In this book you will find clear and easy to follow directions to some great looking jewelry. The first part of this book contains basic information on beads, wire, tools, and instructions. The information is easy to understand and a good place to start. The basic instructions are short and to the point. Beginners should be able to follow them. The illustrations that go with the directions are clear. Once you have learned the basics at the beginning of the book, creating the projects is a snap. Each project has a full color photo, materials list, directions, jeweler's tips, design advice, and a variation idea. The projects are inspiring without being overwhelming. The projects are simple to make, but look much more sophisticated. The last section of the book is gallery of other jewelry artists work. This showcase of designs, shows how basic wire work can be transformed into a wide range of beautiful jewelry. This book is a great resource for anyone wanting to learn to work with wire. Seasoned beaders will be able to expand their jewelry making talents and long time wire workers can find some new inspiration in getting back to basics.
Recommended:
Yes
This is a cross post and is also posted at my other blog www.jewelryinwire.wordpress.com
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Tips Handcrafted Wedding Jewelry
Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day. The cost of looking beautiful and having the perfect wedding keeps going up. These high costs can be very disappointing to brides with smaller budgets. The wedding industry seems to be promoting the myth that a higher price tag equals perfect a wedding and that is just not true. This myth really isn't true when it comes to your wedding jewelry. Some couples will spend thousands on engagement rings and wedding bands and then spend hundreds more on wedding day jewelry. With a little research and planning you can find or make jewelry that perfectly matches your wedding colors and style. Most importantly you can do it at a price that fits your budget no matter it's size.
As soon as you get your wedding colors picked out you can start thinking about your wedding jewelry. Beads come in every color, shape and price range. A trip to the local bead shop can give you a good idea of what is out there. If you are a crafty person or have a crafty friend you can inexpensively make jewelry for the how bridal party. If not, then you can find jewelry crafter on the internet and locally.
Making your own jewelry is fun and rewarding. You can find all the supplies you need at your local craft store or online. Sites like www.firemountaingems.com carry a wide selection of supplies and have free patterns and how to's. Free jewelry how to's can also be found on www.about.com. Even if your budget doesn't have room for real pearls and gemstones you can still make beautiful jewelry. Glass beads come in such a huge variety the hard part can be choosing which ones you like best. You can get inexpensive glass beads that look like pearls. Swarovski crystal beads can add gemstone like sparkle for less.
If you are not so keen on making your jewelry yourself, you can still find affordable jewelry. There are some very talented jewelry artists out there. Many of them will be willing to work with you to create custom wedding jewelry. Some jewelry artist also hold home parties. Home parties are a fun way to shop and can be a part of your bridal shower. Shop around when looking to hire someone to make your jewelry. Make sure all your questions are answered before you order. Be sure you fully understand how the artist works, payment options and return policies. When ordering custom made jewelry the artist will need time to design and create your jewelry. So make sure you place your order well in advance of the wedding.
As soon as you get your wedding colors picked out you can start thinking about your wedding jewelry. Beads come in every color, shape and price range. A trip to the local bead shop can give you a good idea of what is out there. If you are a crafty person or have a crafty friend you can inexpensively make jewelry for the how bridal party. If not, then you can find jewelry crafter on the internet and locally.
Making your own jewelry is fun and rewarding. You can find all the supplies you need at your local craft store or online. Sites like www.firemountaingems.com carry a wide selection of supplies and have free patterns and how to's. Free jewelry how to's can also be found on www.about.com. Even if your budget doesn't have room for real pearls and gemstones you can still make beautiful jewelry. Glass beads come in such a huge variety the hard part can be choosing which ones you like best. You can get inexpensive glass beads that look like pearls. Swarovski crystal beads can add gemstone like sparkle for less.
If you are not so keen on making your jewelry yourself, you can still find affordable jewelry. There are some very talented jewelry artists out there. Many of them will be willing to work with you to create custom wedding jewelry. Some jewelry artist also hold home parties. Home parties are a fun way to shop and can be a part of your bridal shower. Shop around when looking to hire someone to make your jewelry. Make sure all your questions are answered before you order. Be sure you fully understand how the artist works, payment options and return policies. When ordering custom made jewelry the artist will need time to design and create your jewelry. So make sure you place your order well in advance of the wedding.
Tips for selling jewelry on Ebay
Selling handcrafted jewelry on Ebay:
Good listings equal good sales.
I have been selling jewelry on Ebay for over a year. I have learned a lot through trial and error. Ebay is full of competition and anything you can do to improve your listings will help improve your sales.
Lets start with photos. Getting great pictures of jewelry is difficult. It took me forever to figure out have to bright clear photos with my digital camera. I have found that taking pictures outside in the sun or inside in a light box works bests. If you have the chance to photograph your jewelry outside, I really recommend giving it a try. The sun provides nice bright non-yellow light. When you can't get outside you can use a light box. You can buy a photography light box, they come in a range of sizes and prices. I prefer making my own. The size of your jewelry and workspace will determine the size of light box you need. I use a plastic cup and a plastic storage container.
To set up your light box you will need:
1.)Opaque plastic container large enough to set your jewelry in. If your container is clear too much light will come through, if it is too dark or thick not enough light will come through. The goal here is to create a bright but soft light.
2.) A background cloth. This can be any color that makes your jewelry stand out.
3.) Something to prop your jewelry up.
4.) Your camera with a tripod. If you don't have a tripod, try setting your camera a stack of books. The purpose is to steady your camera.
5.) White cloth, tissue, blank paper. These can be used to help soften the light if you are getting reflections or glares. Blank white paper can also help reflect in more light.
6.) Bright lights. Desk or table lamps can be used. I use 3 desk lamps that can be bent. This way I can get light from different angles to help reduce shadows.
Arange your lights around your light box, place your prop inside the light box and cover with your background cloth. Next place your jewelry in the light box and set up your camera. Get as close the the jewelry as you can with your camera. You want a close up to show detail but not look blurry. Take lots of practice shots and try out different things with the lighting. The final thing to do would be to edit your photos in your photo editing program. If your photos look yellowish, you need to try different light bulbs in your lamps.
Once you have your photos looking good it is time to list. If you can always use the gallery photo option on Ebay. People will look at the picture more than they read the titles. Your title is the next important thing. Your title should be as detailed as you can make it. Most of the searches ran on Ebay only search the listing title. The information contained in your listing should be descriptive. Longer descriptions will give you a chance to add in more keywords and really let they buyer know why they should buy your jewelry. If you use a unique style or stone, let the buyer know it. Tell the buyer a little about yourself. Making your listing a little personal will set you apart from other sellers and show that you are making and selling handmade jewelry and not mass market. The hardest part for me about selling on Ebay is pricing my jewelry. I don't have a no fail formula to pass on. Try out different price levels and see what works with your jewelry. Remember that Ebay buyers are looking for a deal as well as quality.
There are four areas I use on Ebay.
1.) jewelry and watches/handcrafted artisan jewelry
2.) crafts/handmaid items/jewelry
3.) everything else/specialty services/custom jewelry
4.) everything else/metaphysical/crystal healing.
There are a lot of categories on Ebay. I suggest going through them,you may find a unique category for your jewelry. Ebay listing fees can get a little high. To help keep your costs down you may want to try an auction service like Auctiva.com.
When your jewelry starts selling remember to always give your buyers great customer service.
Good listings equal good sales.
I have been selling jewelry on Ebay for over a year. I have learned a lot through trial and error. Ebay is full of competition and anything you can do to improve your listings will help improve your sales.
Lets start with photos. Getting great pictures of jewelry is difficult. It took me forever to figure out have to bright clear photos with my digital camera. I have found that taking pictures outside in the sun or inside in a light box works bests. If you have the chance to photograph your jewelry outside, I really recommend giving it a try. The sun provides nice bright non-yellow light. When you can't get outside you can use a light box. You can buy a photography light box, they come in a range of sizes and prices. I prefer making my own. The size of your jewelry and workspace will determine the size of light box you need. I use a plastic cup and a plastic storage container.
To set up your light box you will need:
1.)Opaque plastic container large enough to set your jewelry in. If your container is clear too much light will come through, if it is too dark or thick not enough light will come through. The goal here is to create a bright but soft light.
2.) A background cloth. This can be any color that makes your jewelry stand out.
3.) Something to prop your jewelry up.
4.) Your camera with a tripod. If you don't have a tripod, try setting your camera a stack of books. The purpose is to steady your camera.
5.) White cloth, tissue, blank paper. These can be used to help soften the light if you are getting reflections or glares. Blank white paper can also help reflect in more light.
6.) Bright lights. Desk or table lamps can be used. I use 3 desk lamps that can be bent. This way I can get light from different angles to help reduce shadows.
Arange your lights around your light box, place your prop inside the light box and cover with your background cloth. Next place your jewelry in the light box and set up your camera. Get as close the the jewelry as you can with your camera. You want a close up to show detail but not look blurry. Take lots of practice shots and try out different things with the lighting. The final thing to do would be to edit your photos in your photo editing program. If your photos look yellowish, you need to try different light bulbs in your lamps.
Once you have your photos looking good it is time to list. If you can always use the gallery photo option on Ebay. People will look at the picture more than they read the titles. Your title is the next important thing. Your title should be as detailed as you can make it. Most of the searches ran on Ebay only search the listing title. The information contained in your listing should be descriptive. Longer descriptions will give you a chance to add in more keywords and really let they buyer know why they should buy your jewelry. If you use a unique style or stone, let the buyer know it. Tell the buyer a little about yourself. Making your listing a little personal will set you apart from other sellers and show that you are making and selling handmade jewelry and not mass market. The hardest part for me about selling on Ebay is pricing my jewelry. I don't have a no fail formula to pass on. Try out different price levels and see what works with your jewelry. Remember that Ebay buyers are looking for a deal as well as quality.
There are four areas I use on Ebay.
1.) jewelry and watches/handcrafted artisan jewelry
2.) crafts/handmaid items/jewelry
3.) everything else/specialty services/custom jewelry
4.) everything else/metaphysical/crystal healing.
There are a lot of categories on Ebay. I suggest going through them,you may find a unique category for your jewelry. Ebay listing fees can get a little high. To help keep your costs down you may want to try an auction service like Auctiva.com.
When your jewelry starts selling remember to always give your buyers great customer service.
Don't forget these when heading to your craft show!
5 things not to forget when taking your jewelry to a craft show
Learn from my mistakes!
Getting ready for craft shows and fairs can be stressful. I always find that I have forgotten something after I'm already at the show. Here is a short list of things I forget most often. Hopefully this will help me and you to remember these things.
1. Mirrors: At least one big one that stands up like a picture and one hand held one.
2. Cotton balls and rubbing alcohol for earrings. This way if a customer wants to try them on you can clean them.
3. Lights: Bad lighting will crush your jewelry sales! Customers need to see that sparkle and shine. I have been at shows where you couldn't tell purple beads from blue ones. I only sold 3 things in 2 days!
4. Pen and Paper to collect customer's names and email addresses. You want to be able to tell them about your future shows, new pieces and specials.
5. Your Smile! This is the most important thing and some days the easiest to forget. Trust me, never leave home without it. People don't like to buy beautiful things from grumpy people.
I know it may be hard to believe that any seasoned craft show goer could forget these few things, but I have done it. At some of my first shows I didn't even think about these things until I needed it. These are all things you will miss if you don't have them. So learn from me and remember to take them with you!
Learn from my mistakes!
Getting ready for craft shows and fairs can be stressful. I always find that I have forgotten something after I'm already at the show. Here is a short list of things I forget most often. Hopefully this will help me and you to remember these things.
1. Mirrors: At least one big one that stands up like a picture and one hand held one.
2. Cotton balls and rubbing alcohol for earrings. This way if a customer wants to try them on you can clean them.
3. Lights: Bad lighting will crush your jewelry sales! Customers need to see that sparkle and shine. I have been at shows where you couldn't tell purple beads from blue ones. I only sold 3 things in 2 days!
4. Pen and Paper to collect customer's names and email addresses. You want to be able to tell them about your future shows, new pieces and specials.
5. Your Smile! This is the most important thing and some days the easiest to forget. Trust me, never leave home without it. People don't like to buy beautiful things from grumpy people.
I know it may be hard to believe that any seasoned craft show goer could forget these few things, but I have done it. At some of my first shows I didn't even think about these things until I needed it. These are all things you will miss if you don't have them. So learn from me and remember to take them with you!
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