far? What promotion works for you?

It seems as if I run out of inspiration quickly with writing blogs. I never know what to write about. The same thing goes for Twitter. Haha. :)
I don't want to be repetitive with Twitter, and I often neglect it.

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T16:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!
Hope your holidays are filled with fun and cheer :)
I got the kids an xBox 360 Arcade which they both absolutely love along with some other things. :)
Merry Christmas everyone!

One away.

2008-12-13T07:02:00.000-08:00

So, I'm one sale away from my goal: 30 sales.
I can't wait! :)
I was making sales day after day the first week of December, now, nothing. I'm trying to look for some new ways to advertise as well.
I use:

DeviantArt (For some reason it doesn't work sometimes, and sometimes it does.

Flickr

Twitter

Myspace

I have more, but I don't use them too much. :)

I think I'm going to start working on one social networking site really hard for a few weeks. Because right now I'm not doing much advertising, just waiting for a sale. Which I know doesn't work. So I'm going to work on Myspace more. I've heard that you can use it in such a way that you can make tons of sales on there. So, I better get to work. :) Then I'll try Flickr more. I list when I have something new usually; and I've joined groups, too.

I also listed some new things:

Unsure.

2008-12-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

My shop is pretty scattered, well, really eclectic. I asked for a critique in the forums and someone suggested I make a different shop for my daughter's prints. I'm not sure if I should.

What do you think? Is it a put off for my shop?

Other than that, I love repeat customers :) It was a wonderful surprise to see I had 3 sales a few days ago. (Thank you Cathe!)
It really is a good feeling.

Currently, I'm listing up some new hair clips. Here is one of my newest designs:

Well it's almost December!

2008-11-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a few weeks. I've listed some new things and mostly relisted. I made a few sales, November has been pretty good. What is new with everyone?

How I package my goods!

2008-11-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

I got a sale today and decided it would be perfect to show how I package my items!

After I print what I need out:

PayPal Invoice.

Thank you card.

2 Business Cards.

Hair Clip handling instructions

Hair clip with name of item & price.

On the back is my Etsy and email.

Then they're held together with a paperclip and ready to go!

Sorry for the bad pictures, I didn't bother trying to take stunning pictures with this :P

ChellebelleCards

2008-10-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

ChellebelleCards

How did you get interested in what you do?
I've always been a crafty person. As a kid I always liked to make things. One of the first things I was complemented on at school was how neat my colouring in was. Soon, all the kids in my class wanted me to colour in their stuff for them!
As I got older I started to take up cross stitch. Then when I was in high school I got a weekend job in a craft store. It was the best job in the world because I got to be around everything crafty all day, and get paid for it! It was at this job that I learned alot about rubber stamping and card making, and I was soon passing this info onto inquiring customers. Ever since then I've been making cards in my spare time.

How long have you been doing your craft?
Pretty much for 6 or 7 years, but only started to do it frequently in the last year. Before this past year I made cards mostly for family occasions. I have moved around alot since the age of 18, which has not been compatible with stockpiling card making stuff. But right now I am settled in the US for the near future, so have started to increase my inventory of supplies. In July of this year I found out about Etsy and couldn't wait to open a shop selling my cards.

Do you sell anywhere besides Etsy?
Yes. I also have a shop on ShopHandmade.com. This is my shop http://Chellebellecards.ShopHandmade.com

Where else can we find you?
I have a blog: http://chellebellecards.blogspot.com/
I am on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChellebelleCard
I am on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chellebellecards/
I also plan to make a facebook site soon.

Always look at your old items.

2008-10-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

Always go back and look at your first 5 listed items in your shop. Do they own up to your standards now?
My first few pictures to me are horrendous. So before you go and renew those, update those pictures and revamp those descriptions, would you buy them?

I'm planning on making a list of pictures I need to retake and descriptions that need to be redone.

This is also a good way on seeing how much you've improved on your work, descriptions, pictures and tags as well.
Before taking that stop to the Critiques section, critique your shop yourself. Go to your shop in the shoes of a buyer and ask yourself: Would you buy it?

heroncovewoodcarving

2008-10-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

heroncovewoodcarving

How did you get interested in what you do?
I have been a woodworker for over 35 years and I started making spoons as a way to use leftover scraps of wood that would otherwise be discarded or burned.

How long have you been doing your craft?
I've been making spoons for at least 15 years.

Do you sell anywhere besides Etsy?
I sell at a local gallery called Lucky Dog in Rockland, Maine and I occasionally do craft fairs.

Where else can we find you? (Social networking sites, etc)
At the moment Etsy is the only place I sell online.

http://heroncovewoodcarving.etsy.com

Tagged!

2008-10-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by JeweledRabbit.

I am of European descent.
I've been in the United States for 18 years.
I have two children.
I am currently going to college.
I am hopelessly addicted to beads. There is no help for me.
I usually start more than one project at a time.
Many of my designs come in my sleep. Crazy, huh?

I tag EVERYONE who reads this! :)
Have fun!

Well congrats to me.

2008-10-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

I made it to 500 hearts today! (503 in total).
What I did was hang out in the Chatroom and Forums in Etsy. :D
That's the best advertisement, I swear!

503 hearts
10 people are new
within the last day

I also have 8 different item hearts, which is awesome!

I just hope some people are looking towards my stuff for Christmas ;)

New this week:

Helpful things to use.

2008-10-21T13:22:00.001-07:00

Google Reader?
Do you use Google Reader?
Google Reader is a way to keep up with everyone's blog. This could help you snag that special blog deal, or read up on some really helpful tips.

There are other ways to use Google Reader. You could use it to keep up with Etsy Alchemy.
This way, you are updated on Alchemy whenever someone posts a request. I keep up with the Storque on my feeds, and alchemy. How do you add a feed?
This is usually indicated by an orange button that looks like this:

Click it, select 'Google Reader' and it's added.

Email updates:
If you use FireFox, you can add a notifier to popup when you have an email. I use one for my Yahoo! mail to notify me every 5 minutes of any incoming emails. The mail button turns orange and makes a noise, which you can turn off, or change the noise.

TwitterFox:

Do you use twitter and have FireFox? TwitterFox is a FireFox extension which updates you about incoming Twitterers' tweets however so often you calibrate the notifier for. This helps with staying up to date, but not having to stay on the site 24/7.

That's all my tips for now!

Updating!

2008-10-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Just updating from my long hiatus from blogging here :)
If you'd like quicker updates, look for me on twitter!!
http://twitter.com/eclecticpixie

I made a few sales this month, which makes me very happy :D
I listed a few things, worked really hard on trying to get myself out there.

Here's my list of places I know I got a sale from:

Twitter
DeviantArt
Etsy Forums

So, some things work, others don't. My advice, is to try a little bit of everything, because I hear people get a lot of sales from places I don't see me ever getting sales from. The key is just trying. Try to get your name out there as far as you can. :)

New things on Etsy:

I know, too much :P

I also had a custom order for a brooch that I really like:

It has been almost a whole month.

2008-09-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

It's been about a month since I last updated. Since then, I have had one sale. Good enough :) They'll come slowly.
I've added some more hair clips, as usual. I also added a photograph of a carnation.

8-11-08

2008-08-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

Just some updates!

I was featured in a treasury!!

Thank you so much hiddentreasure!!

I also put up a new hair clip:

Shelter in the Rain

2008-08-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

I made a cute little print this time, of a mouse holding a mushroom :D I thought it would be really fun to do, and I'm happy how it came out!!

Blue Balloon

2008-08-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

I made a new print. I love this one the most:

New print.

2008-08-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

New print up. :)

YES

2008-07-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have started doing prints!
First, let me show you my new hair clip:

And now, my print :)

Feedback? :)

Even more hair clips!

2008-07-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

You know you love them :)

The last one is probably my favorite :)

New hairclip!

2008-07-15T09:37:00.001-07:00

My yellow one sold, so I'm adding a new one up :)

:D

Hairclips, hairlips and more hairclips!

2008-07-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

A new creation of mine. I actually took a look around Etsy. No one does this! [Easy to catch copiers! ;)]
So here are my lovely hairclips:

I saw a movie over the weekend, (I rented it) called Stardust. And to my surprise, it was REALLY good! It was very entertaining. I highly recommend it to those of you who haven't seen it :)

Update!

2008-07-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

I made some hairclips for the best customer I've ever had: Kelly.
At first I was skeptical about hairclips. But I decided "Eh. I'll try it"
Within about an hour, it sold, and I got 3 custom orders, too!!
Now, this girl is talented, I can tell you that!
http://kreatedbykelly.etsy.com/

Her pictures are just. Wow. Especially this one:

Another one of my favorites:

She needs way more love on her Etsy, she makes amazing things! And if I ever get the chance to snag a treasury, I'll definitely put her in it! :)

Visit her shop, seriously, there is so much she makes and it's all so cute! :D

Here are the hairclips I made for her so far!

One more to go!
But really, visit her shop! :)

What we have learned

2008-06-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

If you make jewelry, let me tell you the key points I learned by starting that topic :)
Jewelry is very hard on Etsy, as you all know. So let's take a look at how some successful jewelers do it:

Care about what you are making.
Be unique.
Put time and effort into getting people to see your jewelry.
Consistantly promote.
Keep business cards
Don't rely on JUST Etsy. Promote outside of it!
Great photographs
Don't be afraid to spend $

limamike says:

"I do a lot of craft shows. I develop mailing and email lists from those (with people's permission) and market to them throughout the year. For the email list, they get a newsletter every 2-3 weeks. For mailing list, they get a postcard when I'm doing a craft show in their area.

I give a 10% discount to my customers that are on either of those lists when they come back to see me at a show. And I give referral points if they refer friends.

I started out making jewelry four years ago and had/have my own web site. I have been playing with Etsy a little, but not much. But I do this for a living now."

Alesi says:

"Promoting is key and not on Etsy you have to promote OFF etsy, think myspace,facebook,craigslist, buy ad space on a website (as long as its in your means)

Create create create! The truth is you have to keep putting new product up to stay afloat the search engine. Which truly does suck because within 30 minutes of listing you can find yourself on page 100 something

Pictures matter also, unfortunately I am still learning the ropes of that one

Competitive pricing. Analize your niche and see if your pricing is fair. This is a delicate issue because you have buyers who would rather pay less, then you have buyers who wont pay less because they believe less= lesser quality which is NOT always the case

Get the word out, sign your emails with your etsy url. Send an email to your friends telling them to forward your etsy shop to their friends and so on and so forth."

Galeana:

"I've been here since January and I've netted more than a grand. Honestly, I think having a unique, stand-out item that no one can get anywhere else is extremely important. And also having clear consistent photographs seems to make a big difference, too. When I first started, I signed up for a couple of showcases, and initially it really helped get the word out about my shop.

Most of my work comes from repeat customers, so having excellent customer service is a MUST. And, on top of all of that, I pray a good bit for frequent sales, lol!

I actually don't spend a whole lot of promoting, but I have been known to frequent the chat rooms and make connections with like-minded artists.

I've been in about 15 treasuries, or so, but I haven't gotten any sales from that yet, nor have I received an abundance of hearts from that arena either.
That's about it."

MichellesCharmWorld:

"I'm not sure if i'm successful in the broad sense, but I like to think I am :) I do it by knowing EXACTLY who I am targeting and bringing them to my shop. I don't rely on Etsy to do anything but make sure the site is up and running :)"

mash84:

"I sell my jewelry in more than one venue, I also do craft fairs and shows. At those events I hand out business cards with my Etsy shop information."

geelizzie says:

I sell costume jewelry and soldered glass pendants. I think I've sold a lot because:
My prices are very reasonable and would attract an impulse buyer.

Nothing has to be custom made unless requested that way so there's no waiting weeks for something to be shipped.

I ship every day so my customers get their orders fast.

My glass pendants are mostly one of a kinds so my customers know they will have a unique necklace.

I list, list, and list some more-at the very minimum about 10 times a day.

I have a generous return policy and will refund if a package goes missing.

It did take 6 months to start seeing regular sales in my shop and a lot of hard work.
I don't do much outside promoting, but once you start selling, the word will spread about your shop, especially if you treat your customers right.

Morashajewelry says:

My sales started coming after I changed the way I took pictures. I believe it's all about the shot especially since the majority of my things are over 20 dollars it's important to have really great pictures so that the customer feels like they have the item right in front of them.
Also great customer service. Even with the few sales I have, many are return customers.

Photoshop has also come up in this topic :)

Some of us are just lucky:

chinaberry says:

i've done nothing to promote my shop on etsy. i have just under 900 sales in 6 months. business is good. i think realistic prices, half way decent photos, excellent customer service, fast shipping and adding new things throughout the week have all paid off.

urbanwoodswalker says:

Its really hard...because You gotta make it and list it constantly. The photography, is another time consuming situation, as is tweaking the photos in photoshop and copy writing the listing. I find when sales are hopping, I gotta put in 15+ hours days.....and I can't keep that up. Life gets in the way.

UncommonBeads says:

its tough!
My jewelry shop http://uncommonoriginals.etsy.com has evolved a lot over the past year...I look back on the early photos and descriptions and wonder how I got any sale! I think times are tough for a lot of people and jewelry isn't up there on the list of things to spend money on...
with that said, it really helps to have awesome photos, great descriptions and a unique, very well made product.
Also research trends and styles for upcoming seasons....

5erg:

"You just need to wait when someone who has looked for specific colour or shape happens to see your items.
There's a little chance that would happen,
so you must work hard for those few views too :)"

UncommonBeads says:

One other thing I'll add, and something I will begin doing is to display my necklaces on a bust of some sort and the earrings from a more interesting anchor....I find the shops that sell well display their wares this way...also, as a side note, last christmas, I shopped exclusively on etsy for my jewelry presents! My hubby was quite generous and let me pick a few from my faves, so lets support each other this season!

LisasLovlies:

I try and keep myself visable. I spend about $2 a day relisting/listing/renewing. This keeps my items in the first 10-20 categorie pages. My shop is cohesive, the backgrounds and lighting are consistent, so there is a flow, I think this is very important. You want the overall look to your shop to be pleasing to the eye.

I know it is a bit scary, but I have learned you have to spend money to make money, period. Start out slow. Renew once in the morning, lunchtime, and around 8pm. That's .60 a day. I really don't know if it work for everyone, but I think it's worth a shot. It is the cheapest way to advertise that I know of.

keepsakekatie says:

I renew one item every day and that is it. My etsy fees would rocket otherwise.

I also like to make sure the front page of my shop looks appealing, like last week i realised the first 5 items were red, so I had to relist a couple of things to mix up the colours a bit!

Designsbyreese says:

One comment on renewing.....Make sure to update your pictures. My older pictures are not nearly as good as my more recent ones. I renewed an item the other day that I just should have pulled off!

jorgensenstudio says:

Lisaslovelies is right. You have to spend a little to make more. Advertise outside of etsy, even with a team or group. Keep you shop consistant with pictures, backgrounds, and the general feel.
Pictures are the main thing make sure they are really good, maybe even pay an art student to take them.
Or just keep trying new ways to tweek the pictures by following all the advise in the other forum threads.
Have really great packaging and customer service so your customer is wowed when they get their item in the mail and they will return.

The most important..have a unique and quality product.

Well, I learned a lot!

Updates.

2008-06-28T07:18:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone, I have some things to update you on.
One: I joined Squidoo! My lens. It's a very cute site. :)
Two: Jewelery makers! Are you successful at selling your jewelry? Yes? No? Either way, come post about it in this topic I started: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5686851
Three: I put up some dolphin earrings:
Click here!
Four: I'll be posting the most important key points in that topic.
That's all for now!

PROMO!

2008-06-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

Buy any jewelry on my Etsy, and get a free custom avatar/banner pack!!

:)

2008-06-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

Let's swap links.
You end up there ->
I end up on your blog.
How about it? :)

PromoQueen was first! :)

Funfun!

Thinking.

2008-06-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking about doing some different things. I'm thinking of putting up my daughters photography and seeing how that does on Etsy. Also, getting a tablet (Wacom) possibly drawing some stuff with it, printing it on that paper that you can iron onto things and doing it on things like purses. I'm thinking about doing something new like that. Of course I'll never be as good as some of these people:
http://blackeri.deviantart.com/art/The-Seven-Deadly-Sins-VANITY-13310012
http://blackeri.deviantart.com/art/The-Seven-Deadly-Sins-WRATH-45063193
http://hymnell.deviantart.com/art/dark-side-89752814
http://blackeri.deviantart.com/art/The-Oracle-50266146
http://blackeri.deviantart.com/art/Pandora-42615227
http://dark-spider.deviantart.com/art/The-Storyteller-63828942

I'll stop there :)
Anyways, putting up a new bracelet! :D!

Here it is:

Edit: Got into Treasury West: Rainbow !

I think I will try flickr

2008-06-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

So far, I have tried Myspace, Indierepublic, Weloveetsy, however, I have no tried Flickr!
Somehow it helps, so, I'll try it an we'll see! Hopefully it'll help because as of... forever. I haven't sold a piece of jewelry! I've sold a banner, but, ugh.
Sometimes it's just so frustrating and disappointing. I know, relist, list, advertise, chatrooms, forums. I do all of those. I haven't given up hope yet, and I hope you guys don't either!!

Etsy
Website
Myspace
Flickr

Photography.

2008-06-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

Pictures I promised. There are more. These were taken by my daughter. :)
Enjoy!

Today

2008-06-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today I was doing a shadowing in a small hospital nearby. Since no one really knows, I am studying in the medical field. I can not make up my mind. But I think physical therapy will end up being my profession. I have been in school for a few months, studying.

Today I posted a new bracelet! Let me know what you guys think!

My daughter took some pictures today, which I will be posting tomorrow!

First post

2008-06-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

I've heard nothing but great things about starting a blog, so I gave in and decided. Why not?
So, this is my first post. I'll be talking about my adventures through beading, keeping up with etsy, my website, etc. :)