Photography

Do you spend more time setting up a photo than you did making the jewelry? I admit to being a bit of a perfectionist, so maybe that is my problem. I gaze fondly at magazine photos and then dissect them element by element, wondering what makes them work!

I have come across a few helpful bits of info on taking good photos, like proper lighting (Tabletop Studios) I have an under-light and surround bulbs to get crisp edges on my white background photos. This works great for our supplies site but jewelry needs a little more romance to it.

So I made a photo needs list with three basic points. I want backgrounds that are interesting, but don't compete with the jewelry. I also want to show off the way jewelry hangs on the body, but have no models. Third, I need a photo that really pops in the tiny gallery size picture in the search engines.So I experiment (a lot) trying different backgrounds and color schemes, different props and lighting. I am thinking about getting an old fashioned cloth mannequin to take pictures on. So if anyone has tips - comment here and help everyone out - Thank you.

FREE CHARM OFFER

I'm breaking away from the bride blogs to do a free charm special -these just came in- not even listed yet - and they are too cute to not share. So till the end of May 2009 every order over $15.00 that mentions this offer will get one of these wonderful cast charms of a vintage sewing machine. Order over $30 and you get 2 charms, just put 'free charm' in the message to seller.

I have a thing for old sewing machines - I have collected more than my share and just love to gaze at them. The ornate wrought iron the golden filigree paint...Oh for the days when tools were a work of art themselves... here is a necklace inspired by pastimes for your inspiration.

Bridesmaid Gifts

A couple of ideas even a bride has time to create - charm bracelet and charming necklace. All charms, beads and blanks can be found here. Because these items are made with blanks (an empty chain precut and with clasp already inserted - such a time saver) these pieces seem to make themselves.

True Love in Lavender has a bit everything Lovely - key and heart lock, rose, swan, cherub, rings, wedding cake.... all slipped on with sturdy 18 gauge jump rings (the lower the number the stronger the gauge) The flowers are hooked on with an eye pin.

Love is Buzzing is a perfect gift for all of those people helping out in the wedding events. Create these little necklaces in groups of 6 and market them as gifts for occasions like weddings, office exchanges, book clubs etc. They take minimal time and supplies so you can offer fabulous pricing.

Here Comes the Bride Month

June is right around the corner - bridal showcases are popping up all over Etsy and you need something to set yours apart from the crowd. So think outside of bride's maid necklaces - How about a truly memorable gift box favor!

Take some colors from the wedding and a charm that highlights either a hobby the bride and groom adore, their honeymoon vacation spot or even a cathedral - the sky is the limit here - for a focal charm. In the favor box you can include an inexpensive chain necklace and zipper pull hook so that your guests can turn this fabulous box charm fob into a memorable necklace or zipper pull to be treasured!

With favor boxes you are looking at creating over 100 pieces, so make life easy - a beaded fob and a charm - super simple and can be done very inexpensively. Tip : ask your supplier (Here) for special bulk discounts - you would be amazed at the discount you can get when you purchase items like charms 100 at a time.Assembly: lay out your beads and do a bit of sample layering to see what combination looks best. Grab a head pin (1.5 - 2 inch) and start building - mix up bead caps, pearls and crystals for a fun, sophisticated look. Trim the head pin and make a loop. Add a jump ring to your charm and slide both pieces onto a twisted jump ring. This sturdy ring will make a perfect bail for later.

More Wedding ideas to come through the end of the month
as we count down to June's weddings!

SALE -- FREE SHIPPING

I am running behind this week and getting this post out a day late -- sorry -- our site update is taking on a life of it's own as we add over 120 new products. I'll be loading them on our Etsy site this week and The Contessa will be filling them in our website as well. So please stop in and check out what we are up to -- samples pictures below -- new mini charms for earrings, filigrees and gorgeous focal, even new cast charms.So for the entire week right up till Midnight Saturday (May 16, 2009 PST) we are offering free shipping on all orders mentioning this promo in the message to seller box. Just place your order as normal and we will send a paypal refund for the shipping amount. Thank you for stopping in.

Doodles in Brass

I am a doodler - I have notebooks and sketchbooks full of odd little design bits, drawings and architectural details. Until a few months ago I had no idea these could be turned into wonderful custom art pieces by transferring the drawings to brass. (There is a fabulous artist on Etsy who cuts both brass and silver to help you turn your doodles into fabulous art you can add into your designs. You can find her shop here: strozzistawzeeh or you can give brass cutting a try - check out this article)

The pieces here were from my sketchbook - I had so much fun drawing them and now even more fun wearing them.So if you can't find the perfect pendant, you know that piece in your dream design - create it yourself - go on, give it a try!

Creating a Website

I have been working on our website for about a year now -- it is challenging to say the least. If you don't' already have a website, you might be thinking of setting one up before the holiday rush sets in right after summer. So a few tips I have learned along the path that might make your lives less frustrating.
1- Find a good carrier for your site - I use Pappa Shop

• they are reliable
• they are cheap
• their free templates are,well.. free (just load in your Etsy banner and you are good to go)
• the cart they use hooks to paypal without any hassle
  
• they have an order tracking system for your customers
• you can run your blog right from your site if you choose
• easy to use data feed for google search
  

2- Get help when you need it (I hate to ask for help, but this project has cured me of that!)

Web Designers can give you a fancier look - check on Etsy or here are two of my favorites:

Wild Oak Design - I have used them on other projects - very good!
Avalon Rose - She does fabulous work!

Web Product Imput - this is a very time consuming part of having a website - loading in new products. But I have found a gal who will do it for you and she is very reasonably priced. She can take your info and photos right from your Etsy shop and give you a fabulously full website. She is the Web Contessa.

3- Advertise free. Once your site is up, you will have an email address that links to your site - start using it. Add your new website to all your invoices from other sites to get the word out. And use the google data feed to get your products listed in the search engines for free.

I hope this helps someone - if you have any other tips, please feel free to post them in the comments for everyone to benefit from - craft on!

If you want to check out our website you can visit it here.

Treasury

Thank you to EccentricitySupplyCo at Etsy for including us in her treasury of fabulous Steampunk items!

The horse medalion at the bottom is ours and is now available in real silver plated and antique brass finish at our Etsy shop.

You can visit this selection of steampunk items here **Treasury**