Hot Stuff in 2012

Today's Silver Price: $28.96/t.oz.


I fell off the blogging wagon. Hard.

It's been several weeks since I've written a blog post. Working full-time, planning a wedding, and building a business all at the same time? Not really possible. The wedding is in a couple of weeks and I'm psyched out of my mind about it, but once it's over I plan to put some serious time into jewelry making!

I will return to blogging next month, after the chaos has quieted down and after the confetti settles. For now, I am prepping to put the Etsy Shop on 'vacation mode' and daydreaming about my caribbean honeymoon.

I will leave you with some recent creations which I don't believe I have yet shared here. I've purchased a wire jig and I've been making some pretty cool necklaces! I think I'm on to something here...


See for yourself:

Actually the last two necklaces were made free-hand, no jig. I'm excited about pursuing this type of jewelry further.

Keep your eyes out for some HOT STUFF in the second half of 2012!!

Wine Bottle Centerpieces

Today's Silver Price: $31.79/t.oz.



My wedding centerpiece planning has come full circle. Forget the pressed flowers, forget creating my own floral arrangements, it's back to wine bottles. Check out some pics I found on the internet today:

I'm definitely going to need a bottle cutter for these. I've done some brief browsing on the internet and found several for around $30. Well worth the investment I think.

From this last one I was thinking of using the greenery around the bottom of the wine bottles. Apparently you can just spray evergreens with adhesive and stick them to glass. Not sure how long they would last, but it looks really cool! I also thought about wrapping lace around the bottom half of the bottles. I guess there are a ton of things that could be added! I'll use the battery operated tea light candles to make it easy.

I'll be ordering a bottle cutter this weekend- and soon I'll finally put my stock of empty wine bottles (which are currently cluttering up the attic) to good use!

Etsy Direct Checkout

Today's Silver Price: $32.40/t.oz.

There's a new feature coming to Etsy. It's called Direct Checkout. Customers can use their credit card on Etsy without having to go through PayPal. The third party has been eliminated... 2's a party, 3's a crowd...

I am very interested in this new feature. I think that customers will be much more likely to buy from an Etsy page if it is a simpler process. Now they do not have to have a PayPal account or enter their credit card info into PayPal, they can simply enter everything right on Etsy.

It seems that this new feature is in a pilot state. It is not available to all Etsy users at this time but apparently it will be eventually. I have requested participation in the trial and hopefully in a couple of months it will become available.

I don't think it will make much of a financial difference in terms of fees taken out of each sale. In order to use Direct Checkout Etsy will charge the seller 3% of the transaction plus $.25 for every purchase (this is in addition to the 3.5% of the sale that Etsy takes and the $0.20 listing fee).

PayPal takes 2.9% of the sale plus $0.30. So it's just about the same percentage taken out, but Etsy would charge $0.05 less than PayPal.

Hmmm now that I'm seeing all these fees I'm starting to wonder if this is all worth it. It costs me $0.20 for every item that I list on Etsy. Then when I sell an item, Etsy takes 3.5% of the sale. Now for the actual transaction, either Etsy or PayPal will take 3% of the transaction AND $0.25 or $0.30. So I'm paying at least $0.45 plus 6% for every sale. Bummer.

I guess for now it's not too bad. I've only had a handful of sales so far. Perhaps in the future though it will be beneficial to start my own website. If I start now, I can learn to build a website by...

Mulit-Strand Necklace- First Attempt

Today's Silver Price: $31.33/t.oz.


My first attempt at a multi-strand necklace (please excuse the bad lighting in the photo):

So this is a copper necklace with three strands. The top and the bottom strand are simply copper chain. The middle strand is copper beads strung on beading wire.

I tried to be very careful of measurements while constructing this necklace. I laid out the beads and the chains, and I made each strand exactly 2 inches longer than the last. I thought I would end up with perfectly spaced strands- but as you can see from the picture I did not.

To fix this issue I'm thinking of adding two more strands. One would be a chain in between the shortest strand and the beaded strand, and the other would be a chain below the last strand. It would then become a five strand necklace. I think I may just eyeball it this time instead of wasting time measuring everything.

Updated version coming soon!

Wire Om Pendant

Today's Silver Price: $31.61/t.oz.

I love the Sanskrit OM symbol. I love the beauty of the shape and I love the concept that it represents. Om is the sound of the universe, the sound from which all other sounds arise. Chanting the word Om during yoga practice or meditation has mental and spiritual benefits, while the vibrations of the sound massage the inner organs of the body.

I've purchased some sterling silver Om charms in the past and made some beautiful earrings. However these charms can be quite expensive.

After receiving my last wire shipment I started playing with some of the silver-plated wire, bending it into shapes. I wondered if I could bend the wire into an Om symbol. Here's what I came up with:

It's a little sloppy, but I think with some practice I can perfect this! I also have to experiment with hammering the wire, because hammering will make the wire harder and stronger so it should hold the shape better. I think this would be a great pendant!

Miles and Miles of Wire!

Today's Silver Price: $32.81/t.oz.

Ok, not miles and miles, but feet and feet. 400 feet to be exact. Today I received a delivery from Paramount Wire, or http://www.parawire.com/. I ordered 200 feet of 18 gauge silver-plated copper wire, and 200 feet of 18 gauge copper wire. And yes, I've already gotten into the copper wire to make a new necklace!

I've figured out that one necklace uses about 11 to 12 feet of wire. Each heart link uses 4" of wire, and there are 32 hearts in the necklace. That's 128", or 10.66 feet. Add in jump rings and I guesstimate it's about 12 feet. So if I have 400 feet of wire from this new delivery, I have the potential to make 33 necklaces. If I sell them for $25 each that would be $825. I spent about $70 on the wire, so that's about $755 profit. Not bad! Of course I have not factored in the cost of labor but that's ok. I will probably sell the silver-plated necklaces for a higher price as that wire is more expensive.

Anybody want to check my math?

I definitely would recommend checking out the ParaWire website if you are interested in wire wrapping or wire jewelry. They sell wire in a very wide range of colors, gauges and lengths. Good find, I am grateful for that Etsy forum I stumbled across!



Non Tarnish Jewelry Wire

Today's Silver Price: $31.44/t.oz.

I've been wanting to purchase some copper wire so that I can make more of the heart link necklaces. So far they've gotten some great responses. I had a coworker ask if I could make one in a different color (besides the nickel silver) and I have a friend that wanted one but is allergic to nickel. I've gone to both Michaels and Joanne's to try and find 18 gauge copper wire but haven't had much luck. I am looking specifically for non-tarnish copper wire.

I came across a website just now that sells non-tarnish copper wire in a large variety of colors. They also sell silver-plated wire that I may try out as well! The website is http://www.parawire.com/. I actually stumbled across it in an Etsy forum while doing a Google search on Zebra Wire reviews (I found the Zebra Wire on Fire Mountain Gems but it doesn't say 'non tarnish') Seems to be decent pricing, they have a 200' spool of 18 gauge copper wire for $19.00. I think I'll be purchasing some wire this weekend!

It's been a long week, I deserve a treat, right? The silver-plated wire was $35 for a 200' spool, so I'd be spending about $60 total. With 200 feet of wire I can make about 18 necklaces, so that's 36 necklaces if I get both kinds of wire! Totally worth it!

DIY Wax Paper Lanterns

Today's Silver Price: $32.17/t.oz.

And now for something completely different... wax paper lanterns.

Happy 1st Day of Spring!

One of the really fun parts of planning a wedding for me has been finding bargains, deals, and DIY projects. I found a great website recently called A Practical Wedding which offers tips and ideas on planning an affordable wedding without all the unnecessary fluff and ridiculousness.

I really should stop looking at all of these websites and articles. So far I've changed my idea for centerpieces three times. Maybe four. I started off wanting to use wine bottles for centerpieces somehow. I was thinking of cutting the bottles and putting candles in them. Then I thought I should probably have a florist do the centerpieces. Then I thought I could do the floral and greenery centerpieces myself. Now however, I have stumbled upon the next great idea. Wax paper lanterns, or luminarias as they are called in this article (from A Practical Wedding).

The luminarias are made by ironing pressed flowers and greenery between two sheets of waxed paper. The crafter has created cubes using four waxed paper walls taped together. Simply put a candle inside and you've made magic! I think I would make taller structures to get a more dramatic look, but I love the possibilities with this project! I was out for a walk today and I was taking note of all of the bushes on my route that could possibly be used. I would also use battery operated tea lights as I think open flame might be risky.

So until the next great idea comes my way I'll be experimenting with pressed flowers and waxed paper. Sounds like fun to me!

New Additions

Today's Silver Price: $32.24/t.oz.


Some new items I've added to my Etsy page... finally used one of those abalone shell pendants!

Bridal Accessories

Today's Silver Price: $33.58/t.oz.


DISCLAIMER: The following picture is not my work!

Below is the Endless Summer Necklace by Albina Manning.

I was sent the instructions for this fun necklace last week. I get regular emails from wire-sculpture.com with new jewelry designs and patterns. This one piqued my interest on a personal level. I thought this would be a great necklace for my wedding day! Well, a variation of this. I'm not crazy about pearls so I would probably change the necklace portion, but I absolutely LOVE the mother of pearl flower and the wire accents! I do worry though that the wires sticking out may be uncomfortable.

My wedding dress is rather simple, and I'll be going with simple jewelry for the ceremony. However I plan on making a jewelry change into something more dramatic before the reception!

Hmmmm, I wonder if this will clash with the flower in my hair...

Quick Tip- Raise It Up!

Today's Silver Price: $32.70/t.oz.

NEW CONCEPT ALERT!

Today I read a very brief tip on wire-sculpture.com that suggests jewelry makers raise the height of their tables at fairs and craft shows. This way the customers do not have to bend over to look at the jewelry. By simply adding some PVC piping to the legs of your folding table you can raise your display up closer to eye level. Brilliant!

I suppose this does present a challenge when trying to find a table cloth for your new MacGyver-style table, but I guess an extra long piece of fabric from the craft store will do. I'll have to try this out! I think that actual eye-level would be too high though. Maybe a foot above regular table height would be good. Chest-level, maybe?

Any time you can bring your product closer to your customer you are increasing your chances for a sale!



~~~{Blog Playlist}~~~
Modest Mouse, "Float On"
Franz Ferdinand, "Take Me Out"
The Chieftains w/Sinead O'Connor, "Foggy Dew"

Pricing Decoded?

Today's Silver Price: $35.05/t.oz.

I found a new resource this morning while I should have been getting ready for work but instead opted to log on to Facebook and see what was new. Well, this is what was new. A website called Home Jewelry Business Guide. I mean, if ever there was a website that I was supposed to find, THIS IS IT. A crafter had posted a FB link to an article on this website that discusses how to price your jewelry. So of course I immediately clicked on the link. It's like some ancient mystery- how to price your work. These folks seem to think they have found the magic formula.

Jewelry Wholesale Pricing

Pricing Handmade Jewelry for Retail Sales

The two links above will bring you to the articles which contain the afore mentioned secret formulas. Let's discuss the first formula (I'm not going to post the formula, you'll have to go to their page to check it out- the differences between the two are explained).

At first the formula seems a bit silly. The hourly rate looks a bit steep, and the genius pay is stretching it. They actually factor in an emotional distress fee. Really?? If you're under emotional distress while making jewelry, maybe you shouldn't make jewelry!

This did however bring up a very important factor that I had not before considered. This individual calculates profit AFTER they have totaled up cost of materials and COST OF LABOR. I've always just figured that if I'm making a piece using $10 worth of materials, and I sell it for $20, then I'm making profit! I generally don't consider time and labor as part of my price calculation. So in a sense, I've been working for free. Yes, I have made some money by selling the piece, but I have not been paid for my labor.

These formulas are great for pricing your work. They cover all bases and give any crafter or artisan at least an idea of how to price a piece. However I think there is one very big factor that has been left out. Quite often I base my pricing on what I think I would pay for it in a store or at a fair. In our struggling economy shoppers are not looking at expensive items, they are looking for deals and bargains. While there is the niche of consumers that are willing to pay high prices for unique handmade pieces, I feel that most people these days are on too tight of a budget. 

If you look at the formula for retail sales pricing, this blows the word 'bargain' or 'affordable' right out of the water. Apparently I should be charging much more for my jewelry than I currently am.

So is this a magic formula for me? No, but it's a good place to start. I have yet to explore this new website in depth but I am excited to have stumbled upon it!

The Next Level

Today's Silver Price: $35.24/t.oz.

Silver is up $1.09 today... UGH! 

I sold a necklace at my office today! It was a nickel wire heart link necklace. All I had to do was wear mine to work and someone wanted to buy one! Easy peasy.

I realized today that my day job is NOT making ends meet. After an expensive car repair this week I've decided that something has to change. I've already cut back on a lot of things. I don't buy new clothes, I bring my lunch to work, I don't go out much on weekends. The problem is I'm not binging in enough money to pay for Life in General. So it's time to kick the jewelry biz thing into high gear. I really need to designate time each week for making jewelry and getting it posted to Facebook and my Etsy page.

These wire necklaces could be a big money maker. At $25 a pop, or $29 through the Etsy page (includes shipping), they have the potential for creating greater income than the smaller jewelry items (obviously!).

I do have two events on the horizon... but actually only one of them would be for jewelry. Last year I did a craft fair at a local bar that was having an Earth Day celebration featuring female musicians, dancers, crafters and artists. It was a really cool event! There was no table fee for this event so every sale was profit, and I made several sales that night. I've heard from the organizer that the bar will be holding this event again on April 21st. Sweet! I think I may have mentioned before- people buy more when they've been drinking!

The other event is an outdoor art festival. Artists are able to purchase booth space to sell their work in. This one is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, though I have not yet found the registration form or pricing information.

Both of these events look promising. I just have to be ready with a LOT of inventory! It works out well though, in April I can focus on making jewelry, and in May I can focus on paintings. It's nice when The Universe lays out a path for you to follow!

Longing for the More Compliated Life...

Today's Silver Price: $33.40/t.oz.


As I sat in my office today under the fluorescent lights and in the dry stagnant air, I realized that I always feel crappy when I'm at work. Physically crappy. Staring at a computer screen all day makes my eyes burn and sitting in a chair that's too big for me makes my whole body unhappy. Don't get me wrong, it's a good job and I am happy to have it (happy to have the steady paycheck), the office is laid back and people are decent. I just feel that it is not not a healthy place. This thought was exemplified today by the wicked headache that descended upon me at approximately 3:15pm... and still lingers in my temples now.

I know that I am in no position to be quitting a full-time job to pursue jewelry making as a career. That is the goal though. Self-employment. Being my own boss. Getting up when my body wants to get up, not when the alarm tells me to get up.

They say that when you own your own business you work twice as hard, twice as many hours. They also say if you do what you love you'll never work a day in your life. Operating a small business is no easy feat. Certainly not the simple life... or is it? Instead of a company of a few thousand, I would be a company of one. One person creating and selling a product. No sales department, no HR department, just me. Simple. Terrifying? Yes, maybe, but still simple. No coworkers means no miscommunications. One person makes the decisions, not a committee or board. One person does the work and one person receives the profits. Simple.

The hard part comes in staying motivated, keeping track of EVERYTHING, performing a juggling act. One person to purchase materials, manufacture the product, market the product, sell the product, collect payment, manage the budget. There would be no one to give me deadlines. No one to assign me tasks. No one to review my performance. Just me, myself and I.

I had a few days off from work recently. One of those days I spent making jewelry. I absolutely LOVE spending an entire day making jewelry. I truly believe that someday this will be my job. Getting up in the morning, having a leisurely cup of coffee (rather than drinking it in the car on the way to the office), deciding not to take a shower, listening to some kickass music, and then when I feel like it, settling down at the kitchen table or coffee table to make some jewelry. (((Sigh.))) The good life.

Happy V-Day!

Today's Silver Price: $33.66/t.oz.

Good evening, and Happy Valentines Day! No post tonight... I'm too busy snuggling with my beloved.

Talk to y'all on Thursday!

On the Back Burner

Today's Silver Price: $34.09/t.oz.

This has been a very unproductive week in terms of jewelry making. I've been feeling crappy since Monday night, so I haven't made anything new. I started on a new nickel heart necklace but only go two hearts done. Only 30 or so more to go...

I've had several comments on my latest posts to Etsy. I also post them on my Facebook business page for more exposure. I've had two people contact me inquiring about purchases... but so far no concrete deals... hmmmm.

I started playing around with some different chain link ideas last weekend. I made a few swirl links out of the nickel wire and connected them with jump rings- I'm going to finish that project this weekend and see how it looks as a 32" necklace.

I've been doing some internet research to see if I can find some sort of wire Celtic knot design, but so far I haven't found anything good. I actually have a book on Celtic wire jewelry but it's been a bit disappointing. There was one design that I want to try but it will take a lot of wire. The links are doubled up wire that has been bent into spirals. Not really what comes to mind when I think of Celtic but it is an interesting design.

Another design I found on YouTube is an Egyptian wire link necklace. The intricate links form a really cool chain. Again, this is a design that will use a lot of wire. I suppose if I'm using more material I can put a higher price on the finished product!

Quickie

Today's Silver Price: $33.94/t.oz.



I'm not feeling well today so let's make this short and sweet. Here's some pics of new jewelry I made over the weekend. The first two are bracelets, the rest are necklaces. Most are silver-plated, the last one is a copper necklace. Also check out the necklace display I made out of cardboard and a black tee shirt!

Sterling Silver Alternative?

Today's Silver Price: $34.15/t.oz.

Recently I've come across a material called Nickel Silver, or German Silver. It is however, a misnomer, as nickel silver does not contain any silver. 

From Wikipedia:
Nickel silver, also known as German silver, Argentann, new silver, nickel brass, albata or alpacca, is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver unless plated. The name "German silver" refers to its development by 19th-century German metalworkers in imitation of the Chinese alloy known as paktong. All modern, commercially important nickel silvers contain significant amounts of zinc, and are sometimes considered a subset of brass.
 

I've purchased a spool of nickel silver wire and have used it in a wire heart necklace. The metal is silver-ish in color, however it does have a slight yellowish tinge to it. It is a bit dull, definitely not as shiny as sterling silver. It is however an extremely economical alternative. The spool I bought was $27 for 200 feet of 18 gauge wire. The same amount of wire in sterling silver would be over $600. Bargain? Yes I think so!

Below is a heart link necklace that I've made from the nickel wire.  

I'd like to do some more research on this material and see if I can find out how durable it is. I'm not sure if this will tarnish, and I don't think that it can be polished. Definitely have to look into that.

One of the disadvantages to this material is that some people are allergic to nickel and would get a rash from wearing jewelry that contains nickel. I would have to be very clear when selling these pieces that they are made from nickel. 

I'm hoping to post some nickel jewelry on my Etsy page this weekend so I can see what kind of response it will get. It's still very hard for me to let go of my sterling silver obsession, but at this price I think nickel silver and I will become good friends!

Silent Tagging Ladders = False Likes

Today's Silver Price: $32.98/t.oz.

I've stumbled upon a rather curious thing on Facebook. Apparently there are FB pages completely devoted to helping you increase your "LIKES," or fans on your small business page. Let me see if I can explain this...

The page is designed as a community page to help small business owners network and reach a wider audience and thus increase business. The page owner will post that it is time to start the Silent Tagging session (woo hoo!). You, using your personal page, post a tag to your business page. You must then LIKE all of the previous business tags before your post. The LIKING of other pages is a requirement in order to participate in this 'tagging ladder.' The idea is that everyone who posts a tag for their page will reciprocate by LIKING everyone else's page. Everyone gains LIKES. You are supposed to post using your personal profile so it looks legit... but it's really not. The session lasts a certain amount of time (e.g. 20 minutes), and then the page owner announces that the session has ended.

It took me a while to figure out what the hell this Silent Tagging and Tagging Ladders were all about. I quickly realized that I did not want any part of it as it is a bunch of bullshit. I tried to participate in a session last night. First of all, I couldn't figure out how to tag my page. I kept typing the business name but the tag did not appear. I checked all my page settings to see if maybe there was a selection keeping me from posting a tag, but had no luck. Having failed at tagging my business page, I was a good sport and LIKED several other pages who had tagged their businesses. And by several I mean 25 to 30.

I soon after realized that I would now be receiving posts and updates from these random 30 businesses that I had LIKED. Now I'm getting posts about handmade hair bows for babies. And sexy lingerie. And clothing for chicks who ride Harleys. And from someone who makes candles. And from someone who makes classy redneck drinking glasses (yes, really).

What was more bothersome was that I realized I did not want a ton of empty LIKES on my business page. What's the point of having 100 LIKES if none of those people are actually interested in the product or want to support me in my business endeavour? The whole point of the LIKE count is to see how many people are really interested in what your doing.

I'm still in the process of UNLIKING those 30 or so pages...

Sigh.


~~~{Blog Playlist}~~~
Florence + the Machine, "Never Let Me Go"
Bjork, "Army of Me"
Bjork, "Headphones"
Florence + the Machine, "Shake It Out"

Anticipation...

Today's Silver Price: $33.49/t.oz.

I have two supply orders coming... and I can't wait!

From Rio Grande I've ordered 1 lb of the 18g round nickel alloy wire along with two sizes of nickel jump rings- 4.5mm and 6mm. I also will be getting two kinds  copper beads- one 3.5mm smooth (200 beads) and 6mm corrugated (100 beads). Also arriving soon will be 20 feet of silver-plated brass chain.

Fire Mountain Gems will be sending me another package of goodness. 18x18mm lampworked glass heart beads (2 15" strands), purple glass pendants, turquoise glass pendants, 10 feet of 3.2mm silver-plated steel curb chain, 8mm 16g twisted silver-plated brass jump rings (100 pieces), silver-plated pewter toggle clasps, silver-plated pewter 28x24mm heart charms (2 charms), silver-plated pewter 14x14mm heart charms (20 pieces), 6mm round silver-plated brass beads (100 beads), and 6mm silver-plated brass corrugated round beads (100 beads).

Check out this video on making wire hearts- I'll be trying the second technique shown in the video once I get my nickel wire, which is making small wire hearts and linking them together to form a chain. Soooo excited to get that wire!

________________________________________

~~~{{Blog Playlist}}~~~

Rihanna, "We Found Love"

Christina Milian, "AM to PM"

Christina Milian, "Dip it Low"

Aaliyah, "Rock the Boat"

Bead Landing by Michaels

Today's Silver Price: $32.19/t.oz.

I was in Michaels last night picking up some scrapbooking paper for a project I'm working on, and I of course wandered into the jewelry isle. I noticed that a lot of the beads and components were on sale, except for a certain brand called Bead Landing. I had never before seen this brand, although I haven't investigated the jewelry isle at Michaels in quite some time. 

Apparently Bead Landing is owned by Michaels, as noted on the back of the packages. There was actually some cool stuff that I almost bought. Almost. I'll get to that in a minute. They had a large selection of chain, as well as lots of metal components, some jump rings, earwires and head pins. They also had a large section of pendants which were a little to shabby for me. I guess they are going for the shabby-chic thing, with lots of antiqued metals and large oversized pendants. Anyway, what I suspect was happening at Michaels was they had the other brands of beads and jewelry components on sale so they could get rid of it and bring in a larger stock of the new Bead Landing line. How crafty.

I was looking at some rather attractive chain I spotted and was leaning toward purchasing it. I turned the card it was attached to over to find out what type of metal the chain was. I was thoroughly disappointed to find that they did not list the metal type anywhere on the card. I proceeded to inspect other cards and packages only to find that none of them had the actual material listed.

One of the great things about Etsy is that you can list all of the materials you have used in the items you are selling. I always include the type of beads (usually glass), the stringing material and the type of metal components (usually copper or sterling silver) I have used. I want my customers to know exactly what they are getting and what kind of durability they are getting.

This mystery chain from Bead Landing would not allow me to inform my customers of what type of metal they were purchasing. While the chain was decently priced, I did not buy it because I had no idea what it was made out of! Maybe it wasn't even metal... maybe it was plastic made to look like metal! No me gusta!

So for now, I give Bead Landing by Michaels a big thumbs down. It will however be interesting to see how this new line evolves and hopefully expands... and hopefully figures out that they should list the materials on their labels!

Fire Mountain Gems and Resin

Today's Silver Price: $30.55

Fire Mountain Gems

I've been doing some browsing on Fire Mountain Gems today. I got one of their catalogues in the mail yesterday and dammit I was suckered in. What drew me in was the glass heart shaped beads on the cover for $2 per strand. Check em out! While Rio Grande is great for metals (wire and components), Fire Mountain Gems has some awesome deals on beads.

Probably the most badass thing about Fire Mountain Gems is that when you buy a large quantity of items, you get a discount. Now I'm not talking about bulk pricing per item. When you buy a large quantity of any assortment/combination of items you get a discount. I believe the first price break is at 15 items. And that's ANY 15 items. 15 bags of wooden beads... or 10 bags of glass beads plus 5 charms... or 2 bags of glass beads plus 7 strands of pearls plus 6 sets of earwires... you get the idea!

Anyway, those heart beads are an awesome deal and just in time for Valentine's Day items. I'll be placing my order next week!

*************************************************************

Resin

I was watching videos last night on creating pendants and components using resin. Resin is a clear liquid that is poured into a mold and then left to harden. The cool thing about it is you can put items into the liquid and the item will become encased once the resin hardens (think mosquito encased in amber... a la Jurassic Park... although I won't be using mosquitoes). The resin has to be mixed with epoxy in certain measurements in order for it to cure correctly. I'll have to do a little more research, but my understanding is that you can drop anything into the resin and it will become part of the pendant. Once the resin has hardened you can drill a hole in it to insert a bail or jump ring to hang it from, or it can be wrapped with wire. I could sell them alone or put them on chains to sell as necklaces or bracelets. Lots of possibilities here!

There are also different colors of resin that can be used both to color the pendant and also to create designs. I'm looking into getting a resin starter kit from Rio Grande which is $145. I'll have to purchase some molds separately but they are not expensive (around $8 for a tray with different shapes).



There are so many materials and techniques out there that I am dying to learn about! I've only just begun my relationship with wire, and now I'm looking at a totally new material! I think having a diverse set of skills will only help my business as I would be able to offer a wider variety of jewelry to my customers. Bring it on!

If I Had a Nickel...

Today's Silver Price: $30.21/t.oz.

I've been looking at some nickel alloy wire on Rio Grande's website. The wire is 65% copper, 17% zinc, 18% nickel. It has a silver-tone finish. It comes in a 200 ft spool for $27.00. They also sell nickel jump rings which should work well with the wire- I don't want to mix metals too much, I'm not ready for that! LOL.

One of the advantages to using this wire over silver-plated or silver-filled is that there is not a different metal at the core of the wire which would show on the wire ends. If I were using a silver-plated wire I would have to have  a way to hide the ends of the wire to not show the brass or copper core.

A disadvantage would be that this particular wire only comes in dead-soft. I prefer to work with half-hard wire as it is more rigid. I am a little concerned about the wire holding its shape in jewelry designs. However wire is supposed to be come harder as you work with it (and becomes most hard when hammered).

I think I will give this wire a try- you can't beat the price! I'm going to try some linked hearts necklaces and bracelets and see if I can come up with some other linked shapes. Maybe Celtic knots? I have to make some prototypes out of craft wire to see what the designs will look like.

So now I can say... if I had a nickel for every time I've heard that... I'd make necklaces!

Motivational Speech

Today's Silver Price: $30.27/t.oz.

Inspiration
(noun)

1.   a. Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.

      b. The condition of being so stimulated.

2. An agency, such as a person or work of art, that moves the intellect or emotions or prompts action or invention.

3. Something, such as a sudden creative act or idea, that is inspired.

4. The quality of inspiring or exalting: a painting full of inspiration.

5. Divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind.

6. The act of drawing in, especially the inhalation of air into the lungs.

 

Create
(verb)

1. to cause to come into existence

2. to invest with a new honour, office, or title; appoint

3. to be the cause of these circumstances created the revolution

4. (Performing Arts / Theatre) (tr) to act (a role) in the first production of a play

5.  to be engaged in creative work

6.  Brit slang to make a fuss or uproar

 

Dream

(noun)

1. A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep.

2. A daydream; a reverie.

3. A state of abstraction; a trance.

4. A wild fancy or hope.

5. A condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration: a dream of owning their own business.

6. One that is exceptionally gratifying, excellent, or beautiful: Our new car runs like a dream.

 

Aspire

(verb)

1. To have a great ambition or ultimate goal; desire strongly: aspired to stardom.

2. To strive toward an end: aspiring to great knowledge.

3. To soar.

Love Is In The Air

Today's Silver Price: $30.10/t.oz.

My next big push will be Valentine's Day jewelry on my Etsy page. Maybe some love themed paintings?? We'll see if I have the time.

I've found some wire heart designs that I am eager to try out. One is a necklace made from linked wire hearts. I think it could be a big seller. I am also hoping to find some reasonably priced heart charms that I could use in bracelets and earrings. Hearts, hearts, hearts! Ooooo, copper hearts might be very interesting. I could call them "Firey Hearts." Oh the ideas are forming! Along with some red beads they could be attractive and unique.

I haven't made a purchase yet from Rio Grande, I'm still trying to figure out what to get. I am definitely going to try some silver-plated components and chain. I really need to start making necklaces. I think necklaces are very popular and are great for gifts- and I can charge more for them as they use more materials. I'm thinking I'll make a lot of 24" and 30" necklaces, those lengths seem to be in fashion again. I have an idea for a silver-plated chain and clear glass bead necklace.

I also have those evil eye beads and I never used them. I should look into some base metal components that I can make bracelets with. I haven't used them because they were larger than I expected and did not look right with the bracelet components (spacer beads) that I currently have. They would probably look really good with some large bead caps.

That's the game plan, lots of hearts, lots of necklaces! Let's hope I can crank out a bunch of jewelry in time for Valentine's Day shopping!

Silver-Plated?

Today's Silver Price: $28.99/t.oz.

I'm really considering buying some silver-plated chain this weekend. I have several necklace ideas that I haven't tried because sterling silver chain is expensive. It seems that everyone these days is wearing silver-plated or gold-plated jewelry.

I have these gorgeous shell pendants that I bought at a bead show years ago and I have never used them. I've been wanting to make necklaces with them but have never bought the right materials.

I can get a 20 ft spool of silver-plated chain for a little over $20.00. Economical? VERY. I'm thinking that if I can make silver-plated jewelry I can drastically increase my inventory and hold someone's attention longer both on my web page and at a craft fair table. I've been limited in the past with how much jewelry I can make because I have limits on how much I can spend on materials.

Hmmmm looks like I will be paying Rio Grande a virtual visit this weekend...

Copper Oxidation

Today's Silver Price: $29.54/t.oz.

Ok, not copper plumbing, copper jewelry. I've been doing some research on polishing copper as I have had some trouble with my copper jewelry. I had ordered a large quantity of copper recently and made some interesting pieces. The copper strip and copper wire arrived in spools and was very shiny and smooth. I made some earrings and made a prototype for a cuff bracelet.

I participated in an outdoor vendor party in the beginning of December. After a few hours outside I noticed that the copper was no longer shiny. At the end of the day I was slightly horrified to see that the copper items had become dark and tarnished. They were no longer bright and shiny, the very qualities that made the jewelry attractive.

Apparently when untreated copper is exposed to outdoor elements it oxidizes and looses it's shine. It becomes dull and looks dirty, and in a way it is dirty. Oxidized copper can leave black or green marks on skin which is a problem in jewelry making. Copper will turn green if left outdoors, most famously illustrated by the Statue of Liberty which is made of copper.

In order to prevent copper from oxidizing it must be treated with a solution or polishing compound. These solutions are applied with a polishing wheel or Dremel tool as I would use. I have to do more research to find out exactly what polishing compounds should be used on copper. From what I have read these compounds will not keep copper jewelry bright and shiny for ever, it will keep it shiny and polished for quite some time. It should also prevent the copper from leaving any marks on the skin.

I was truly disappointed when I saw the copper cuff bracelet turn dark and dull. I thought that I may have wasted time and money on the large amount of copper material I had purchased. However it turns out I was just not familiar with copper and how to work with it and polish it!

I am amazed by how much I have learned about jewelry making, and I am also amazed at how much I still have to learn. Little by little I am becoming a jewelry expert! I am eager to learn as much as I can about working with different metals and different materials, and I am happy to be able to share all I have learned through this blog!