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!
An Entrepreneurial Adventure
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
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!
Good evening, and Happy Valentines Day! No post tonight... I'm too busy snuggling with my beloved.
Talk to y'all on Thursday!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
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!
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!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
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!
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!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
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.
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)