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!