Small Business Saturday - November 30th

After all the mayhem of Black Friday, but before Cyber Monday, don't forget about Small Business Saturday.  This coming Saturday, November 30, 2013, is the designated day to go out and support the small businesses in your local community.

Look for this seal at participating stores

Small Business Saturday was started in 2010 by American Express with the goal of boosting the revenue for small business owners during the busiest shopping season of the year.  The competition for the best deals in town heats up this week as everyone makes the mad dash to find the perfect gift.  And I know we all love our giant TVs from the big box stores but when you are looking for unique gifts, turn to the mom and pop shops in your city.


One of the things I love about this tradition is that it affords us the wonderful opportunity to get to know our community.  It is such a great thing that we can celebrate the small businesses around us.  Many local merchants and artisans have been cut out by larger stores and we have seen this decline more and more in recent years.  By going out on Saturday November 30th and purchasing from small businesses in your area you are helping to support our community.  Don't be afraid to try a new place.  Who knows, you may discover a new favorite shopping spot.

When you need to take a break from running around, don't forget about the small businesses that you can find online.  There are many online marketplaces, like Etsy and Zibbet, that have been giving new life to local artisans and designers.  Sites like these help keep the spirit of handmade gifts alive.  If you have an online shop, or small business, help those around you by giving back to the very community that supports you.  The best thing you can do is spread the word about a great small business.  Let those around you in on your great find.

Did you know that there are over 27 million small businesses in the US alone?  Many of them may be in your city.  Here is a great site to find the local small businesses in your area that will be participating this Saturday.  If you have a shop, visit www.shopsmall.com to find out how to promote your business this Saturday.

Inspiration Monday: Buttons

Buttons, both new and old, have always fascinated me. For some reason, I am compelled to buy them. Perhaps it stems from my childhood when I would visit my grandmother and she would have dozens of old mason jars filled with antique buttons lined up below her sideboard. Or perhaps it is the obsessed crafter in me who sees so many possibilities with these little objects. 

Part of the fascination with buttons is the variety in their design and shape. The can be flat, rounded, embossed, embedded, or even fabric covered. Some of the old Czech glass buttons are true works of art, a treasure to behold. Because of their multitude and variety, they present many diverse options for the imaginative jewelry designer. 

In this bracelet by Andrea, she used a button as part of the clasp. It provides just the right amount of hardware to this beautiful wrapped bracelet. You can see how Andrea made the bracelet and the button clasp here. 

Here is a ring I made just last week using a Steampunk themed button, some silver Gilders Paste, and a glue-on ring. It was quick and easy, yet the results look complex and professional. A free project and even a Find Out Friday will be coming soon on this piece. 

I found this lovely bracelet on Etsy by designer Allies Adornments. She uses antique buttons from the 1800's to create a stunning piece of jewelry. She chose buttons all of a similar age and theme - I wonder which button was her original inspiration which she built off of? 

Here is an excellent example which incorporates layers of buttons assembled into a bib style necklace. Her color choices are lovely and shows us that you can add a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes to the same piece of jewelry. This piece was done by Etsy designer Angie Neal and is in the shop Hanging By A Thread 1.

Last but certainly not least, is this amazing beadwoven and embroidered focal piece by Andrea. She used a vintage button as the centerpiece and her style inspiration. Still to be determined is if this becomes a necklace, headpiece, or brooch. You can find Andrea's jewelry creations for sale on her Etsy shop Noon Blue Apples. 

Here are some very helpful findings Beadaholique has available to use when working with buttons: 

I hope you feel compelled to pull out your button bin and have some fun; and next time you are about to toss out that worn shirt, pop off the buttons and turn them into fabulous jewelry!

- Julie  

Host an Etsy Craft Party June 10th, 2011

Put on your paper party hats (which you of course made), bake some gooey cupcakes, and pull out the punch bowl - it's time for the second annual Etsy Craft Party! 

This party can be anything you want it to be - a potluck, a picnic, or an evening spent around the dining table. You can invite as many or as few people as you like - maybe even start a group on Meetup. The important thing is to be surrounded by like-minded creative people and to make, craft, create, design, and go wild with inspiration! Share your ideas and personal style, learn from your friends (new and old), and support and encourage your fellow crafter and artist.

Here at Beadholique, we are planning a party of our own with some younger folks, stretch cord, and mixed bags of Czech seed beads. If you are stumped for an idea, perhaps try:

• A bead exchange where everyone brings beads they have not used lately and swaps
• A Knitting party out on the patio while sipping lemonade 
• Resin Madness night
• Scrapbooking all the photos you have yet to put into albums (we know you have lots)

Don't forget to encourage everyone to bring their own supplies and maybe some extras to swap and share. It's always fun to "play" with new goodies. Etsy even has a party kit for you to download complete with coupons, how-to's, and decorations. 

Send us photos of your party, we'd love to see! 

- Julie 

Where Did The Tin Cup Necklace Get Its Name?

Did the tin cup necklace really get its name from the 1996 movie Tin Cup??? Huh? Really? I thought this must be an internet rumor when I first heard it, one of those things that one person writes and then others copy. It's such a well known term, I had imagined it dating back to the 1920's or 30's - not 1996. But after much research, I came to realize the necklace really did get its name from the movie "Tin Cup" starring Kevin Costner and Rene Russo. 

Created by stylist and jewelry designer Wendy Brigode for Ms. Russo to wear in the movie, the necklace featured widely spaced pearls on a fine silk thread, making them look as if they 'float.'  The necklace design proved very popular, and was quickly appropriated and refined upon by jewelry crafters everywhere.

Today, many people call the tin cup necklace a floating pearl necklace; both terms are usually describing the same thing. Variations of the tin cup necklace also replace the silk thread with a very fine chain of silver or gold.  

You can see a lovely example we found at Etsy store CuriousCottontail, at right.

 

Whether you choose white or colored pearls, chain or silk thread, the Tin Cup necklace is an updated, fashionable interpretation of the classic pearl necklace.


-Julie

Another Artfire Winner Tells All/Thoughts on Photography

Great photo, Paula!

Another lucky winner of our Artfire Studio-For-Life Design Challenge has blogged about her new Artfire studio and how she won it.  Oh, and she says we're great.  No, Paula, you're great!  

We loved Paula's photography, by the way. Probably the best photograph that we received. Photography is so important for selling online, as we have learned by experience.  If you are doing online sales, you either need to learn to take decent photographs yourself, or you need to hire someone. 
Doing it yourself is going to be monetarily cheaper.  There are lots of seminars for crafters, lots of books, lots of YouTube videos to get you going.  But can you afford the time you will spend on your learning curve, and then on the constant photography, digital retouching and posting?

When we started out, I would put beads on an inexpensive scanner, and post them on eBay.  Back then, a cheap scanner took pretty bad photos. And I had absolutely no idea how to re-touch them to make them look better.  But everyone on eBay was an amateur back then, and people bought the beads, over and over, even though I forgot to put the measurements in the description, and the photo was blurry.

But we knew we had to get better, and as we grew, I no longer had the time to take the pictures.  Eventually we purchased a bottom-of-the-line 35mm digital camera, and asked a photographer friend to help us out part-time.  To save us money, he used our camera, and took pictures in our backyard, using sunlight, a folding table, and some white foam-core.  Then he took the photo files home and did Photoshop work on them. 

What I never expected was that I would have to explain some basic things to this very nice man, like why you couldn't show 10 heart-shaped beads upside-down.  And which side of an earring hook was up.  And what an earring hook actually was.  While he knew lighting and lenses, he knew nothing about our product, and it was up to me to explain to him what I wanted.  He, too, had a learning curve. 

Over a period of years, our photographer friend coaxed us into buying a macro lens, then a better camera, then some (gasp) lighting equipment.   A couple of years ago, we hired a full-time photographer-computer graphics expert, who, out of the closet-size studio we gave him, has gently pushed us even further into the digital age, doing animations, wallpapers, icons, even magazine layouts.

What's my point?  Um, I guess...learn to do it well, or hire someone to do it well. Figure out which will cost you less in the long run.  

Pro photos are especially worth it if you are making & selling multiples of items--you'll only need one photo for multiple sales.  A pro will also be helpful if your product is expensive.  The right photo really can make your product look like a million bucks! If you do hire someone, always check their work--just yesterday, I sent another photo of upside-down heart beads back to our whiz-bang photographer-graphics guy. 

If you are selling lots of unique items at low-to-middling prices, a pro photographer will be too costly.  Make your initial time investment in learning how to take nice pictures of your stuff, and how to edit them in simple photo software.  Remember, sunlight is the best light!  And if you are selling small items, make sure you get a camera that can take close-up (macro) photographs (focal distance 8 to 11 inches).   

Fine Jewelry's Loss Is Craft Beaders Gain

If you were planning on starting your own retail jewelry mega-chain, it might be wise to reconsider. Sales of fine jewelry are off 34% compared to a year ago, and even diamond giant DeBeers is getting a little uneasy. The entire precious stone industry has taken a huge hit recently, but their loss is the independent crafters gain. Craft jewelry, once relegated to the jewelry boxes of girl scouts with crafts badges, is more popular than ever thanks to online sales at sites like Etsy, Amazon and eBay. According to a recent New York Times article about the craft boom, "On eBay, people bought 13,137 handmade crafts over the last 60 days for an average price of $8.21, and sales of handmade crafts climbed 34%, the company said."

Jewelry crafters with a compulsion to stay on top of fashion trends and a dedication to thrift might feel more inclined to create their own versions of contemporary designs, others may use their crafting hobby as a means of supplementing their income. 
"My friends see the earrings I'm wearing and place orders with me to create more for them" says Lydia Ramos, from the Beadaholique shipping department.  No matter what your reasons, odds are someone is out there looking to buy a piece of your imagination.
Who wouldn't want to make a few extra bucks doing something they love?