Moon of Glass

October Art Party

2009-10-16T10:53:00.004-05:00

Need something to do tonight? This evening, Friday, October 16, I will be at the Artist in Nashville October Art Party! We'll be at the Center of Symmetry in Nasvhille, off of West End, at 212 Louise Street. Come for awesome art, good music, and free food and wine!

You Can't Do It All

2009-10-01T10:28:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed today, so I'm going to talk about the most efficient ways to sell artwork. Efficiency will be a bit of a trial and error game, and it will depend a lot on what works best for you. What works for me won't always work for someone else. But here's what I've found to result in the most money for time spent selling artwork.

Consigning to stores. Most boutiques and stores are willing to take work on consignment, because it doesn't cost them anything if the work doesn't sell. It just takes a few emails and phone calls to line up a place that will take your work. Once you've got the account, though, all you need to do is create and watch the money roll in! The major drawback to this is that you're not making as much money (usually only 60% of the item cost) and you're not guaranteed a sale. But if you have several stores consigning your work, and you make 5-10 sales a month for a $20 item in each of those stores, the money does start to add up. Just make sure that your items are priced so that even at 40% off, you make a profit.
Art Crawls. Also referred to as Art After Hours or Art Parties, these are shows that take very little time. The most common ones around here last from 5-9 on a Friday night and include free food and wine! Even more important in the South, they're indoors and air conditioned. If they're well promoted, you can walk away with quite a bit of money. Most of the time, the people that come to these are looking for real art. I sell more of my bigger pieces at these shows than I do anywhere else. You can also utilize a mailing list to promote where you'll be when.
Online Sales. This is probably the easiest place to jump in, because you don't need a ton of inventory or strict product lines. Online selling can suck up some time, though, because it's a lot of work to photograph and edit pictures for all of your items! Most of my online sales come from two or three popular items that I can remake over and over again. I recommend finding something like that for you. This cuts a lot of the time out of the process, too, because you don't need to take and edit new photos. Promoting online sales takes a lot more effort than any other venue, because you can't rely on an event promoter to bring traffic to you - you must generate your own traffic. This requires a good understanding of SEO (search engine optimization) or a way to direct your "personal" customers back to your website.

Excellent Wedding Invitation Giveaway!

2009-09-28T17:26:00.002-05:00

A fellow blogger and Etsy seller is giving away wedding invitations! For details on the giveaway, check out her blog:

http://www.majoiepress.com/blog/?p=1003

A Differnt Kind of Piece

2009-09-28T10:02:00.003-05:00

Ok, so there's this really great stuff out there for glass artists called fiber board. I like a particular brand of the stuff, Kaiser Lee board, because it lasts forever and carves up especially well. Anyway, the reason this stuff is so awesome is that it reacts to the heat of the kiln the same way the glass does. So you can completely encase it with glass. While the glass would crack if it were put over a ceramic or steel form, when you put glass over this fiber board stuff, it doesn't crack.

This means you can do some neat stuff. You can create your own molds, which is very nice, and, you can use those molds in ways you can't use regular molds. Here's a piece I made with this board, with a reactive glass:

With this piece, I've used a base blue glass. The blue glass reacted with the oxygen in the kiln, and any place where it was not covered with the clear glass overlay, it turned silver. It looks like steel - which is very cool. I've never gotten that kind of reaction out of a piece of glass before!

Now the clear glass is draped over the sides of the Kaiser Lee board, and in four corners, actually rested against the bottom of the kiln. I was actually amazed when I pulled this out the first time - I thought for sure it would crack. I actually threw it in the dishwasher to make sure, and it's dishwasher safe!

So I've Been a Slacker

2009-09-28T09:28:00.003-05:00

I was doing OK until earlier this summer with posting here, but as the Saturday Farmer's Market started eating into my weekend time, and other personal and family things started to eat into my time, I've sort of let it drop. I want to come back this fall with a fresh start, and let you in on some of the things that I've learned. Here's a preview of some topics I would like to go into in detail later:

1. You can't do it all. Especially if you work full time. So you have to pick and choose the promotional materials and methods that will work best for you.
2. I know you don't want to spam everyone, but you need a mailing list. How more "target market" can you get than a list of people who say they like your work so much that they want to buy your work or learn more?
3. Love your style, but grow your style. Be unique - and experiment.
4. Keep a journal.

Got to get back to work now, but more on these topics later this week!

Modern Artisan Gallery Show

2009-07-13T15:10:00.001-05:00

Show on the 18th and 19th: The Grass Window Gallery (in Madison) - I've got a table.

The Grass Window Galleries
1160 Gallatin Pike South
Suite 300
Madison, Tn 37115

Open to the public 9am- 7pm on Saturday, and 12:30pm to 5pm Sunday. Love to see you there!

I've Been Stalked!

2009-07-10T09:59:00.001-05:00

My ruffle bowl was featured on Etsy Stalker - thanks guys!

And The Winner Is...

2009-07-01T09:54:00.001-05:00

I said I'd announce the winner of the bead giveaway today, and I'm happy to congratulate rush8888! She was chosen randomly from a computer program.

Rush, if you could send me an email at moonofglass@gmail.com with your mailing address and the colors you're interested in, I'll get those out to you right away!

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Craft Show Results

2009-06-29T10:35:00.003-05:00

Well, this weekend was the Firefly Fine Arts Festival. It was HOT! On Friday, it reached 100 degrees; Saturday it was 97! I think a lot of people stayed home because of the heat. Sunday, it came down to about 89 and a lot more people came out. I made my booth fee up Friday and Saturday; Sunday I doubled what I made Friday and Saturday!

Since this is my first big, juried show, I expected more. I usually expect to make 3-4x my booth fee back, so I would have considered a show successful after about another $300. But, it was the first year of this show. I spoke with the other artists there, and apparently, most shows have a lot more traffic. The consensus seemed to be that between the heat, the economy, and the fact that this was the first year for this show accounts for the lack of traffic and sales.

I definitely want to keep doing shows, and I'm learning more with each one I do!

One other thing I'd like to note is that while I had all of my home decor and art out, the only thing I sold all weekend was jewelry. Maybe it was the venue - or maybe I should look into just selling jewelry at craft shows, and holding the art glass back for galleries.

Haitus

2009-06-22T10:16:00.003-05:00

Well, I was hoping I could continue with my regular blog posts this week, but between the ever-present day job and preparing for the Firefly Fine Arts Festival, I'm swamped! I'll try and pick back up next Monday, June 29th...with a review of the festival!

Just a reminder - if you're in the Nashville area, stop by the Firefly Fine Arts Festival this weekend! It's at the Renaissance Center in Dickson, June 26th, 27th, and 28th, from 10 am - 8 pm. I'd love to see you there!

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Bead Giveaway!

2009-06-19T16:11:00.003-05:00

In lieu of Glass Talk today, I am giving away a free pair of handmade lampwork beads. In order to win, just post a comment - of something you would like to see more of or new in my shop! This will run until the end of the month. I'll pick a winner on July 1st. Thanks!

Work of Art Wednesday - Mushrooms!

2009-06-17T15:56:00.002-05:00

My new favorite beads are mushrooms! They're easy to make and they're a lot of fun. I've done several for plant stakes and a couple pendants.

These start out a s a simple white barrel. On top of the barrel, I create a colored cap - just a simple disk bead. Then it's just a matter of using head and gravity to make the cap dip a bit over the mushroom stalk. A few white dots and it's ready to go!

Monday Business Tips - Craft Show Madness

2009-06-15T12:43:00.002-05:00

Craft shows have been on my mind a lot lately - I did a farmer's market Saturday with my Design Style Guide team, and I'm prepping for a big show - Firefly Fine Arts Festival - in Dickson in two weeks. Craft shows are another great way for us artists to earn some money, and I think before they Internet, they were probably one of only a few ways.

Even though the Internet has given us some great new options, craft shows are still an excellent way to get your work out there. Not only are you likely to sell the day of the show, but you'll also meet contacts that can help you a great deal in the future!

The farmer's market show we've been doing is small, but it's a little extra weekend cash. I made about 4x my booth fee, which wasn't much total, but it's nice for a small show that only lasts a few hours, as opposed to 10 or 12 hour long days! I've also got a better idea now of what might sell well there, so I'm tailoring my inventory a bit to match. I've got some cute little lampwork plant stakes that I think will sell nicely next time. And, it's something to do on Saturday's when there's no big show.

Firefly will (hopefully!) be a bigger show. The booth fee was 10x what I pay for the farmer's market, so hopefully, that means 10x the return! In my experience, you can expect to make about 3-4x your booth fee at a show. Juried shows tend to do better than nonjuried ones.

In any case, craft fairs are a great way to network and sell your product. Just like selling online, I doubt I could make a full year's salary just with shows, but there are people who do it!

Fairytales and Daydreams

2009-06-15T10:34:00.002-05:00

I'll get to my weekly business chat a little later, but there are some things I need to work out in my head here first. Let me warn you - I have an illness called PCOS that puts my hormones out of whack and really messes me up sometimes, and they just adjusted my medication for that, so some of this may be my fragile emotional state talking. But I think this is something that a lot of us that run our own businesses "on the side" and still have a "day job" think about sometimes.

If you like your day job, or even love your day job, that's fabulous - more power to you! I have difficulty with that. I've never had a single job for more than about a year and a half. I'm very close to my two year anniversary at my current position, and I can tell I'm pushing my limits. Customers are driving me crazy (they're so helpless!), I want to snap at my boss when she tells me to do something, day to day tasks seem so mundane that I want to do something crazy, like tell off department heads or just stop coming in a la Office Space. I'm OK in a new job for a little while - six months or so, depending on how much I actually like the job (my prior position had negative moral implications for me) and how complex it is, how much there is to learn. But then I get bored. And then I get careless. And then I get fed up, find something else, and move on. I'm not doing that again though. If I move again, I'm going part time. I can't keep switching jobs, it won't take me long to become unemployable that way...

So if I hate it so much, why do I keep working? Well, why does anyone work? I need the money, but more than that, WE need the money. So I work for my husband I guess. But I would much rather be running my own business MY way. If it weren't for him, I'd do it in a heartbeat - just quit and find a way to survive. I think I could do it - it might be rough for a little while, but I'd get by.

But back to where I was going with this - work is a place I go between making things. Between being happy. And when I'm not at work or actually involved in making something, I'm usually stressed out about going back to work. Because I could do so much more if I didn't have to worry about that pesky job. And the pesky job isn't all that easy - there's a lot of stress. Although I do get to play on the computer a bit. But I also have to deal with angry deans. And technical problems.

So where's my happy ending? I asked my husband yesterday, while I was all stressed out, if I'd ever be able to quit my day job. His stock answer is "I don't know honey" which of course translates to "not on my watch." He's much more interested in being financially stable than happy. I think somehow he manages to be happy with going to work, coming home, cooking dinner, watching tv, going to bed, and repeat. That idea of such constant monotony for the next 40 some years until I can retire is enough to put me in the madhouse.

I want my fairytale ending. I want happily ever after. I'll manage it somehow, right?

Friday Glass Talk

2009-06-12T17:04:00.003-05:00

I don't have anything great to review today, but I am working on something for next week!

Lampworking is currently my all consuming hobby (I'm still fusing too, don't worry, but this is new and cool!). I keep finding really awesome toys I need. I'm waiting on my GTT Cricket Torch (which is inevitably shipping "in two weeks" - I ordered it 6 weeks ago) and I'll review that when it gets here, but before I can use it, I'm going to need a oxygen concentrator, propane regulator, and hoses. And I think I've been told I have to do it in the basement if it involves propane. MAPP gas apparently isn't as scary!

That's what I'll talk about. My HotHead. Currently, I'm working on a HotHead torch, with MAPP gas canisters as fuel. I'm not able to do anything crazy (would LOVE to do sculpture and glass blowing) but it has given me a great introduction to soft glass. At only $35 to start with, it's great if you want to learn a new hobby with minor investments. My only complaint is that it's slow, but again, if you're a beginner, that can be a plus.

Now, once I learned what I was doing, I decided pretty quickly (within a couple of months) that I wanted a REAL torch. I haven't tried a real one yet, but I need the heat if I want to do things like encasing (from what I understand, I'm not the only one who has difficulty with this on the HotHead) and working with boro or more interesting glass.

I would recommend a HotHead if you don't know if you want to pursue lampworking, or if you just want to get a feel for the art.

Work of Art Wednesday!

2009-06-10T10:49:00.004-05:00

Now, on Wednesdays, I'm going to be showcasing on of my pieces and explaining how it's made. Hopefully I'll be able to post "in progress" pictures in the future, but I don't have any for this one, unfortunately!

In any case, I'm quite excited about these new pendant beads. These are beads with a large enough hole to fit on a necklace, and have enough detail and beauty to stand on their own on just a simple chain. I love wearing these around, as they sway a bit and are really eye-catching, but are simple enough I don't mind wearing them at the office or even going to the grocery store.

This one in particular is a simple barrel shaped bead made with a unique glass rod. The really cool thing about this glass rod, that I picked up from Delphi Glass, is that when it's heated, different colors and patterns show up. Now, I'll freely admit, I still consider myself a beginner bead maker, and making a really neat piece out of this rod was easy even for me!

Keys to Success - Defining Success

2009-06-08T10:46:00.006-05:00

Keys to Success - this is going to be the first topic in my "Monday Business Tips" series!

How do you define success? Success can be defined in many ways - sales (paying bills), fame (exhibiting at "X" gallery), even creation of a masterpiece. The first step in being successful is to define success. These definitions are akin to long term plans or goals.

Now, in the past, I've looked at success in terms of sales or money. While that's useful, I think that's only one part of true success. Because really, who doesn't want fame, fortune, and artistic happiness? I know I'd love to have all of the above. But that's not always possible, so we have to prioritize! Money has become a higher priority for me because I'd like to be able to "quit my day job" and become a full time artist. My goals have been to be able to do that by this time next year. Then I'd be "successful."

But I think we have a tendency to put things off and delay gratification. "I'll be successful when..." too often translates into "I'll be happy when..." and that's not always the best thing. I've been finding myself pushing toward the money goals and not taking the time to think about other measures of success. I want to create a couple of really awesome artistic pieces rather than just "stuff that sells" so I'm going to take the time to do that. And that way, I can measure my success as an artist instead of some sort of business guru or billionaire type (that's not going to happen!).

So, I challenge you, constant reader, to think about what you consider success. Blog about it and post your links in the comments - I'd love to read about how others measure their success!

Oooh, Oooh!

2009-05-18T15:41:00.002-05:00

Had to post a picture of the custom bead set I finished up this weekend. This set will be going out tonite, but I'll be happy to make something similar for you!

Creating a Business Plan

2009-05-15T07:36:00.005-05:00

I found an about.com article that offers great advice for creating a quick and dirty business plan. I'm going to go through the steps here to help myself and maybe others who'd like to see my thought process.

Step 1: What is my competitive advantage? What will I use to bring customers to me instead of other stores out there?

I hope to set myself apart with excellent customer service. I offer full refunds if the customer is not satisfied as long as the item is returned in sellable condition. If the unthinkable happens, and the item breaks during transport (I've only had this happen once with over 100 sales, and I sell glass!) I refund the cost of the item and shipping. I package my items well so breaksages don't occur. I also ship quickly and thank my customers after recieving their purchase. By doing this, I hope to retain customers.
I also hope to offer something completely unique that can't be bought anywhere else. I am an artist. All of my items are completely different from similar items sold by anyone else. I use techniques I've invented as another way to set my work apart. By doing this, I hope to get new customers.

Step 2: State my purpose. At the most basic level, I sell my work so that I can make more art. I am, at heart, an artist, and would love to do art for art's sake, but that doesn't pay the bills. My goal as a company is to be successful enough with selling my work to pay the bills to be able to afford to make art full time. To meet that end, my goal is to provide unique creations and beautiful artwork with great customer service at a variety of price points to sell to the world.

Step 3: Look to the future.

Direction I'm headed: I would like to be able to create and sell artwork full time.
Customer focus: I hope to foster an environment where I have repeat buyers or "collectors" of my work that I can count on to keep coming back. I also hope to have a broader customer base including retailers and galleries that show/purchase my work on a regular basis.
Market position: I like the "Indie business" mentality and would like to keep my work in that realm. I would like to be a single entrepreneur who maybe hires an accountant and has someone help me with packaging, but I would like to stay small. Art is more important to me than business, and so art should remain the focus of the business. That is easier to achieve as a smaller business.
Activities to be pursued: Online retail, in person retail (craft shows), wholesale, gallery work, commissions, teaching
Capabilities to be developed: I hope to have a full glass studio. I would like a stand-alone building, either in the yard or in a studio building, with multiple kilns, multiple torches, and possibly even a glory hole for blowing larger glass pieces that can't be done with a torch.
Where do I want to be in five years: Well on my way to developing the full glass studio, with a variety of work in different activities, working for myself.

Step 4: Take an inventory.

Strengths: Creativity, drive, will. Well created, long-lasting products. I offer something unique to a variety of markets - finished artwork as well as supplies (lampworking beads). Teaching is not part of my current work but I would like for it to be. I do have the advantage of being one of few lampworkers in my area.
Weaknesses: I also will admit that I'm not a business minded person. I tend to be impulsive and think solely of my art, so when I buy supplies, it's more of a "wow that's so cool" decision than one of whether or not I can sell the piece and recoup my costs. Also, at the moment, my work is being primarily purchased online. Glass is fragile, so it can be difficult to convince people to buy larger pieces that way. Glass is also very difficult to photograph.
Opportunities: There are many new online selling markets emerging. Etsy used to be "it" but I think 1000 Markets is likely to give them a run for their money. They have a different idea of what handmade looks like, but they offer many things that professionals don't get with Etsy, including a juried site. There are many local art shows I haven't checked out (like TACA!) that may give me the opportunity to get my work out there. I also haven't looked into galleries at all. If I want to succeed, I need to at least see if these are all viable opportunities.
Threats: The economy is depressed right now, and with more people losing their jobs, there are more people turning to selling their crafts for money. That means my sales probably will not pick up to where I can expect them to be until the economy picks up. Wholesale is probably also down at the moment. Fused glass is popular right now. There may come a time when it is not, and that's my bread and butter. Which is why diversifying is key.

Step 5: Profile your customers. This is always hard for me!

What are my customer's needs, motivations, and characteristics? My customers are men and women who are interested in handmade goods and the arts. My work will fulfill a home decor need or wardrobe accessory need. My cuff links, in particular, have been popular at weddings. My customers are motivated by the need to own something entirely unique and made for them.
What should I do to grow my customer base? I need to be in places that this customer base will be. Art fairs are a must. Galleries would also be very much worthwhile for me.

Step 6: Write your goals and objectives.

Achieve the ability to work for myself full time. In other words, make what I'm making now by selling art.
Develop connections in the lcoal art scene. Become known for what I do. Be featured in galleries.
Create a teaching and working studio.
Write a book.
Pioneer new techniques.

Step 7: Assess your resources. Is it feasible to do these things I've listed? I think so, but it will require a lot of work and priorities. My first priority is to work for myself, making as much as I'm making now by selling my artwork. My first stumbling block to that is time. I work full time and don't have the time to investigate all possible options, nor do I have the time to constantly create work. At best, I can do one kiln filring a day; this would be doubled if I (a) had more kiln space or (b) had more time. So I will try to maximize my kiln space and my time.

One selling resource I have is online. I can work online at my leisure, in my off hours, and have ver few problems keeping up with volume. Custom orders take more time but are often more profitable. I doubt that I will ever have a sales volume equal to my current day job income, but it's a good, low risk starting point.

Steps 8-10 are ones that will take place from week to week. I like keeping track of my goals here on a weekly basis and will continue to do so.

I Love Custom Orders

2009-05-14T11:16:00.004-05:00

I've got a few in the works rignt now - a bead set, possibly some pony tail holders, cuff links, and I just finsihed up this great pendant for AuzRox. I love being able to setp out of my comfort zone a bit and create something totally unique to match someone's artistic vision.

Paying It Forward

2009-05-13T10:09:00.002-05:00

I just stumbled on this fabulous idea on Lawatha's Glass and More blog. I love this - I've done a couple of "PIF" listings, but I really like the idea of making something "from the heart" for people all over the world.

Creative people are adventurous! So, if you’re creative and would like to participate, please send me a comment and the first five people will receive something (handmade by me!) from me in the mail. In return, all you have to do is “pay it forward”- please see the rules, restrictions and limitations below.

Here are the rules, and happy posting!

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. But I hope you will. This will be something made from the heart.

2. What I create will be just for you with love and good wishes. It will be made of actual materials, not of cyberspace.

3. It will be done this year (2009).

4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be!

5. In return, all you need to do is cut and paste this text on your Blog (from “Creative People are…” and create five things for the first 5 people to respond to your post.
6. Send your mailing address after I contact you.

IMPORTANT: This offer is null and void if you do not post on your own blog to pay this forward. Would love it if you could join in!!!

To help me in choosing what to make and send you, I will be reading through your blog to get an idea of your likes and dislikes so that I hope you get something that you will love!

So what are you waiting for? Get that comment in before someone beats you to it! It’s not everyday you get a free handmade gift in the mail. : )

Great for Weddings!

2009-05-13T09:12:00.004-05:00

I've been pretty busy lately. I never thought that there was a "wedding season" but I'm beginning to think that's the case! The majority of my sales lately have come from my monogrammed cuff links. These are pretty cool, so I figured I'd show them off here!

Each cuff link starts out as two layers of black glass, fused together at temperatures around 1475 degrees Fahrenheit. After the first fusing is properly annealed and cooled, 22k gold is applied to form scripted letters upon the surface of the glass. These are then fired a second time to properly adhere the gold at around 1150 degrees Fahrenheit. Again, the glass is annealed to create beautiful, long lasting cuff links. After cooling, cuff link backs are attached with epoxy to ensure they'll never fall off.

I've made several sets of these so far. I'm happy to do larger orders for weddings, and can even rush them to make sure they get to you in time (please give me a week!). I've made a pair for my husband, who loves french cuffs, and he wears them all the time! They make great gifts for weddings, graduations, or birthdays.

Beads!

2009-05-06T18:42:00.002-05:00

I just posted my first set of beads on Etsy. I'm so excited!

The Truth Is

2009-05-04T14:48:00.002-05:00

This blog needs focus. I'm all over the place. I'm terribly undisciplined (probably because I'm supposed to be working at my day job when I'm usually writing here) and so things slip through the cracks.

If I didn't have to worry about the day job...oh, if I didn't have to worry about the day job. But that's a rant for another day.

So what I need is focus. Commitment. Guidelines. Creative ones that I'm interested in following and keeping up with.

I still want to blog about owning a small business, and about techniques when I can, but I think I'd like to focus on issuing myself a challenge. I want this to be a place where I want to share! So, here's my goal. Which will probably start after I get back from my sister's wedding at the end of the month:

Monday - small business tips, marketing info, site reviews. I may also mention some of my goals for the week.
Wednesday - art day. I need to have a reason to make something I'm proud of each week! I'll explain how pieces are made.
Friday - glass talk. This may include tutorials, product reviews, book reviews.

Anyways, I hope that will provide me some structure, and help me post more regularly. Thank you, constant readers (to steal a phrase from a favorite author) for sticking with me through these growing pains, while I figure out what blogging is really about.

In the mean time, before the wedding, I'll probably pop in a few times. When I'm not planning a bachelorette party...

Oh, and I just have to add - I've discovered Facebook. I'd avoided playing with it before, because I just never really cared for it, but now that all my friends have pushed me to join, I just had to create a page. It's pretty rudimentary, but I'm working on adding more!

I Need A Series

2009-04-20T10:53:00.003-05:00

I want to do something that I could become "known" for. I play around with a lot of different styles and techniques now. My drop vases and bowls are something people seem to like, and that's great. They have a unique style I think. But what I really want to do is a series of things.

I've seen all sorts of interesting themes, ranging from worms to bowling pin shapes to hearts. Sometimes the artist has set out to do a set number of these particular shapes, and I really think this is an excellent idea. Something to keep motivated, something collectible, something that is unique to an artist.

There are two approaches to this that I've seen. I can recreate an item (like a heart or a butterfly) in different ways. Or, I could start with a base item, then each new creation would build upon it. I really prefer the second approach, but my medium makes that more challenging. I'm sort of stuck creating two dimensional embellishments on three dimensional pieces. Maybe that'd be good for me - I'd have to learn a lot of new techniques. And I could put my torch to good use...

I'm going to have to think on this. In the mean time, I'm going to keep making drops!

I Made A Bead!

2009-04-17T09:39:00.002-05:00

I'm super excited, I recently bought a torch. The past couple of nights have been a matter of trying it out, seeing what's what. I was making some pretty obvious mistakes with bead release, but last night (third time at the torch) I made three actually decent beads, that didn't crack or fall off the mandrel! They're probably pretty sad and puny, but after struggling, I was so proud...

I'll post my beginner beads as soon as I get some pictures. I hope to get better, because I think this will be a fun and useful new tool to add to my repertoire!

Daily Routine

2009-04-09T08:26:00.002-05:00

Someone on the Etsy forums was asking about promotion and daily or weekly Etsy routines. This got me thinking, and I figured I would share mine:

I try to make something every day. Which usually means, because of the way that my craft is set up, I make a ton of stuff on the weekends, and then transfer it into the kiln throughout the week.

Also, on the weekends, I take pictures. Enough for the whole week.

I try to list three new items every day. This usually happens in the evenings.

Throughout the day, I renew my best items. I spend about $5 a day doing this Monday-Friday. I don't renew on the weekends. It's useless - too many other people are listing stuff, and it's not possible to stay on top of listings.

I also have ads on Project Wonderful. (http://www.projectwonderful.com). I've gotten a few sales from that tool.

I try to blog twice a week, just about random things. Slowly, people have started to follow my blog.

There are a few other places I have accounts - Twitter, Flickr, Facebook. I'll admit I'm completely lost on Facebook, but I Twitter every day (again, mostly about random stuff, with 3-4 tweets about my shop every day). Flickr is also great. It's a wonderful way to get feedback from other artists. I usually post on Flickr at the same time I post my items on Etsy.

I want to do more advertising, but I'm still working out my business plan. I'm trying to figure out where I want to go so that I can get a better handle on where my target market is. Once I've figured all that out (my goal is by May!) I'll look into expanding my efforts to reach that market.

As far as daily routines go, I don't do much at work except renew and post on the forums. After I get home, I spend some time putting new pieces into the kiln. Before bed, I prepare any packages that need to go out the next day so that I can drop them off at UPS or leave them for my mail lady to pick up.

It's busy, especially when you have a full time job! This is my business as it relates to Etsy. Later this year, I hope to start branching out more. Doing shows (one is scheduled in June), working with galleries and shops. I'm really excited about the start I have so far, and I hope to continue growing my business!

SALES!

2009-04-07T12:14:00.002-05:00

I have decided to "extend" a bit of my Saturday Night Special from last week. Select items are marked down in my shop. It's an excellent deal - some items are priced to wholesale! This is my "economic stimulus package" and ends on April 15th, tax day.

OK, so maybe I'm having a sale because I owe more taxes than I can pay right now...

Anyways, I will post the results of my sale here on the 15th. So far, I've advertised by adding "SALE" to my Etsy avatar, renewing the SALE items with SALE in the title. Every day, I tweet about my sale on Twitter. I haven't advertised this sale anywhere else yet, but I may hit up Etsy's promotion forum.

So far I've had one sale - and believe it or not, the customer bought an item I had not placed on sale.

So come and take a look at my great deals and wonderful prices, and I'll let you know how I do with this sale!

Super Awesome Saturday Night Special

2009-04-04T13:50:00.000-05:00

♥♥♥Super awesome Saturday Night Special! ♥♥♥

I am offering 50% off all jewelry in my shop TONIGHT ONLY! Add "SNS" in the notes to seller at checkout to take advantage of this offer. Offer not valid on home decor, cabs, or gift certificate/pendant club items. This is available tonight from 5 pm to midnite EST (eastern standard time). You can either wait for an adjusted invoice, or if you pay in advance, I'll refund you via PayPal.

Optimistic?

2009-04-03T09:17:00.003-05:00

Every morning, Ozarknana posts a positive quote in the forums. Today's quote is by Winston Churchill:

The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is that a pessimist sees problems in opportunities whereas an optimist sees opportunities in problems.

As I read this, I realize I've been very pessimistic about my shop lately. I need to start seeing opportunities rather than problems. So even though sales have been slow, I've had the opportunity to explore new techniques (I've got a new vase I want to post about this weekend!). I have the opportunity to look at more sales venues. I've had some great opportunities in March - I joined Trunkt and the Design Style Guide group. I have had a few wholesale inquiries, and while those have not resulted in any agreements yet, things may happen later or they may result in other relationships. And I've had the chance to think about where I want my business to go in the future. So thanks for sticking with me!

A Note on Renewing

2009-04-02T20:57:00.003-05:00

I've done a little experiment over the past few days.

Yesterday and today, I spent $20 a day renewing items on Etsy. I've gotten my views up by about 100 a day. I received a couple of inquiries. I had one sale yesterday. But that's it. $40 is not worth the sale of a single $18 item. I generally get a sale every 200 views I get, so going from about 100 views a day to about 200 views a day really doesn't help. Not $20 worth of help.

All of this is leading me to believe that while Etsy is a nice venue, it cannot be my primary way to get sales. I can't afford a ton of renewing fees. I have to go elsewhere.

The problem is, I have no idea where that elsewhere is. I work full time. I don't have time to go knocking on doors. I'm also rather insecure, so I have problems with going out and meeting people - something I'll have to get over I guess. I'm not sure if I need to focus on galleries or stores. I'm also not sure why my jewelry has stopped selling on Etsy - I would think Etsy would be a good place to sell those things.

Clearly, I also need to focus on off-Etsy advertising. Online somewhere? I have tried Project Wonderful and Craftcult. Neither have brought in the level of sales that I need. What else is out there? This all goes back to "who is my target market"?

I've thought my jewelry appealed to all women. Maybe I'm wrong. I've had women (and men) of all ages buy my jewelry. I've also had a couple of people buy my pendants as gifts for teenagers. My personalized cuff links have sold well as wedding party gifts.

My home decor pieces are generally bought by individuals, men and women. I like the idea of gearing them towards upscale interior designers. Galleries, too.

So how do I target these people?

Goals for April

2009-04-01T13:17:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I'm going to get back to this, and maybe try to do it monthly rather than weekly, because I just can't keep up! Here are my goals for April:

I currently have 67 sales. On April 30th, I'll have been here for 6 months. I'd really like to have 100 sales by the time I've been here six months. So this goal is for 100 sales by the end of the month!
Finish my &*%#$ wholesale catalog. That thing is killing me. I need to take print quality pictures so I have a nice portfolio to send out!
Prepare to go to one gallery. This one scares me quite a bit. I need some really awesome pieces to take! But if I want to be in a gallery, I'm going to have to do that. So I'm going to work on creating some gallery quality pieces.

That's it for the big stuff. I'll talk more later!

Playing with Techniques

2009-03-27T08:41:00.004-05:00

Art glass is 60% creativity and 40% chemistry and physics. We've only really recently had the ability to control temperature enough to cause glass to change properly without becoming weaker. Glass must be fired at a controlled rate, to make sure that it does not heat or cool to quickly, and that it soaks a the point where it changes from a mobile liquid to a more solid form in order to insure that the glass will be strong. I've made some really thin pieces before, but I always test my pieces by throwing them in the dishwasher. If they can make it through a cycle, then they're strong enough to sell.

Usually, you can find a firing schedule for what you want to make on the internet, but you have to use that as a starting point. A good schedule will change depending on the kiln, the size of the glass, the depth of the glass, molds you may be using, the actual type of the glass - so some things will turn out wrong.

My drop ring bowls and vases are a classic example. If you "hold" too long at the highest temperature, they'll just collapse. Too much glass will fall to the bottom, and the walls will be too thin. But the size of the hole (vase versus bowl) also determines how fast the glass drops.

In any case, I've been having a hard time finding a good firing schedule, so I wanted to post the results of my experiments. If you're working on creating drop rings with fused glass, I'd use this as a starting point. This is in Fahrenheit.

Ramp 250 ->1270, hold 0-30 minutes. The amount of time you hold will depend on the size of the hole in your drop ring mold. A larger hole (6 inches - like my bowls) requires a very short hold time, usually 0-5 minutes. A small hole (3 inches - like my vases) may require a 30 minute hold.
Full down ->960, hold 1 hour
Ramp 100->300. No hold The slow ramp down to a low temperature prevents the glass from shattering when cooled to quickly.

Anyways, I hope that will help someone learning about drop rings. Good luck!

Publicity Makeover Giveaway!

2009-03-25T09:02:00.003-05:00

I just had to share - Chrissy Harron, from IndieBizChicks, is giving away a Power Publicity Makeover! I would love to take advantage of one of these makeovers myself. For more information, check out her makover page!

Treasury

2009-03-24T17:32:00.002-05:00

I managed to snag a Treasury at work today! Check it out if you get a chance.

It's Sunday

2009-03-22T15:48:00.002-05:00

And I feel like crap. I've been sick all weekend - I've got a fever and my head's all stuffed up, and I've got a couple of other sort of embarrassing symptoms I'd rather not publish on the Internet! So I haven't done any of the things I wanted to accomplish this weekend. I think I have a urinary tract infection but I didn't realize it could make me so physically ill. :P

It's been a slow week sale-wise too. I haven't had a single sale in over a week. I don't understand. I had a sale every day up until the 14th...and now nothing.

So here's my plan, I guess . Hopefully it will make sales better, and keep me busy during this slow time:

I've joined Trunkt and purchased a professonal portfolio. I need to finish filling it out!
I've had several requests for a wholesale catalog. Guess what? I don't have a wholesale catalog! I need to get that done. As soon as possible!
Also, I'm going to work on getting my name out there, by starting marketing.
Start making more artwork. I haven't done anything all weekend.

So, as soon as I feel better, I'm going to get to work.

Great 1000 Markets Interview

2009-03-17T08:25:00.002-05:00

Byhand.me did a fabulous interview with Matt, CEO of 1000 Markets.

If you haven't already checked out 1000 Markets, I suggest you do so! I have a shop there, http://moonofglass.1000markets.com, and I absolutely love it. Listing is very easy, it's a one-step process, and everyone is juried in, so the entire store has a very nice, clean look. 1000 Markets seems to focus much more on the individual artisan than the website as a whole.

Reading the interview, it looks like the 1000 Markets team has some great plans for the future, too, and I know I want to be there on the ground floor!

I've Been a Total Slacker!

2009-03-16T15:20:00.002-05:00

I've totally ignored this blog for, like, two weeks now! I'm so sorry Mr. Blog!

However, it's been a busy week. As of Saturday, I had made 14 sales in 14 days. That's a sale a day! My goal has been to make a sale a day all month. Hopefully, I'll have a total of 31 sales in March. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Yeah, on Etsy, this month has been great. I've been featured on the Front Page twice, which really generates a lot of traffic! And I've gotten sales from several other venues too. I really hope it continues.

My personal life has been a bit nuts as of late, which is probably why this blog has become so neglected, and I'm sorry for that. I've had an injured cat, a sick dog, and a car accident to deal with in the past two weeks. And my mother drunk-calling me at 2 in the morning. But that's a story for another day.

So here's to getting back on track with the blog, and continued success in my Etsy store. Thanks everyone!

Best Marketing Methods

2009-02-25T08:39:00.002-06:00

I posted a bit of an informal survey on the Etsy forums a few days ago, and I wanted to share the responses - I think this is very useful advertising and marketing information!

Most of the time, when people ask, they ask what the best way to advertise is. The truth is, everyone has different methods, everyone has different products, and what works for them may not work for you.

So rather than ask "How can I advertise" I turned it around. What method has worked best for you? Here's a link to the forum thread:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6057229

But some of the most common results here are very interesting:

Many people say that Word of Mouth has been there most effective marketing tool. This is not something you can buy, beg, or plead for. It's not something that comes overnight. It is, primarily, something that comes from selling a great product and having excellent customer service.
Others mention that having work out in the real world has driven business to their Etsy store. Craft shows, consignment and wholesale relationships, all put your product in a place where people can touch it, feel it, even smell it. They may not be able to buy right away, and may come to your website later. Or, they may buy something spectacular at the show and want more later on, so they may come back to your website rather than waiting on that fair to come around again. Also, this includes wearing your product, if possible - when people compliment you on it, you get a chance to plug your store for free!
This isn't the first time I've seen people mention blogging as an effective marketing method. That isn't really my plan for this blog - I like to share my experiences in owning a small online craft business with the world - but done properly, I think blogging can bring in business.
A great method that's specific to online sales is posting in forums - either on Etsy, or on sites related to your product. Be careful not to spam these sites, but many web forums have the option for a signature. An unobtrusive link to your online store in your signature may generate a lot of traffic.
Paid advertising is an option. Many people mention Project Wonderful, Google Adwords, Facebook, magazine advertising, and local papers as great ways to do this.

I hope all this information helps someone! I know that this has been a very useful endeavor for me.

July 9, 2010

2009-02-24T15:11:00.001-06:00

That's the goal date. At least for now. It may get pushed back, depending on the economy and monetary outlook. But that's going to be the day I start my art full time.

Why July 9? I want to get paid for my last July 4th holiday!

Playing With Templates

2009-02-24T09:47:00.002-06:00

I apologize if things are a bit wonky right now - I'm trying to get a third column into my template, so I've been playing with HTML. Which I'm obviously not very good at! So please excuse my mess.

Stuck

2009-02-24T08:02:00.003-06:00

I try to use this as a positive place. I don't want this to just be somewhere I come to whine and complain. Sometimes, though, I have to make difficult choices. And I need somewhere to discuss that. To just explain where I'm coming from. So if you guys don't mind, I'm going to talk a bit about making a particularly big decision.

First of all, I'm a planner. I don't do anything without making elaborate plans, sometimes years in advance. And you can't start planning something until a decision has been made, right? What do you do when you know that decision is the best one for you, but you're not sure if it's the best decision for those around you?

Instead of worrying about it, instead of trying to convince people I can make it work, I'm just deciding. I will become a full time artist. I will do it by July of 2010. That gives me about 16 months to make it happen. There's plenty of time for that.

Personally, I have some debt that will need to be paid off first. Credit cards (I know, ewwww, but they really couldn't be helped), student loans. All together, it's about $40,ooo. Writing it out like that seems like it's a lot...but if I can pay off that debt, that will help a lot.

There are two other things I'll need before I lose my steady income. The first is a new laptop. Microsoft is about to come out with a new version of Windows (software is my day job, so I'm kinda up on this stuff) so I want to wait until that's out before I take that plunge. Second, I need a larger production kiln. One that will let me make very large, breathtaking pieces, but will also let me fuse on multiple levels while I'm doing large projects. The one I have in mind is about 28 inches tall. I'll need to run a 240 volt line in the basement for it as well. In any case, those two needs will be pricey. Probably around $5000 for all of the above. Plus I still have to buy supplies, purchase stuff for my first real craft fair, and the like.

OK, so in order to quit my day job, I'm going to need close to $50,000 by July of 2010. Wow that's a lot of money. I'm selling steadily, but nothing in the making $50,000 a year range - if I were, it wouldn't be a question of quitting my day job! The truth is, I need that bigger, taller kiln before I can really do much gallery work, and hopefully gallery sales will be a big part of my income. I need to drag more traffic to my online stores without paying Etsy $50-$100 a month. I'm not really sure how to do that either. So far, I've only had one repeat customer! I really do hope I have more...I also need to get my work in stores. I've been really slack about this, I have one contact's phone number in hand right now and I'm too chicken to call. I need to stop putting it off.

Of course, my art is only a small part of the picture. If I'm more disciplined in my daily spending, I can live on a lot less than we're using now, and pay off those debts that much faster. I'm actually tempted to pay off the student loan rather than the credit card first, because we have a very hard time keeping money off of the card! In order to save that kind of money by then, I'll need to save or earn an extra $3125 per month. Ouch. maybe this isn't possible...I guess it's ok if I still have some money left on one of my loans...

Then there's the flip side. I'm spending around $1000 a month to pay off that debt now, so that'll be $1000 I won't need - or will be extra- once that debt is gone.

Also, there's the slight problem of my car. It's limping along, but we'll need a new one soon. My husband wants shiny new car. I personally am a bit partial to Miata, and would love to have one, but I'm not giving up my dream of working for myself just to buy a car. Why do things have to be so complicated? Why can't we just keep this one running, or buy some used Honda?

Here are my conclusions. If I can get the debt paid off (best case scenario) or substantially reduced, and can continue earning what I'm making now, I don't see how anyone could object. Even if it's not entirely steady, if I can show, over a year's period, that I've made an average of $2000 a month, it should be ok. Right?

What if my sales aren't that great? How can I have sales in those numbers while still working full time? Personally, I think actually making $500 a month, less online selling fees, etc, part time, is pretty darn spiffy. I could make so much more if I didn't have to work!

I will make this work. I have a plan. It's going to happen.

PROXIMADADE Award!

2009-02-23T08:44:00.004-06:00

Well, a big shout-out to sassyglassdesigns who has bestowed upon me the Proximadade award. According to her blog, this award represents: "This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."

In order to honor the spirit of this award, I must also convey this award on eight worthy bloggers, who must in turn award it to eight of their favorites. So, (drumroll please!) I choose to pass this award on to:

All great blogs and great folks! Congratulations, guys!

Showcase, Part 4

2009-02-19T07:10:00.002-06:00

Well, well, well.

I had another Showcase spot yesterday.

Guess what? I had fewer views yesterday than I had the day before.

Maybe Wednesday's a bad day for a showcase. Or maybe I should display more jewelry. This just seems to fly in the face of my results from last week.

A Car or Cadmium Red?

2009-02-17T09:43:00.003-06:00

I heard, somewhere, I can't remember where, that living life as an artist without a "day job" can be tough. It's all about priorities though - do you have to have that new car, or would you rather have that pan of cadmium red paint? This has stuck with me, and I think I finally, really do understand what it means. Because I'm standing on that precipice.

I'd rather buy glass than groceries. That new kiln trumps the new car. My husband probably disagrees on these points - I know he does. So, unfortunately, in order to be a full time artist, I'm going to have to be able to have the ability to do both. The choice, it seems, isn't art or "things", it's often art or family, art or loved ones, art or life. It's difficult. Can I make it?

To live in the manner in which we've become accustom, I'll need to make quite a bit of money from my art. Something like $2500 a month. In order to pay the bills and not do anything else, and barely pay the bills at that (I have waaaaay too much debt) I'd have to make something on the order of $1500 a month. That's for survival and includes cutting the cable - but not the Internet. I'm totally nowhere near that yet. I wish my boss would just let me work part time, that would be so much help! I'd actually get work done while I was at work, too, because I'd know I could go home and work on my art!

This is just a rant, I guess. I wanted to know how much we needed to survive. Of course, my numbers there don't include taxes - taxes will probably bury me.

Part of me thinks this will just never be possible. How can you build up a full time business while you're working full time? Especially when your employer monitors your Internet usage? I need equipment, too - a new kiln, a new laptop. How can I make this happen?

Showcase, Part 3

2009-02-16T08:43:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to follow up with some Google Anayltics data on my Showcase purchase on the 13th.

I average around 100 visits a day. Google Analytics tells me that I had 382 visits the day I had a Showcase.

The question becomes, then, is it worth $15 for 282 visits? Well, let's do the math. From January 16 to February 15, I've had 3,602 visits. Since then I've had 19 sales. Wow, that's more than I realized! OK, so if I divide sales into visits, for every 190 visits I have, I get a sale. That's pretty good! So, adding 282 visits should get me two sales. That's quite impressive! It only got me one on Friday, that I know of, but I'm willing to try again - maybe it will get me three next time!

This probably isn't the most scientifically accurate information - it'd be much better to do an average over several months or a whole year - but since I've only had Google Analytics since mid-January, it's the best I can do. I'll try this exercise again later for sure!

Anyways, that really does make it seem like the Etsy Main Showcase is profitable. I have another spot scheduled for Wednesday, the 18th. And then spots go on sale again on Thursday. I may buy a spot or two. I really need to build up some inventory first though...

It Sold the Day I Listed It!

2009-02-15T12:25:00.003-06:00

I just love when that happens! I just listed this bowl, and it just sold:

I really feel like I'm starting to make some progress here. I'm selling some jewelry, but I'm also selling some more artistic type pieces, and some home decor stuff. I'm still spending way too much on advertising and supplies to say that I'm making much money, but I am making some. Maybe my dreams of making my artwork my full time job really aren't that far-fetched.

Showcase, Part 2

2009-02-14T09:34:00.003-06:00

I think I'll have to call the Main Showcase at least a minor success. I had one sale, for an $18 item. Of course, after fees and shipping, I barely made the $15 I spent on the Showcase spot, but that's better than no sales at all.

I also got 15 hearts. Hopefully that means I'm a little more well known in the Etsy community. Advertising dollars don't have to result in an immediate return. Hopefully, some of those hearts may result in sales, or in Treasury features later on down the road.

Showcase

2009-02-13T07:16:00.001-06:00

I've got a showcase spot today on Etsy in the main showcase. I've tried a category showcase before, but I'm hoping the main showcase will give me some better results. I'll let you guys know how it goes!

Awesome Feature

2009-02-12T13:22:00.001-06:00

Stephanie at Mrsfatface has done an excellent feature on me. If you have a second, you should check her out! She's got some pretty cool jewelry.

New Product Feature!

2009-02-12T09:36:00.002-06:00

Gosh, I've got to get to this more regularly!

But for now, I have a new product I just have to show off. I've been playing around with drop rings. Basically, these are ceramic rings with a hole cut out of the middle. I have a ton I'd like to show off, but for now I'm just going to feature one that I have listed in my shop:

This piece was made using a 9 inch round ceramic mold with scalloped edges, suspended 4 inches above the floor of my kiln. First, I cut and full fused a round piece of iridescent glass with a piece of clear glass on top, with the white frit added for extra texture. Then, I ground down the rough edges to get a perfectly round piece. After that, I placed the fused glass disk on the round ceramic mold, perfectly suspended. I fired the piece a second time, watching to make sure it reached a perfect bowl shape above the floor of the kiln. Fusing these pieces can be tricky! It's difficult to make sure the piece doesn't crack, since the ceramic mold expands at a different rate than the glass. But this one turned out perfectly!

New Camera!

2009-02-08T16:58:00.006-06:00

I've kind of neglected the things I'm supposed to do this weekend. Instead, I've been playing with my new camera! It's a Nikon D40 and it is super awesome. I've wanted an SLR for a while, and let me tell you, it really makes a difference in those product pictures.

Before, I'd take about 20 pictures of a piece, and at least half would be unusable - blurry, focused incorrectly, too dark or too light, etc. With the new camera, I have not taken a blurry picture. And I don't know what I'm doing yet - I'm just using the autofocus mode!

Take a look at this plate, for example. It was taken from several feet away, but it's perfectly clear and sharp.

The one thing that's still causing a problem is glare. I may have to wait for a slightly cloudy day, or figure out a way to put some sort of shroud over what I'm taking pictures of.

Just wanted to stop in! I'll do my goal review tomorrow - but it's going to be awful, nothing has really gone according to plan this week. That happens sometimes though!

Holy Crap I'm in a Gift Guide!

2009-02-06T07:55:00.005-06:00

Apparently I've been in this gift guide for like a week now, but I just discovered it! That little feather pendant is mine!

This was a good pick-me-up on a slow sales week!

Dear Potential Buyer,

2009-02-04T09:15:00.003-06:00

If you were one of the 130 people that visited my site yesterday, why did you not buy from me?

Did you just stop by when you weren't really shopping?
Did you not see anything you were interested in?
Did you see something you liked, only to be stopped by the price?
Did you almost buy, realize you had to create an account on Etsy to buy, then not buy?
Did you not buy because I do not include a chain with my pendants? Would inclusion of a chain change your mind?

Selling on Etsy vs Selling on My Own Site...

2009-02-04T08:59:00.003-06:00

Until recently, it seems that having an Etsy store by itself was enough. Renewing and listing new items was an effective form of advertising. That does not seem to be the case anymore.

If it's not, and if I'm going to have to go out and advertise on my own, why don't I create a store on my own website, with a full product catalog that I send all of my advertising?

Using the new Google Analytics site search feature, only 20 people found my site through Etsy's search feature yesterday. Six people found it through my Google Adwords ad.

Etsy does offer me some exposure on its own. That's good. The forums bring me more. That's also good. But what about that $50 bill last month?

Maybe going several days without a sale is just making me depressed.

HOST Challenge

2009-02-02T10:08:00.002-06:00

Ety's Helping Others Street Team (HOST) is sponsoring a Heart Awareness Challenge this month. If you've got some time, I'd check it out. Heart disease is a big problem in America today - and one that with the right research, can be solved. Donate if you can!

Weekly Goal Review

2009-02-01T08:58:00.003-06:00

Here's the weekly wrap-up:

Two sales on Etsy - I had six - whoo-hoo! This has been my best week yet!
Get to 300 hearts - the 30th will mark my three-month Etsy-versary, and I'd love to be averaging 100 hearts a month by then. I've also passed this in spades. At the moment, my shop heart count is 341 - how did I get over 50 hearts in one week ?!?
Find an advertising opportunity. I need to start driving more traffic to my shop! I've started a Google Adsense campaign. So far, I haven't gotten any results. I've also put up another ad on Craftcult. We'll see how that goes...
Approach one popular blog. I sent an email to the TinyFig's blog, Sweet Figments.
Brainstorm products for a wholesale catalog. I'll need to have an idea of what I intend to include, at least in regards to jewelry, so I can take som pictures next weekend. This is looking less and less daunting. I've taken some photos and have some ideas. I should be able to at least get this part started this week.

So what are my goals for this week?

Maybe I should be even more bold this week. I'm going to say seven sales this week. I'm afraid I won't make it, but at least I'm putting it out there. That's a sale a day!
Approach another popular blog.
Begin sketching out a wholesale catalog.

Treasury!

2009-01-30T15:01:00.002-06:00

Yay! I managed to snag a treasury today, and I'm using melting snow as the theme.

Another Ad Campaign

2009-01-29T15:07:00.003-06:00

I've been advertising on Project Wonderful for a while. I love it, because they let me have ads with pictures of my products. And I get quite a few clicks for around 2-3 cents per click. This is way better than renewing an Etsy item for 20 cents and getting maybe 1 click!

So I've been looking at my other options, and so I think I've decided to add Google Adwords to my advertising repertoire. I've got a simple text ad set up now, to pay 2 cents per click with a dollar a day max. Hopefully this will generate a few sales too!

Once I've got some data on this (and am able to find out how much revenue I'm generating) I'll post the results. In the mean time, I've got to figure out where else would be a good place to market...hopefully for less than $30 a month!

Sales!

2009-01-28T09:14:00.001-06:00

There's no better feeling than waking up to sales - except when you wake up to lots of them!

I woke up to one sale this morning, got to the office, and found I had four more! How exciting!

I also reached my 300 heart goal today - whoopie!

Advice to Future Artists

2009-01-26T10:13:00.002-06:00

Someone posted a forum post on Etsy about advice to give future artists. I think this is very important, so here's what I have to say on the matter:

You know, I always hated art in school. I had an awful teacher as a kid.

Of course, I'm not a traditional artist - I can't draw or paint. But the best advice I can give is to explore. And follow your bliss. It took me two years stuck in a cubicle, an attempt to get a very expensive degree I wasn't the least bit interested in, and another two years of cubicleness to realize I wasn't cut out for office work.

Many people will say that you shouldn't be an artist if you can be anything else, because it's a rather difficult life. My advice is that even if you're brilliant and fabulously productive in some other field, you have to do what makes you happy. If art is the only thing that will make you happy, do it.

Art school is nice, but not necessary. If you want to go to art school, make sure you go to a school that specializes in your medium of choice. And network. I think that it's more important to spend those four years learning out to market yourself (a business degree would be very useful) - you have your entire life to explore the world of art.

I have to add a little more here. Historically, I have not been the most mentally stable person in the world. I function well most of the time. I am a productive member of society. But I have done things I'm not proud of.

My father worked his butt off 60 hours a week in a job he started off liking but ended up hating. He was able to do this while I was growing up, to support myself and my sister. As soon as I hit high school, things started falling apart. So I guess my father worked this job for about 15 years before he just couldn't take it any more. Everyone thinks responsibility is important - well, guess what, responsibility can kill you. He does OK now, but my mother's in the same boat - working a job she can't stand so they can survive.

You can only do something that doesn't make you happy for so long before you combust. So you have to make that thing you love and need work. Otherwise, you won't be able to recover - after 15 years of trying to live what you hate, you won't be able to find anything you love anymore. The slightest bit of stress will send you spiraling down. If art makes you happy, do it. Don't listen to anyone else. You can make it happen. It's a lot of work, but I read stories every day of those who have made it. And you know what? I'm going to make it too.

Weekly Goal Review

2009-01-25T21:14:00.003-06:00

It's that time again:

I'm going to be bold and say two sales on Etsy. Maybe I'll get three then! I sold my mini-heart art, a pendant, and a chain - so two art pieces and a supply sale. Yay!
Make some art! I've got a variety of jewelry pieces, I just need to get them photographed, but I need more "artistic" pieces. These can be drop rings or wall art stuff or drapings, I just need some pieces to start adding to my portfolio! I've been working on this, and I should have known, but making large artistic pieces is a lot harder than making jewelry! I've started doing some candle shades, but I don't have any pictures yet. I'll get something up here as soon as I do.
I need to do some marketing. I'm going to start working on that. This week, I want to write a letter or press release type thing to start sending out to blogs. I've written up the press release, and just need to start sending them out!

So goals for this week:

Two sales on Etsy
Get to 300 hearts - the 30th will mark my three-month Etsy-versary, and I'd love to be averaging 100 hearts a month by then.
Find an advertising opportunity. I need to start driving more traffic to my shop!
Approach one popular blog.
Brainstorm products for a wholesale catalog. I'll need to have an idea of what I intend to include, at least in regards to jewelry, so I can take som pictures next weekend.

That's it, I guess. Things are going pretty well! I hope they continue. Once I get my wholesale catalog set up, I can start approaching stores. I'm really looking forward to that!

I hope everyone has a great, productive week!

Excellent Post on Working as an Artist

2009-01-23T08:06:00.005-06:00

WireYourWorld posted an excellent article from Craftlister on the forums. I'm bookmarking it here so I can share it, and go back to it in the future! Here's the link:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5331015

Featured by Storybeader!

2009-01-23T07:25:00.001-06:00

Storybeader just did an excellent feature on me on her blog. To read all about it, check out her blog here. She's got a pretty awesome shop herself, so you should check her out!

Rainy Day Pendant

2009-01-22T18:47:00.002-06:00

I just listed this pendant that I think is absolutely awesome! I just had to share. My Rainy Day Cloud pendant was made by layering a transparent blue glass on a gray opaque glass, then cutting a cloud out of the same gray glass layered on top. Isn't it cute!

Invisible

2009-01-21T20:23:00.002-06:00

Sometimes it's really hard to sell online! Especially in a big venue. When I go a few days without a sale, I start feeling a little lost - and a little invisible.

Instead of moping around and lurking on the forums, I need to come up with productive things to do when I feel invisible! I can always make things, but my kiln takes about eight hours or longer to fire, so once I've set it for the night, I'm kind of stuck! Advertising is an option too. I'll have to start promoting more!

Finding the Target Market

2009-01-21T11:05:00.000-06:00

One of my goals this week is to write up a "press release" to send out to blogs. In order to do that, though, I've decided I need to figure out exactly who my target market is.

I am working on selling other things in other places, but the majority of what I sell on Etsy is jewelry. Particularly handmade fused glass jewelry. And I think that I want this press release to focus on my jewelry, at least for now. So, who buys handmade fused glass jewelry?

My first thought is women. But I also sell cuff links, so I'm geared to men as well in some respects. Some of my jewelry (particularly my flower pendants) may be geared to a slightly younger crowd. My jewelry also has a particular look and style. Glass jewelry in general appeals mostly to people who like a sleeker look. It's shiny and bright and eye-catching. My work is particularly shiny and bright because I favor brighter, cooler colors and pastels. So, my work appeals to people who like those things.

In general, those that buy handmade like nice things. An nice unique things.

So here's what I'm thinking - my jewelry mainly appeals to women who like to wear bright jewelry and like nice things. The variety in my jewelry ensures that every woman will be able to find a piece that fits that perfect outfit.

A Little Late this Week

2009-01-19T10:21:00.002-06:00

I'm a little late this week, but I'm determined to keep this up! Here's my goal review for last week:

Finish application for Firefly Fine Arts Festival show. The director of the show asked me to apply personally! Done. This was work, especially since I don't have a booth shot! But hopefully I'll get in, and that will give me a chance to get that booth shot so I can apply to even more shows next year.
Have at least one sale on Etsy. Yay! I had two!
Get my inventory back up. I've got 80 items in stock now, I'd like for it to be up to 100 by the end of the week. I didn't quite make this one. Weather's been crummy - it's snowing now - so that makes it hard for me to brave the cold to go take pictures. I'm at 89 items now.
Figure out kiln casting - like slumping, this is new to me now that I've got a kiln that will fit casting molds! I didn't really get very far on this one either. I tried one set of molds, and then couldn't get some of the glass out! I was using regular kiln wash, and everyone recommends Hotline Primo Primer, so I've got some of that on the way and will try again.

Some other interesting things happened this week. For one, I've been playing with drop rings and I've done three so far. The first one exploded because it expanded larger than the mold and the glass cracked (oops!). The second one was a bit lopsided because, since it was just a test, I wasn't as worried about form. The third one is perfect - and I'll have to post a picture of it later! It's iridescent glass and white frit, so it looks like snow - perfect for winter!

Anyways, they're all bowls so far. I'm tempted to try a vase with a flat bottom next. I'll need to get a stand for the last piece in order to sell it.

Oh, I've also got my actual website up and running. You can visit my new home page at http://www.moonofglass.com. Exciting! I'll be adding more of a portfolio of my gallery-style pieces, as those are things that probably wouldn't do as well on Etsy.

So, we come to goals for this week:

I'm going to be bold and say two sales on Etsy. Maybe I'll get three then!
Make some art! I've got a variety of jewelry pieces, I just need to get them photographed, but I need more "artistic" pieces. These can be drop rings or wall art stuff or drapings, I just need some pieces to start adding to my portfolio!
I need to do some marketing. I'm going to start working on that. This week, I want to write a letter or press release type thing to start sending out to blogs.

Happy Monday!

Weekly Goal Review

2009-01-11T14:32:00.005-06:00

Here are my goals from last week:

Set up and learn how to use new kiln - there should be more about this when it arrives tomorrow! Did this, and after a few misadventures, things have only gotten better. Amazingly, the program I was using for jewelry before only required one minor tweak. Slumping is getting better and better - I finished the first piece that I think is good enough to sell. I've added a picture of it to the right here -->
Keep a more detailed firing log. I've probably made the same mistake three or four times because I tend to forget to write things down. This is one thing that I have definitely done. I've created a notebook for it, and recorded everything I've done this week.
Have at least one sale on Etsy. I had two - yay!
Work on creating a place to take pictures in my studio, rather than having to wait until it's sunny outside! This one - not so much. I bought a mannequin at a going out of business sale, but I'm still having trouble getting the lighting right around her.
Begin creating magnets for The Sampler. I want to have 200+ to donate for boxes by the end of the month. Due to feedback from people on Etsy, I think I've decided not to do this one, or at least to put it off for a while.

Goals for this week:

Finish application for Firefly Fine Arts Festival show. The director of the show asked me to apply personally!
Have at least one sale on Etsy.
Get my inventory back up. I've got 80 items in stock now, I'd like for it to be up to 100 by the end of the week.
Figure out kiln casting - like slumping, this is new to me now that I've got a kiln that will fit casting molds!

New Kiln!

2009-01-08T20:15:00.007-06:00

My new kiln came in on Monday, and I've been so busy playing, I haven't had a chance to write about it! I've posted a picture of it to the right here. It's 15 inches in diameter and 6 inches high. And I'm having a blast learning to do things I couldn't do in my little baby kiln!

I've done a few slumping exercises. Some of the pictures are below.

The one to the right here is a plate. It's the first thing I fused, and it turns out my kiln was a bit crooked! I've fixed it now, but this plate draped over the side of the mold a bit, so the sides are all uneven.

The purple vase to the right here looks good, but it cracked and refused part of the way through the fusing process! There's a little hole in the bottom. Oops. But I've learned, and I think it was a problem with the annealing process, so I'm going to work on annealing this type of glass a little longer.

This little orange vase on the right looks like the perfect little lotus flower - except I didn't use enough kiln wash. I totally should have known better on this one, but I'd never used a stainless steel mold before, so this is what happened!

More fusing adventures will come in the future! I just want to keep a bit of a record of what I've done with the new kiln!

This Week's Goals

2009-01-04T17:08:00.002-06:00

Part of my goals for 2009 were to set up weekly goals, so here are my goals for the week. I may start making these a challenge for anyone who wants to join me:

Set up and learn how to use new kiln - there should be more about this when it arrives tomorrow!
Keep a more detailed firing log. I've probably made the same mistake three or four times because I tend to forget to write things down.
Have at least one sale on Etsy.
Work on creating a place to take pictures in my studio, rather than having to wait until it's sunny outside!
Begin creating magnets for The Sampler. I want to have 200+ to donate for boxes by the end of the month.

That's it for now. I will follow up on these later in the week!

Announcing a New Line!

2009-01-01T16:16:00.004-06:00

I'm creating a brand new line.

These pendants are a blast to make. They consist of three different sized circles. There's a large white (or black, in the case of the others I'm making) circle for the background, a medium circle set off center, and a smaller circle set on an angle to the medium circle. The two smaller circles are available in a variety of colors - red, yellow, green, blue, purple, orange, black, and white. A large, sterling silver plated bail is attached to the back.

I'm excited about my first real line, and I'm going to try to develop a few more, then start trying to sell them to stores. I hope, with these new lines, to find another way to make some income in addition to selling on Etsy. Besides, if I get my name out this way, I'm sure it will drive more traffic to my store!

The suggested retail price for these pendants will be $12.

Goals for 2009

2008-12-28T17:06:00.004-06:00

Just a short entry for today, because I have to get back to cleaning my studio out. I wanted to share some of my goals for 2009. This year, my main goal is to get "in the black" - I want to actually make money selling my work! In fact, I would like to accomplish the following:

Make $20,000 before taxes or expenses (this, of course, means I must get serious with charting income and expenses!)
Have my work for sale in at least two brick and mortar stores
Participate in at least one craft show
A total of 377 sales on Etsy (average of a sale a day in addition to the 12 I have now)
Blog every week - even if it's just a list of goals for that week!
Keep up with the amount of time I spend working on business stuff, and try to average 20 hours a week
Approach at least one gallery about selling my artwork

This is a very ambitious list for me, but I think I can do it. I'm just going to have to take baby steps every week. For this week, my goals are to:

Clean my studio so I can fit my new kiln in it! I'll be ordering this kiln on December 31st.
Create!
Take photographs of the my current inventory not currently listed online, and get these things listed.

I'm out for now. Happy New Year to all!

I've Met My Etsy Goals!

2008-12-22T19:19:00.003-06:00

Today I met my Etsy goals for the year! I've had 12 sales (one a week through, well, next week!) and 200 hearts (100 a month). I'm no power seller, but this has been a really good start.

When I posted this in the forums, someone asked me for my best tips. Well, here's what I think the most important things you can do on Etsy are:

having an awesome product (I had my first repeat customer too! yay!)
taking great photos - I probably take around 40 pictures of each product before I pick the best, edit them in Photoshop, and list them. And sometimes they're still not the best, so I know I have lot of learning to do.
off-site promotion is critical. I had 5 sales the week I bought an ad on craftcult. One sale paid for the ad, so it's something I think I'll do again! I also had a local buyer contact me because of local promotion, and she bought 5 pendants herself outside of Etsy.

It's Been A Little While...

2008-12-21T10:25:00.003-06:00

And I'm sorry it's been so long! I guess, as is typical this time of year, it's been a very busy few weeks. The Day Job has been very hectic, and I've been working very hard on making things. I'm proud to say I'm adding cuff links and bobby pins to my shop. Pictures will come later! I'll be making pony tail holders as well, but my supplier currently has them on backorder.

I'll be gone most of next week. I intend to do a big review and resolution post at the end of December.

For now, I've got to go outside and take pictures. I may get frostbite, but at least it's sunny!

One Month Etsy Review

2008-11-30T10:41:00.004-06:00

I've been on Etsy for a full month now, and I think it's time for a review. As of 11 am this morning, I have:

3 sales
66 items listed in my store
140 shop hearts
54 item hearts

Money wise I haven't really gotten anywhere. I've made $45, but I've spent about that much in listing and renewing fees. But you can't really expect to make money in 30 days at a new business, can you?

I have been advertising on Own the Hour, Project Wonderful, and I purchased an Etsy showcase spot. I've been posting on the forums as much as I can, handing out business cards to everyone I meet, and making as much as I can. I'm in one street team - the Etsy Freethinkers.

I'm also lots of places:

Twitter
Flickr
Indiepublic
Plumdrop
ArtFire
Big Cartel
1000 Markets

So what do I need to do to improve? I need to continue getting the word out. I need to figure out a way to make my listing and advertising fees count, so that I'm actually making more money selling than I am advertising! Also, I need to expand my presence on other sites online - put more on other sites, do more social networking, because the more places I am, the more likely it is that someone who is interested in my stuff will find me! I'll make sure to check in again in 30 days to see where I am after two months.

Etsy Finds: Tarot Reading from LuLu Design

2008-11-30T09:04:00.006-06:00

I was lucky enough to receive a Tarot reading from Kathy at LuLu Design. She's got great artwork too, so you should really check her out, even if you aren't into Tarot! I love this silk painting:

I was very impressed with my tarot reading! I've been struggling with my day job lately, and thinking about looking for a new position or maybe something part time so I can concentrate more on my artwork. This reading has really made me examine my heart to determine where I want to go.

Kathy was able to provide me a detailed reading via email, including a very nice picture of the card she pulled, which is one of her own design. I gave her my question - "Should I look for a new day job?" The card she pulled was "Choice" which is very appropriate!

Her first impression was that I have a lot of energy stuck in my head. I have had, almost daily horrible migraines since I started this job in September of 2007. In September of 2008, a year after I started my job, I started receiving occipital nerve blocks to reduce the pain, and they've been better. Amazingly, not being in bed every day after work has given me the time to open my own business. But I still have bad headaches. So there really does appear to be a lot of energy stuck in my head, and I think it's directly related to my current job! Of course, I'd have to find something stress free instead, which maybe a little more difficult! Even my business, making things I love, is not entirely stress free.

Kathy says that there's a need for me to get tough with myself. Even though I'm considering making some changes, I need to stick this out until I figure out what I need to do. Healing is important, so I need to work on that as well.

The reading mentions a tunnel, going deeper into myself, and seeking inner knowledge. I'm still pretty young, I guess. I'm only 25. A lot of my thoughts lately have been centering around finding my purpose in life. The problem is I'm interested in so very many things! I am an artist, a wife, mother to two cats and a dog, and I love all those things. Career-wise, I've been interested in psychology, software (what I do now), theology, medicine, design (graphics and otherwise), anthropology, writing, and art, of course. There's got to be an overarching theme in my life that includes all of these things. But I will need to discover this before I make decisions about what the next step in my life should be.

As an interesting note, Kathy says she sees blue walls and a blonde woman - my boss is blonde, and my cube walls are blue!

Kathy also picked out a stone for me - aventurine. I haven't had a chance to pick up the gemstone yet, but I'm definitely going to get one, as I'm sure it will help me through this conflict!

If you're interested in the same reading I had, it was the One Question Soul Card Reading, but Kathy offers many more and very detailed readings. Kathy's a very talented reader, so if you like Tarot, or are needing to make a difficult decision, you should check her out!

SALE!

2008-11-29T15:25:00.001-06:00

I'm having my first Etsy sale. Free shipping through December 15th. Just wanted to pop in and let everyone know! More to come later...I've got a great review of a tarot card reading I received from an Etsy seller coming up!

Etsy Finds: PinkPolish Design

2008-11-25T17:35:00.003-06:00

Now that it's getting cold outside, I've started looking around on Etsy for great stuff to keep me warm! PinkPolish Design has beautifully crocheted scarfs, shawls, and hats, among other things! I'm also a purse addict, so I'm going to have to add this one to my Christmas wish list:

If you check this shop out, I know you'll love it too!

Here's my interview with Katie of PinkPolish Design:

1. Tell me a little about yourself.
Well, where to start! I'm a mom of 3 lovely kids, a darling husband, and I live in Washington. So with all the grey days I have a lot of time to sit indoors and work! One of my favorite things to do is pop in my newest TV series on DVD and sit with a project and watch back to back shows with my kids, commercial free. I have a part time morning job, which works out great and gets me out of the house, but the moment I get home I am ready to get to work and start creating. I am very lucky to have a very supportive and patient husband!

2. How long have you been working on your craft? How did you get into it?
My mother is an amazing fiber artist, and from a young age I was exposed to spinning, weaving, knitting and crochet. I distinctly remember (one of my few memories from this young) my Mother patiently teaching me to crochet a chain at age 4. After learning to crochet she taught me spinning, and weaving, and before I had even graduated from high school I owned my own 4 harness Victoria loom, an Ashford spinning wheel and an entire collection of drop spindles and vintage crochet hooks. Knitting took me a little longer, I learned that just before the birth of my first child (I wanted to make him a knit hat). What I love the most is using those skills and blending them all into one unique piece!

3. What’s your favorite thing about your craft?
I love the fact that I can lounge and knit or crochet at the same time. You pick up a rhythm and there is something totally relaxing about it. And as relaxing as a simple project can be, I love delving into an big project, and really feeling like I'm accomplishing something amazing and unique!

4. How did you find out about Etsy?
Well I'm a little sheepish to admit this. One of my very close friends told me about it back in January of 2006, but I blew it off thinking it was just another "sell your crafts" venue with no website traffic. However after hearing about it at a show in Seattle from another Etsy artist, I decided to give it a try, and opened my shop back in March of 2006 (with an "I told you so" from my friend).

5. Do you sell anywhere else? If so, where?
I've tried a couple of other websites, but not had a lot of luck with them. I do sell on my own website www.pinkpolishdesign.com and sell at local shows. In fact I will have a booth at a show in December called the "Duck The Malls" show at the Capital Theater in Olympia, Washington.

6. What one piece of advice would you give to others out there wanting to sell their art?
Don't give up! It's all fabulous when things are selling off the shelves, but every business has slow times, for whatever reason. To sell your art you must have perseverance! I see to many artists that throw in the towel when things get slow, and though I completely understand their frustration, I think it's so sad that they didn't weather through!

Ocean Blue

2008-11-18T21:05:00.003-06:00

I love this new glass! I ordered it last week, and I haven't been able to stop making things with it! This is a regular sheet of dichroic glass, but the color is just gorgeous!

Anyway, I listed this pendant earlier today. I've got some matching earrings ready to go too, but I need to get some better pictures of them before I post them. I'm going to have to get some more dichroic to play with though. This pendant was so pretty when I took it out of the kiln I almost decided to keep it all for myself!

Bluebells in the Clouds Surrealist Fused Glass Pendant

2008-11-16T10:39:00.005-06:00

This is probably my favorite pendant of my new "Surrealist" series. It started out as one of my flower pendants - two flowers in a garden, on a field of white and blue. But, I didn't like it as much as a flower pendant, so I sliced it up with my mosaic nippers and rearranged it, then fired it a second time in my kiln. Isn't it neat? :)

Treasury!

2008-11-16T06:26:00.003-06:00

Yay, I'm in a Treasury! Thank you Doodlage!

Moo Cards!

2008-11-15T15:08:00.004-06:00

My Moo Cards came in yesterday, and I'm so shocked as to how amazing they are! They look great! The pictures don't do them justice.

I got the business card size rather than the half sized ones, because I wanted to fit a lot of information on the back. Moo also sells postcards and stickers - I'll definitely consider those in the future.

These came on a very high quality matte cardstock. And it's pretty awesome that they have my artwork on them! I would highly recommend these for artists!

Art Fire

2008-11-13T16:40:00.002-06:00

So, I just signed up for ArtFire as a verified member. It's $7 a month, so I'll give it a try for a few months and see how it goes. They're currently in beta, so the site has some bugs, but it also has a lot of pretty cool features too. More about this to come!

Own the Hour Review

2008-11-13T07:57:00.002-06:00

So, I purchased two slots on Own the Hour, one at 5 pm EST and one at 6 pm EST last night. Here are my results:

I received 5 overall shop hearts.
I received 19 additional views on different items in my shop.
Six of those views were on the one item I linked to from Own the Hour.
I received one heart on the one item I linked to from Own the Hour.

Generally, when I list or renew an item, I get about 7 views on that single item, and one heart on my shop. I've not tracked how many overall views I get when I list/relist, but I think I will for comparison purposes.

At this point, I think it's cheaper and easier to simply relist an item on Etsy. Now, Own the Hour is relatively new, and they're going to be doing a lot more advertising, but I think they're more likely to get "seller" views than "buyer" views. I may try Own the Hour again in the future, but for now, I think I'd rather spend my advertising dollars elsewhere.

Owning the Hour...

2008-11-11T21:52:00.002-06:00

I posted two slots for $1 a piece at
Own the Hour for tomorrow evening. I'll let everyone know how it goes!

Sold One of My Favorites

2008-11-11T21:09:00.005-06:00

I sold one of my favorite pendants today! I'm definitely going to have to make more in a similar style. I'm waiting on some glass that I've ordered that should be here on Thursday or Friday.

This is made in the same basic way as the oval pendant listed below. Instead of a white glass base, I've used orange, and coated with black and white confetti glass, then topped with a clear.

I've also got several of the "surrealist" series ready to go, and some more of my standard flower and dichroic pendants, but I'm waiting on a nice, sunny day so I can get some really good pictures. The taking pictures inside with the shop lights thing works really well for big stuff, but it's harder for jewelry, especially glass with a lot of glare! I am thinking about investing in a light tent, but I'll have to make more sales first - I need the cash to purchase one!

A digital SLR would be really nice, but if I'm going to spend a thousand dollars, I would much rather a bigger kiln. I love selling my work online, but the therapeutic part is making it, not selling it, and I would like to be able to do some real slumping and make more than a couple of pieces at a time!

It's nice to have goals. It's also nice to see my PayPal account growing, even if it's only a little bit at a time. The really awesome thing is walking around seeing people wearing things I've made. Really, how cool is that?

In any case, none of this would be possible without Etsy so thank you Etsy!

Still Struggling with Indoor Photography

2008-11-10T18:10:00.002-06:00

I don't care what I do. Nothing seems to matter. Pictures I take inside look nothing like pictures I take outside.

My husband blames it on my camera. He says I need an SLR to take close up pictures of my work. I think there's got to be a good way to do it with my Nikon Coolpix.

I thought the problem was light. I managed to fix the light issue. The daylight florescent lights helped. But still, my pictures look strange. Desaturated or something.

It really blows that it gets dark so early here now. I get home at 5 and it's pitch black. Otherwise, I'd be taking photos outside. Here's to hoping it's not cloudy this weekend...

I Am Loving Making These Magnets!

2008-11-09T20:31:00.003-06:00

Just a quick post. I've been making magnets a lot lately, using up some of my scrap (non COE tested) stained glass, since I'm almost out of supplies! I always hate magnets that don't stick to your fridge. I found these awesome magnet backs at WalMart, and ever since, I've been making really strong magnets!

I've Been Working on Something Surreal...

2008-11-08T15:34:00.002-06:00

I've been playing with something a little bit different. I've posted a picture above (sorry, please ignore the glare).

Basically, I've been taking old cabs (cabochons, or small, flat pieces of fused glass) and rearranging them in my kiln. Then I'm fusing them at a high temperature for a longer time, so the glass becomes semi liquid, and then flows together. I really like the results - these new cabs look very Dali-esque, and you they really sort of "capture" the fluidness of the glass, which something people don't normally think about with glass - we're used to seeing sharp, flat lines. But, they're very misshapen and unusual looking. I'm not sure if people would like them as pendants...

I'd like to try this as wall art, but my kiln's so small, I can't really fuse anything bigger than some jewelry pieces. So, I guess for now, I'll try to make them as pendants.

My Wish List...

2008-11-06T21:15:00.002-06:00

Well, Christmas is coming up, and so I figured I'd make a real wish list. Big ticket items, are, of course, completely optional... :)

A new laptop. Mine is getting old. This will fall somewhere in the $2000 range, because it would have to be tricked out...and yeah, this one's a little on the expensive side!
This kiln. Again, a bit on the pricey side ($800!) but I need something bigger than what I have now, and it would be really awesome to have the customizable firing programs so I wouldn't have to constantly watch it. Plus, it does ceramics, which would make my hubby happy - he's been wanting to try ceramics for a while!
As always, more glass! 90 COE please...
This frit maker and frit sifter. It'd be so cool to make my own frit! The sifter's only $40...
I've been wanting to try these dichroic paper things. It'd be neat to make my own dichroic shapes with a hole punch.
A casting mold to use with all that frit!

Of course, anything I were to get, I would review here!

Being an Artist or Paying the Bills?

2008-11-05T21:33:00.002-06:00

Do the two have to be mutually exclusive? At the moment, I'm working full time and selling my artwork on the side. Eventually, though, I'd like to scale back the "day job" to part time and maybe even sell full time all together. Isn't that everyone's dream?

Anyways, I found a great inspirational article by kittycrossbones on The Storque and I wanted to share. A great pick me up on a day when you feel like your real job is kicking your butt!

Photography 101 on a Budget

2008-11-03T20:24:00.008-06:00

Good pictures are one of the most important things to selling online. Like many artists, I struggle with taking pictures. I started out trying to take pictures outside, but in order to have just the right amount of sunlight, I had to take pictures during a set time - like seriously, 3 pm was the only time that worked! And since I work full time, that only gave me a little bit of time to take pictures.

I had to find something that would let me take pictures at night. Or when it was cloudy.

The hardest problem to solve is light. Rather than spend $50 or more on a premade light box, I hit up the local Walmart, to the hardware section. For $4 a piece, I got three large, reflective shop lights. I picked up a box of 100 watt light bulbs, and was ready to go for under $20.

I grabbed three kitchen chairs, and brought them down to the basement. The shop lights have a clamp on the end, so I clamped a light to the end of each chair, one on the left, one on the right, and one above the seat of the middle chair. You can see the picture of my setup on the left - please ignore the mess. :)

Once this is setup, grab a piece of white paper for the background. It's important to use white...I'll show you why in a second.

Anyways, turn on the lights, and set up your item on the paper. Turn on your camera, and set it to the macro setting if you have one. Make sure your flash is off.

Snap a bunch of photos. I usually snap something like 15 pictures an item, from all different angles, because I never know what I like when it comes to editing time.

Once you're done with this, your pictures may still be a bit dark. I've attached a picture to the right of one of my "just taken" pictures before editing. As you can see, it doesn't look too bad, but it's still hard to see. Also, the picture needs to be cropped a bit, since you can see the seat of the chair in the frame. :) I do this with Photoshop, but there are plenty of free programs out there as well. Picasa, a Google program, will work too, as will GIMP, an opensource program similar to Photoshop.

You'll want to lighten the picture first. If you're using Photoshop, you can go this by going to Image -> Adjustments -> Levels. Move the slider on the right to the left. Play with this until your white background looks white. This is why a white background is important! Only after you've fixed the lighting on your picture, you should crop the image.

Here's a final picture, edited and ready to list.

Winter Blues

2008-11-02T07:48:00.004-06:00

I've been playing around with making bubbles, and I just listed a new piece with bubbles in it. This one's pretty cool. I think it looks like a frozen winter lake.

So, in order to make the bubbles, I layered a piece of white glass with blue and green confetti glass. Confetti glass is really thin glass, and you can make really neat patterns with it. Anyways, I layered the confetti glass so that there were "holes" in between the pieces. Then I fused that piece of glass in my kiln. After that had cooled, I layered a piece of clear glass on top. The clear glass created the bubbles when it fused on top of the holes created with the blue and green glass.

This pendant is available here:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16837710

Surface of Mars Fused Glass Pendant

2008-11-01T22:10:00.000-05:00

I've been pretty busy tonight! I've made several pendants that I'll be listing over the next few days.

One of them I just listed! It looks like the surface of some foreign planet - Mars or Jupiter maybe. This is made completely of art glass, and I love the way the colors swirl together. It's a little bigger (2 inches long!) than most of my pendants, and I don't use gold bails very often, so check it out, and tell me what you think!

This pendant is available here:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16831140

A Glass Blog...

2008-11-01T21:13:00.000-05:00

I'm new to the blogging thing, but this blog is about my fused glass artwork, and about being a small business owner. Thanks for stopping by...more to come soon!