And now, mid-March, already?!

Can you hear it? The sigh of "where, oh where on earth, does time go?" Guess what? I still haven't finished my Pinterest Power book I bought at the end of this summer!! But, I am right at the end. The juicy part I probably should have skipped to, instead of reading it cover to cover. I didn't want to miss anything.

What have I learned so far? That Pinterest is definitely one of the best ways to get eye balls to your store or site, indefinitely. Each time a new product is posted to my store, I do try to remember to post it on Pinterest also.

It's a tiny start, to getting your products out there. The Facebook groups I used to look at daily, and comment on, adding my store link and playing the "Follow Game", became tiresome. Did it really help in the long run? I don't know. Didn't feel like it. It all started to feel like a lot of work for little reward. So I stopped.

Now I have some items listed in my Etsy Wholesale page, but each time I see the 50% wholesale price, from the retail price, I feel mildly nauseous. I understand the concept. If it took me a year to sell one item at $50, but I sold 10 items at $25, all in one fall swoop, isn't that a better use of my time? I guess so. Time will tell.

So, I continue to have visions of new products to make, new artwork to produce, like a fever, I can't stop. I just wish the days didn't fly by, the way they do.

Soon, it'll be summer break, and I'll have even less daily "free time". I better make the most out of my school days now.

Oh, and I still haven't approached a few local stores I've had on my radar for the past year!! I kept telling myself I didn't have the right products to offer just yet. I know, I know! "JUST DO IT!!!!!!!!!!" Ever see that hysterical video with Shia Labeouf actor? Google it, it's cra-zeee! Here's the link, 'cause I'm gonna watch part of it again, just to get my giggle for the day.

https://www.google.com/search?q=shia+labeouf+just+do+it&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS515US515&oq=shea+la+bouef&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0l5.8645j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Next time I write a post, it will be with some items accomplished towards getting into the retail market. Gosh darn-nit.

Mid February Already!?

Ok, what happened? A month went by already since my last blog post. It's hard. I'll say it. There's a million things you should be doing, you want to be doing, and things you actually get to. This past month, I feel like I've learned a few little nuggets of shaping my business. I finished the "Etsy Empire" book, with some good things to try. But I think the most meaningful take away was this:

You need to express what makes your shop/goods so special. 

This makes sense if you think about the materials you're using. For me, I'm seeking out 14k gold filled, sterling silver, and now Argentium silver, which is a higher quality silver that is tarnish resistant. But everyone else under the sun, or so it seems, is designing jewelry using gold and silver. But, not Argentium! So, taking baby steps, since it is a more expensive metal, I bought some materials to make 2 necklaces. Then I started creating Collection names for the shop. Not just "Jewelry" or "Stone Clay Bowls", but named Collections that can be branded and featured when approaching boutiques.

We'll see where this all takes me.

Onwards! and Upwards!

Enjoy your day out there.

What I've Learned So Far, Reading, "Etsy Empire"

I'm almost through reading "Etsy Empire". Now, mind you, I haven't read the absolute beginning part still, but before I put the book down, I'll definitely look at the preliminary pages. So...have I learned anything mind blowing? Um...no. I've dog earred a few pages with info worth going back to. Let's look now at some of them.

Pg 23: "Sell stuff that people already want to buy"
So here, they're suggesting you take a look at what's coming up in the search fields of Etsy. That makes sense. For me, I see a lot of personalization in ring dishes as popular items. Jewelry, I haven't tuned in yet to a BIG seller, because it's so huge. Maybe birthstone options. And that's an area I'm looking into by creating January Birthstone Garnet pieces. 

Pg 73: "Tags and additional SEO"
Tags are super important. You get about 30 chances to use good ones on Etsy. Mentioned in this chapter is a tool that can help compare 2 similar tags for popularity, views per day and relevance. Pretty helpful right? The link is: http://www.tools4etsy.com/tagwars

Pg 106: This page is talking about Pinterest for Etsy Sellers. It breaks down the demographic for Pinterest users. They both share a common core user group. Over 68% are women between 25-45.

Pg 109: Here are various website links that help you out with pinterest tips.
>> http://amylynnandrews.com/pinterest-tips/
>> http://youtube.com/watch?v=Lia0HR_duJU
>> http://blog.etsy.com/en/2013/how-to-promote-your-etsy-shop-with-pinterest/

Pg 117: Just some Facebook banner sizes. Cover image is 851x315 pixels.

Pg 120: Various Facebook apps for Etsy sellers. Will check them out before posting links.

Pg 123: Twitter tips link. I don't do much with twitter, but I might check this out.
>> http://blog.etsy.com/en/2011/etsy-guide-to-twitter

That's it for now. Ta-ta, till next time, which should be next week. Hold me to it!!

-Vanessa

Etsy Empire, Almost Free Money, Vol 6

Hellloooo! Yes, I know, I've been delinquent with writing these blog posts every 2 weeks, let alone every month. Sorry about that. 

But, right now, at 8:05pm on a saturday night, (yes I roll like that, crazy right?) instead of thinking, "oh yes, I should write a post tomorrow", I'm doing it right now. So while my daughter is climbing on my back while talking to Siri on my phone, I am writing to you, my beloved reader. Boy, sometimes a little body weight on your back, feels soooo good.

For Christmas I got the "Etsy Empire" book, by Eric Michael. I skipped to page 20 or so, because I've had my store open for a year now, and figured I don't need to read the absolute basics right now. 

So one thing I looked up, was a link to a site where it calculates your Etsy fees, and gives you an estimated profit based on calculations you enter. Check this out: http://feesnap.com/etsy.html.

A lot of sellers underprice themselves, especially for handmade items. Which makes it hard to compete against. And then there are sellers who sell items that aren't made very well, and yet people are buying their stuff. So maybe they don't spend much time on their goods, and feel they can charge less. Not sure you can accurately price according to the competition because of this, but you can average it out. I hope my items for sale are in the ballpark. I think so.

Will write more on my findings with the book in the coming weeks. 

Happy NEw YEar!

Pinterest and hashtags?!

Ok, guess what...I'm still reading that Pinterest book, I blogged about over the summer. I know, it's terrible, right? There is just so much information overload out there. I sit here typing away, staring at 21 tabs on my laptop! These are tabs holding little nuggets of information, I just can't get through this second. So it's saved for another day, which seems to go on forever. Little by little I get to close a tab, which means I have visually digested the info on the page. 

So...Pinterest...are you using hashtags now? I heard today, that if you post on Pinterest, your post will be found in about 3 months, but if you now add hashtags to your description, you can be found instantly. Stop the bus, I wanna get off! Phew. So much is changing. I need about 10 hours a day, to fully get to my to do list on marketing my baby biz. Alas, I only have about 2-3 hours, possibly.

How are you handling Pinterest and Hashtags?

Admiring Smoky Quartz Stones

There was a time when if you asked me about brown stones, I would have stuck my tongue out in disgust. BUT...have you seen smoky quartz stones?! I recently got commissioned to create a necklace using a brown stone. The customer didn't really know what kind of stone. Just brown colored because she mostly wears that color palette. So I created a search and emailed my findings for her to choose the direction I should go in. 


I'm just now opening my eyes to the sexiness of what a brown stone can be. Growing in popularity, it's an affordable option for those looking to jazz up their jewelry collection. It's apparently one of November's birthstone. Plus it goes so very well with autumn colored wardrobes.

Smoky quartz is particularly effective for ailments of the abdomen, kidneys, pancreas, hips and legs. It relieves all sorts of other pain too, including headaches, and benefits the reproductive system, muscles and nerve tissues, as well as the heart. The stone dissolves cramps and strengthens the back. It also aids in the assimilation of minerals and regulates liquids within the body.

Quartz is beneficial to one who finds the need to move forward within himself. It can be extremely helpful to one who is contemplating his relationship with life, exploring his value system, and seeking inner meaning. When meaning is discovered, the magic of smoky quartz is said to be excellent in working to bring one’s dreams into manifestation. Smoky quartz connects us with our higher self. It encourages us to take up contact with this higher self and to pray. It tells us to trust our intuition. As such, it is an excellent choice for those who are unaccustomed to the contact with our inner self.

In the United States, Colorado produces some of the best smoky quartz. Quartz can easily be scratched or chipped so it is important to be careful not to wear it when you might be engaging in an activity that could harm the stone. The best way to clean your quartz is with a plain water and soap, using a soft brush and then a soft polishing cloth. Do not soak your quartz, and do not leave it in direct sunlight as its color may fade. Also be careful not to expose it to intense heat as this too might cause the color to fade.

So take a look at some smoky quartz stones, you'll be happily surprised. I should be listing some new designs in my shop within the next couple of weeks. vanpinnidesigns.com

Creating Jewelry Card Holders

After 8 months in "business" I've finally come around to putting some more thought into how my jewelry is shipped out to customers. Once again, seeing examples online and taking note in the boutique stores, I saw that I could make a few holders made out of heavy stock paper. And so, with a few watercolors, my frame stamper, and some gold acrylic paint, I started creating. The end result, is an artistic visual, using my favorite colors for a cohesive look. It also helps to offer up each design, as something that could be found in your local boutique store.

So how much does the packaging affect a customer's view of what they've just spent money on? Research shows that if you are able to invest in slightly better looking packaging than the cheapest option, your customers will believe they are getting their money's worth. I too, feel better about sending off that necklace that seems  slightly elevated with a piece of artwork and my logo on it.

Progress...slowly but surely. I'm still finding ways to get my business off the ground.

What have been the best steps you've taken to seeing more sales? Share in the comments below, am always glad to learn. :)