Important Info! Holiday shipping cut off dates!

According to the USPS website, these are the suggested cut off dates for your packages to arrive in time for Christmas:
Domestic:

• First Class and Priority Mail, 12/21
• Express Mail, 12/23

International:
Canada, Europe, and most other countries, First Class Mail, 12/11
Africa, Central America, South America, 12/4

Order and ship early to make sure your goodies arrive in time!

Check it out on the USPS website.

Shout out for The Pursuit of Etsyness!

The lovely seller behind the etsy shop JewelsofSaraswati has started a blog focused on making us all better etsy people. It's called The Pursuit of Etsyness and is filled with tips, help and good-spirited community love. So far, she has written about tagging, photographs, social networking, taxes, treasuries, non-paying buyers, and how to make a zillion dollars in a year selling online. Okay, I made that last one up to see if you were paying attention. It's a fantastic thing that she's doing over there, so stop by, become a follower, and see what kind of knowledge you can pick up. Her shop pictures are so gorgeous that we ought to all follow any photo tips she's giving out, I'll tell you. Plus, she's also welcoming guest bloggers. Think back to the etsy stuff that puzzled you as a newbie, or the stuff that still confounds you. This blog is designed to help out with all of that confusion.

Now, back to the making a zillion dollars in a year idea. If we can just figure that out. . .

Jewelry making tip #8, recycle

Recycle, repurpose, reuse, reconstitute. . .

Revision, re-envision.

Sometimes, you make a piece of jewelry that you really don't like. Or you like it but it doesn't sell. Or you just get tired of unpacking it at shows. Or you made it several years ago, and your technique and eye have improved.

One of the great things about beaded jewelry is that you can cut it apart and reuse the beads and the closure. Usually, you have to pitch the wire, but the rest of the bits are entirely reusable. Nothing goes to waste, and you can make something fresh and happy from the sacrifice.

Sometimes, cutting jewelry apart is just as much fun as putting it together!

And I'm not sure why I wrote this in second person. . .

Jewelry making tip #7, cleaning vintage glass beads

I love vintage glass beads, especially yummy Austrian crystals from the fifties. Nothing shines like those little suckers, I'll tell you. But sometimes when you get older beads, they're a bit gunky with hairspray and fifty years of mystery ick. You know what cleans them up quickly? Vinegar! Yup, take those beads, put them in a glass measuring cup with some white vinegar ($1.00 at the Dollar Store!) and water, and let them soak for a few hours. Rinse them off, dry them with a soft towel, and watch them sparkle.

This will work with all loose vintage glass beads. I wouldn't stick any whole pieces of jewelry in vinegar, because it might do bad things to metal, or eat away the glue that secures any rhinestones. Also, a big no no for pearls of any kind. It will eat the pearly coating off of glass pearls, and delicate real pearls should only be cleaned with a professional pearl cleaning solution. The same with most gemstones, any metal and porcelain. Only loose glass beads.

What I learned from Tabatha's Salon Takeover

First of all, Tabatha Coffey is fierce. She is a hair stylist who loves what she does with a passion. On this Bravo series, she comes into failing salons and takes over (hence the title), pointing out where, why and how the business is not working, and making the difficult changes that will turn the salon into a successful venture.



This show is a must-see for anyone running any kind of small business. Take a gander at it just once. I am in no way a hair stylist, although I've certainly been guilty of playing kitchen beautician with my scissors in the bathroom mirror a million times. We won't even get into the entire hair coloring thing. . . But Tabatha has taken what she loves to do and has made a mini-empire from it. Now, she is explaining to people how they can do the same. She gives all kinds of great advice that you can apply to your own business ventures.



I just got home a bit ago from getting a haircut (no, really), and flipped the TV on while I was eating my yummy Quizno's Chicken Ceasar salad, and Tabatha said something that hit home. Every time you look at your business, you are looking at your wallet. I don't think this way. I make jewelry because I love to make jewelry. That's all well and good, but it's no longer just a hobby anymore. I have chosen to turn my artistic passion into a small business. I've spent the past few days working on improving my photos in my etsy shop and promoting a little extra, I list regularly, and I certainly love to write about random things here. I've met so many wonderful people through etsy and other places. I love to do shows and festivals. However, up to this point, though I've worked very hard, but I don't think I've looked at it as a serious business.



I'm not sure I can make that big philosophical jump this afternoon, but the time has certainly come. Have any of the rest of you made this mental leap, of truly looking at your passionate creative hobby as a business, as your wallet? If so, please let me know any tips or advice for transition.



Oh, and the premire of Tabatha's second season is tonight at Bravo. Check her out. She is English and stern and wonderful.

What I learned from Coldwater Creek

I don't know about you, but I get a ton of catalogs, especially the closer it gets to the holidays. I've resolved to do a lot of my shopping on etsy this year, to buy handmade and to support other etsy sellers with all of their wonderful stuff. I don't look at the majority of the catalogs I receive, but I always take time out to peruse the latest offering from Coldwater Creek. They put together one of the most beautiful catalogs I have ever seen, and it's a treat to sit down, relax, and look through the pages. I have some clothes from them, including my favorite red velvet ruffled shirt and my big faux fur winter coat. When you buy an article of clothing from them, you will have it and love it for years.

Beyond that, though, the Coldwater Creek catalog is exactly what all individual sellers of unique and high quality items should be looking at. Here's why:

1. Their photos are gorgeous, with great detail. You can see exactly what you're going to get. Small details are shown, and then the entire piece is shown. Often, on etsy, you get a bunch of close up pictures, but no idea of the piece in its entirety. For your customer, you need to provide both. They often include a warm but fairly neutral background, so that the merchandise is the focus of the picture. And everything looks rich, lovely and worth the money.

2. Their descriptions combine poetry with fact. They offer a short, two or three line story about the piece, to give the piece a little charm, and also to show where, how and when it could be worn or used. Then, they completely and accurately describe the item, materials, measurements and the feel of the piece. They also offer options of what it could be paired with. When ordering something you can't see and touch, the more factual information you give, the easier it is for the customer to visualize it. Plus, it never hurts to add a little bit of charm, but a customer usually doesn't need an eight paragraph story with no realistic info about the piece they're looking at.

3. Their merchandise is, for the most part, absolutely gorgeous and well made. Anytime I open one of their catalogs, I know that I could spend an obscene amount of money between those covers. Any piece I've gotten from them, I have loved and worn over and over. They have great variety, while staying within their style and brand. You don't have to worry about hems falling out or buttons coming loose. You know you will get what you pay for.

4. They offer outstanding customer service. I once ordered a jacket for my mom from them for her birthday. There was a mix up in shipping, and I received the wrong size. I called their 1-800 number, talked to a real person, got precise directions on how to return the jacket, and received a replacement two days later. My credit card was credited promptly when they received my return, and, since it was their error, they waived all shipping and handling fees. So many places seem to offer terrible customer service anymore, so that, if you should decide to return or exchange, it becomes more of a hassle than it's worth. I'm not one to return very often, but, one bad experience like that, and I'm pretty much done with that company.

5. There's something special about their catalogs and their merchandise. I think it's the combination of the four points listed above. There are times when you order something, and then, when you receive it, it's disappointing in person. With Coldwater Creek, the item is gorgeous in the catalog or online, but even better when you receive it.

If you have a sec, check out their website, and take a look at their online catalogs. If you've never shopped them, I think you'll be surprised at how gorgeous their stuff is, and how beautifully they present it. See if you can't snag some of their marketing ideas for your own etsy shop. And, if you order something from them, be prepared to fall in love with it.

http://www.coldwatercreek.com/

Tutorial! How to make your own steampunk pendant or charm

Okay, guys, welcome to my first tutorial: How to make your own steampunk pendant or charm. It's not all that difficult. You just need the right stuff and a lot of creativity and patience. If you can make a collage, you can make one of these cool little guys.

So, you'll need some watch guts, parts and innards, including cogs, sprockets, gears, and other delightfully little shiny bits. Please see my giant pile of said guts pictured above. I know, I know, it's excessive, but I have an addiction, and I'm working through it. I didn't get all of them available in the free market, so they can still be found.

One tip: Do not smash open a modern watch. Most of the innards are plastic, unfortunately. I learned this the hard way. But you can still use the casing if it's pretty, as well as the clock face, from a dead modern watch.

Other stuff you'll need:

The blanks or settings that you'll use as the base of your pendant or charm. Here are four examples. You can pick these up anywhere anymore. Some metals do not like some brands of glue, and the metal will turn white upon contact with the glue. You won't know until you try it, unfortunately.

Some kind of serious glue--I use Gorilla Glue in the super glue tube. Trust me, it will glue anything to anything forever. Beware, it will glue watch parts to your fingers, and your fingers to anything, including your lip. Ouch.
A styrofoam plate and paper towels. It's just the easiest way to do it.

Toothpicks, to smear and smudge the glue around, and to move itty bitty pieces into the right spot, thus decreasing the chance of gluing those pieces to your own skin. I get mine for free from the restaurants I frequent. Thank you, restauranteurs!

One last important supply: Junior Mints, or the nom nom of your choice. Crafting is difficult and intense work. If you're like me, and sit hunched over for three hours at a time, it's good to preplan some kind of sustenance to keep your energy up. Cheetos are not so wise, as they tend to leave a bright, toxic orange film all over things. Also, make sure not to glue the Junior Mint to your hand. Seriously. It happens.

Okay, poke through your watch guts and find some larger pieces that you want to use. It's easier to get the larger bits glued on first, and then go from there. Put a small amount (yes, I always get a little carried away) of your glue on the setting in the spot where you want the watch bit to go. Smudge it around with the end of a toothpick, to get a fairly even layer of glue.
This will help you get even adherence, and also help to keep glue from globbing out around the sides of the watch piece in an unsightly way.
Be careful where you place the gluey toothpick. It will stick to the carpet, your bead board or the cat. Honestly.

Put the watch bit on top of the glue and press down firmly. It will stick. This glue is no joke. A friend of mine fixed her roof shingles with this glue.

Glue the larger pieces on where they fit on your setting in a design that pleases you. I just kind of wing it.

After you get the larger parts glued on, add some medium-sized parts wherever you want them.
I sometimes layer the medium-sized ones in over the larger ones, and always mix gold and silver, shiny and matte. Just glue on whatever makes you happy however it makes you happy. There are no rules, and that's why this is wonderful.
Remember, Gorilla Glue is pretty unforgiving, so, if you let something set on it for more than a few seconds, you'll have a heck of a time scooting it.

Now, fill in empty spaces with the teeny tiny, itsy bitsy pieces. Use a toothpick to move these little bits into the desired spaces. It's also fun to drop miniscule pieces into the carpet so your vacuum will have something to do the next time you run it.
Add where you want to. It's easier to glue pieces with flat backs or bottoms. Leave blank space where you want blank space. When it reaches the point where you're happy with it, you're finished. The hardest part for me is knowing when I'm done and not just gluing five pounds of stuff to the setting. Usually, it just looks complete.
I leave the pieces to dry overnight, on top of the entertainment center, because that's the only place the cat will not jump. Then, string them with beads, hang them from chain, do what you do.
As for the Junior Mints, you can eat them throughout this activity, or save them until the end, as a reward for your creativity and hard work.
So, making your own steampunk pendant--it's that easy.

Jewelry making tip #6, derailed

So, if you'll all recall, jewelry making tip number six was "Use what you have." This is such a lovely practical tip, and I really intended to stick to it, at least for several weeks. However, let's just say that my friend Karen really wanted to go to Hobby Lobby today. Who was I to say no to this wonderful, sympathetic and delightful lady? Not a chance. I picked up. . . um. . . a few new supplies. Now, I have new things and I'm going to use them. Perhaps, this loosely follows the parameters"Use what you have"? I have new stuff to use, yay!
All tips are open to both change and personal interpretation on a case by case basis.

Jewelry making tips, #6

"Use what you have."

I was in an etsy forum the other evening, and everyone was discussing the best business advice they'd ever gotten. Someone said, "Use what you have."

Now, I'm a practical girl at heart, okay, except for the 100+ pairs of shoes. But I love love love to buy beads and supplies. New stuff gives me new ideas to make something different and wonderful. New supplies are the best thing ever.

However, I have so much stuff, bins and bins of stuff. I have beads and beads and more beads, and every single little plastic baggie full of beads made me happy when I first bought it. Then, some got shoved to the back or the bottom, and forgotten, and I fell out of love because of some brighter, shinier, new thing. Bad, bad MAB. So fickle.

So, I'm going to use what I have for awile. This necklace I made from a mixed bag of pearls, mismatched, left over from other projects or from lots of vintage beads that I picked up here and there, along with a sprinkling of glass beads and crystals, also left over from other projects. The tigereye heart is from a batch of stone beads that a friend brought me from her trip to England. All together, I think it's one of my favorite pieces that I've made lately.

"Use what you have." Wise advice, huh?

Vintage! With ephemera, the possibilities are endless. . .

Meet Yum Yum Kitty. He is actually an image from a cat food can label from the Fifties, and he may be the coolest kitty of all time.













My I Heart New York necklace, with an image of the Statue of Liberty from a Forties civics textbook.









And finally, Fly Me, with an image of a 1940's American Airlines stewardess.


All it takes is some kind of vintage paper image, or a contemporary one, some Crystal Lacquer, and a setting. I use a toothpick to smoothe out the Crystal Lacquer over the image, and, frankly, I steal those toothpicks from restaurants, so there's no extra cost incurred there. Sometimes it take two coats to get an even finish, and I always let them set up for at least twenty-four hours. It's an easy and cheap way to make fun, one-of-a-kind pendants and charms. The only downside is that it isn't waterproof, so I'm a little wary of bracelet charms. Other people use Diamond Glaze, but I find that super bubbly. Crystal Lacquer is easier to use.


I can't bear to destroy old books just to get an image, though, so I've bought all of these as loose pages. The unused cat food labels were the greatest ephemera find ever!


Next, some kind of earrings, I think.

Jewelry making tips #5

The cleansing powers of destashing. Yes, I love all of my supplies. All three billion little shiny pieces. But sometimes even I have to be willing to let some things go. I have stuff I will never use, stuff that came in big exciting boxes, mixed in with other stuff, all rattling and wonderful. A lot of this stuff will be a lot more useful to someone else.

I am an ardent fan of the mixed lot. You know what I mean. It's advertised on etsy or ebay as a mixed lot of something or other. Or it's a big bag of stuff at a flea market or a yard sale. There are few things as marvelous as poking through a lot of stuff and finding little treasures. Also, in these lots are things I admire but will never use. Or things I just have tooooooo much of already, like this lot of charms and circles and connectors. My closet positively jingles with little metal bits of loveliness. Time to let some go on to someone who can pay more attention to them.

Or this fabulous pile of metallic joy. All kinds of stuff, much of which I have no idea what to do with. However, there are a lot of artists or jewelry makers out there who can look at this and say, "Voila! Just what I need for my next project."

To cleanse my jewelry crafting karma, the best thing is to pass them on. I've given away a ton of stuff, or destashed it cheaply online to sell it. One thing I know for sure. . . Whatever I can't use someone else certainly can.

Plus, I've cleaned out space to acquire new groovy stuff!

Jewelry making tips #4

Sorting. Sorting is pure joy. Sifting through all of these lovely, shiny, smooth little bits, and organizing by color or material or whatever. My supplies had kind of gotten out of hand lately, so I spent a couple of hours tonight sorting. It so appeals to the OCD Virgo side of me, so calming and reassuring. Plus, it's so much easier if you can find that one little batch of bright blue flower bead caps when you really need them.

I have a bin of toggles and closures, a bin of charms and connectors, a bin of metal beads, a bin of stones and pearls, a bin of special beads, a bin of crystals, a bin of seed beads, bugles and delicas, and then a few more bins of glass beads separated by color. Oh, and a bin of only vintage stuff. Oh, and a big box of wire. Oh, and another bin of stones that mostly aren't drilled and need to be wire wrapped. Oh, and a few bins of extra stuff. I even did a little destashing so I could disperese some of this stuff that I bought but haven't used. I could have destashed more, but I see so much potential in this stuff. I bought it because it appealed to me at the time. It's very hard to just give up on it. Now it's all orderly and straight.

So satisfying. Mmmmm.

Kind of the opposite of flying monkeys, eh?

Jewelry making tips #3

When you're wandering through the craft store on that adrenaline craft store sort of high (come on, you know you get it too), don't just limit yourself to the bead and jewelry supply section. I was in Hobby Lobby Saturday and wandered through the miniature section, with all of the little doll house stuff. I found this tiny tea cup and saucer and thought, "Okay, I can do something with that, I think."

Next time, I'm getting the tiny retro TV!

Jewelry making tips #2

Bead Stoppers. See this funny looking little guy? He is the key to beading happiness. You just open the little springy doohickey, close it on your wire or string, and the beads. . . STOP! I use them every day, and couldn't function without them. Plus, it helps to cut down on the cursing while creating.

You can get them on etsy at Beadaholique.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5265360

Jewelry making tips #1

Here is the best, cheapest jewelry making tip of all time, courtesy of my auntie, the artiest lady on Earth:

Plastic lids. Yes, it's that easy. Save the plastic lids from butter bowls, Pringles (yay!), cream cheese, anything at all. Wash them up and use them to sort or hold beads while you're working. When you're done, just fold them and you can pour all of your unused beads or whatever right back into the container.

How fab is that?

Plus, it gives you an excuse to eat Pringles and cream cheese for lunch today. . .