EARRINGS!!! HOLIDAY GLAM!!!

My last post had no pictures, so I promised pics on my next post. Now I'm promising to post more frequently.

The photos are of earrings on consignment through the Illinois Artisan Program. They are made with gold filled or sterling silver, Swarovski crystals and pearls, cobalt blue Czech glass round beads, copper, hematite stone beads, and love, passion, patience and holiday cheer! We all deserve Happy Holidays! Let the parties begin.

Lapis Blue

The change from daylight savings time in the fall always makes me a little blue which inspired me to list this cuff bracelet and earrings in my etsy shop and to share them here. I will be adding more blue items in my shop.

I love lapis blue, cobalt blue, sapphire blue, any shade of blue. I think it is the favorite color of most people. These items are bead woven in right angle weave, with the earrings in circular right angle weave. It was quite a trick to get the beads on both sides of the base; I bent and broke more than a few needles. I just needed to make the base a little larger and then fill in with tiny seed beads to hide the spaces between the beads. The cuff has size 15 charlotte lacy edging on it, my favorite part to do. I wish I made it smaller -- it fits a 7.5 inch wrist, not mine! Somewhere there is a woman who is the perfect fit for this cuff bracelet. Are you that person?

More Endive, Rose dust and Purple Orchid

I've listed two days in a row! Two more items in my series. I have a bracelet ready for the camera, another just started, pearl beaded beads and more peace jasper waiting for a bead order. These items are less exciting but more affordable (under $200).

Peace Jasper Items in Endive, Rose Dust and Purple Orchid

Today I listed the freeform brick stitch bracelet with a peace jasper round stone as the focal point that I wrote about in my last post. I also listed the Peace Jasper Teardrop spiral weave necklace and a coordinating pair of earrings which are pictured here. I will list more items in these colors. I need to order clasps, so not all items in this series will be listed together. Hope you enjoy them; remember to click to magnify.

Pictures

A few recent pictures. Angel earrings for Christmas in July. Lavender pearl earrings to match the single strand flat spiral bracelet; that's provence lavender crystal, too. Ruby with white pearl beaded bead earrings to match a necklace and bracelet in flat spiral weave that I may list in my shop later this fall.

Beads arrived today with the Margie Deeb colors. The maroon pearls definitely look chocolate. I worked on a dutch spiral necklace in white. The spiral portion is about 7.5 inches with white pearl seed beaded tubular peyote stitch for the remainder of the 20 inch necklace. I will add it to the bridal white section of my shop soon.

Update, Christmas in July

It has been a week since I have written a blog post. I spent two days in the Thompson Center in Chicago trying to sell my work at an Art Spree for Illinois Artisans. I spent the weekend relaxing afterward, removing items from my shop that are now in the Museum Shop in the Thompson Center, and organizing returns from that shop so I can list them on etsy. I am in process of setting up my Art Fair display in part of my home, so people will be able to see my work here, by appointment. Also I continued to work on Christmas in July with 20 items in that sale. So far, no one appears to have searched for "Christmas in July" in my shop...they are etsy tags, not search engine tags, that will help people find those items. Prices return to regular August 1.

If there is an item you would like that has become inactive on etsy, please contact me because it may be available for purchase. My work at the Artisan Shop is on consignment. I have been thinking about creating a flickr album of my work there.

Today I made earrings to coordinate with my necklaces and bracelets. It is easy to see which items I don't have earrings for when I am trying to sell, having items set out in front of me. At least this time I wasn't missing a desired color.

Speaking of color, I downloaded Margie Deeb's Fall Color Report and ordered beads in the new colors. I'm certain I'll like the purple ones, but there is a jonquil/peridot, chocolate, red lipstick, and others to look forward to working with. Usually I have already created items to go on consignment by the time the color report is available.

I have a new location for my work on consignment. It is TLD Designs Center and Gallery, Westmont, Illinois. Tammy Deck likes the cellini spiral bangle bracelets and has two of them in the assortment of items I left with her. I will set up a flickr album for those items, too.

Future Direction of My Etsy Shop

These are previews of the photos I will use when I list the second bridal white bracelet. It has the same number of beads as the one I already listed, but there are 4 rows of pearls instead of three, and three rows of crystals instead of four; The round shape takes up slightly more space, so the to be listed bracelet is about .5 inch longer. Beading trivia!

I decided not to renew or add earrings to my etsy shop unless they are earrings that are likely to draw attention and clicks. My earring promotion in the month of April seems to have not produced enough interest in earrings. I will continue to make earrings, especially the beaded bead or beaded around a cabochon type and, of course, on request. The Illinois Artisan shops sell my earrings, and, of course, they are popular at Art Fairs.

I've also noticed people search on Swarovski, crystals, bracelets, beads, cellini spiral but not ebw, ebw team, however the challenge ebwc is useful for a few days a month on one item before it is removed to prepare for the next month. My most viewed items are my challenge entries, and they continue to draw views.

I started to bead around a rectangular sapphire blue and gold venetian bead to make a brick stitch bracelet. I have two matching round beads I bought for earrings that I guess I'll be making beaded beads for. Too soon for pictures. This type of bracelet has been popular at Art Fairs as well as on etsy as it by it's nature is a one of a kind item.

Today I also spent a little time signing up for Facebook. If you want to be my friend, just let me know.

New Listing

I listed the lavender beaded bead and pearl earrings that match the lavender Swarovski pearl woven bracelet I made a couple months ago. I am always behind on making the earrings. I have a bag of the left over beads with about half a dozen that I am aware need matching earrings. I've decided to try to only make bead woven earrings. As I write that I realize the two pair I made for my White Spiral Necklace are not bead woven. So I'll add another earring to the list of those I need to create.

I have been thinking about adding another site for my jewelry, but I do not want to add another one like etsy. I am looking into my own website. Anyone with helpful comments, please let me know. The downfall for me is the etsy community, as much as I enjoy it, is mostly an amateur group. I need to find business people to relate to. I would also like another source of income besides the jewelry. Perhaps if I become proficient at setting up websites I could do that. Or I love the photography, so that could be another revenue source. I'm just talking out loud now. I could teach bead weaving, but my creativity just sort of happens which I don't know how to tell someone to do in 7 easy steps. Then I have yet to join Facebook and work on my flickr account. So? Where to begin? Baby steps....

Peridot Earrings

I found the peridot earrings that match the bracelet I listed recently in a group of earrings that match other items I've made. Logical and ordered, but I didn't think that way. I knew I'd find them eventually. I photographed until I needed to recharge the battery on the camera again. I've started loading the shadow box cases for the art fair this weekend and worked on customizing the two new ones so I'll have six 16 x 20 cases plus three smaller ones. I organize them by color, so blue, purple, brown, black, pink, and green.

Dutch Spiral Necklace and Earrings

Earrings of the day are Swarovski green and purple flower earrings. They look spring/summer to me.

I added the dutch spiral necklace which has Swarovski black diamond ab bicones as well as the delica beads which are miyuki 107 transparent grey iris which are similar to the black diamond color. This is my creative heart shaped display for necklaces. If you want to learn more, the listing should be above under my blog banner.

Dutch spiral is similar to peyote stitch except some of the beads increase and decrease (the delicas) and do not connect to the previous row. Counting is important so that it drapes well. Also the beads used vary in size starting with an 8 (I used a double delica columnar shape bead) which is a great place to hide knots and several size 10 and then the delica beads. Use uniform size of beads for the ones that increase and decrease to get a beautiful spiral curve. You always know which bead to pick up because it is the same as the one you are coming out of from the previous row.

I have used a variety of stitches to finish off the spiral, but find the strung crystals and silver to be preferable. You really can't see the sides and back of a necklace, so spending extra time beadweaving there just makes the necklace more costly. Besides the crystals are lovely. This stitch is a lot faster than the cellini spiral.

Taxes and Earrings

Today is the last day to vote for the April challenge. http://www.etsy_beadweavers.blogspot.com/ My entry was Dancing with the Sky. Please vote for your choice; it's hard to pick just one entry!

I am a great procrastinator and always owe money on my tax return, so I file late. I under estimated the amount of time it would take for me to prepare my records from my business, so I skipped a listing and an entry here. So I have listed two very bright earrings today--orange in carnelian and indigo dark blue plus a pair with fire opal and jonquil. Wonder if subconsciously I wanted to light a fire under the Chicago Bears. Not a sports watching fan, so I doubt it. Lots of high schools have blue and orange for their school colors, so if there is a graduation or birthday gift on your list these earrings may be the solution. I'm really fond of the fire opal color and today I was the one who needed the fire lit under me as I'm tired from little sleep and all that number crunching yesterday into today. And I used to be a CPA!

I forgot to mention that I received a check in the mail from the Illinois Museum Society for the sale of a pair of earrings at the Illinois Artisan Shop in southern Illinois. They were Swarovski white pearl with light blue sapphire crystals. I sent them a collection of blue and white items plus a lavender set for spring. I thought of setting up a bridal section in my shop after I sent them.

Use the Muse

I submitted my creation for Use the Muse IV late Monday night, just in time. I had difficulty connecting with the Muse. When I attached an agate cabochon to the Muse, I felt better about it. My husband likes the completed piece, doesn't understand my issues. So I met the deadline, did what I said I would do and maybe it will sell when I can finally list it. I can't show you a complete picture until the BIG REVEAL which won't be for at least another month. Don't worry, it's dark colors, brown, dark copper, black, grey, perfect for fall/winter. I can tell you it is a bead woven right angle weave choker with picot trim at the top. There are dangles of black onyx roundels, wooden beads, Miyuki drops and delicas, and charlottes. Plus of course the Muse and the peyote stitch agate cabochon.

The picture is my earring listing for April 12. You can learn more about it by clicking on the description above under my blog banner.



Voting is continuing for the April challenge, Light as a Breeze. http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/ for voting. My entry is Dancing with the Stars, number 30. Feel free to vote your choice there are so many lovely ones. There is a commanding lead for one with Japanese flowers (26% of the vote). The woman who suggested the theme (by winning two months ago) is next with 11%. My beads for the May challenge arrived today--turquoise, orange and lime--theme is colors embedded in insects.



I want to welcome JoAnn Deck to my blog. JoAnn won second place in the current show at the Plainfield, Illinois Art League. Congratulations! If you like flowers, collage, and color, click on her name in the list of people I follow located in the right hand column of the blog.

Earrings

I need your help. Please tell me how long you like your earrings to dangle from the loop on the ear wire? Please comment on my blog.

What length do you think is appropriate for your mother?

I will be in the Mother's Day showcase on etsy and want to be sure I'm listing the length of earring you would want.

Any special colors for mom?

I don't have pierced ears, so I'm at a disadvantage. I really need your help. So please comment on this blog.

I just had my first customer for my earrings promotion. The earrings I listed late last night were sold to a bride for her mother to wear for her wedding. Actually she wanted the colors of jet black and black diamond ab but wanted only 1 inch earrings. It was easier for her to purchase the listed earrings with a note to seller than to wait until I made her earrings, photographed them, and listed them. So if you had your heart set on those earrings, I will relist them later. I will also list a bead woven in dutch spiral weave necklace with those colors. Now you know why I need your comments.

The earrings at the top of this post are today's entry in the special promotion in my shop.

Kite flying

This is my tenth pair of earrings in my April earring promotion. I decided to list another pair of Swarovski black diamond ab earrings--this pair has sterling silver bead caps plus jet black Swarovski crystals. To go to my shop, click the title under the blog banner. Someone hearted a pair of earrings in the promotion -- thank you!

Life happened again today. It was a lovely spring day today in Chicago with a sunny high of 76 degrees. (average is 56) The breeze was just right for kite flying. That was something I could never get to work as a child--the rags for the tail were probably too heavy plus we didn't have the open treeless spaces that are perfect for flying kites. Kites were made of paper then (1950's) which tore easily and the rags were cotton. The tulips are starting to bloom--this is early for us. Feel free to comment on your kite flying experiences or how beautiful your tulips are.

The voting continues for the EBW April Challenge contest. Click on the top item under the blog banner to get to my etsy shop; the earrings and my entry, Dancing with the Sky, are featured in my shop. I have all the info in the description. I realized today I haven't made earrings to go with the cuff--I have to complete my Use the Muse entry and do my income taxes first. Life.

Earrings

I did some photo editing tonight as I was running out of images to post for the April earring promotion. I think these are lovely for spring and summer as they are light in color--crystals are Swarovski black diamond ab and the corrugated round sterling silver bead seems to resist tarnish nicely. I'm liking the black diamond ab color, so next time I order beads, I'll have to make something with them. Maybe I should add the three strand flat spiral bracelet to my shop, but I think it has black charlottes connecting the crystals.

Today is the first day of voting for the etsy beadweavers April challenge. http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/ My entry is number 30, Dancing with the Sky. Scroll beneath the group photo to find the listing by number where you can click on the item and go to the shop to see and read the details. This is my first time participating, so I am just happy to have created a lovely bracelet in time to enter. Voting continues thru April 15, so you have time--anyone can vote. Being from the Chicago suburbs I'm not sure if you can vote more than once

I have also worked on my Use the Muse entry which is due Monday. I'm not liking the components in the kit and think I have only used size 15 black seed beads from it so far. The Muse is required. The style is different for me--a choker with dangles from it.

Earrings Promotion

This is the latest pair of earrings in my April promotion. I think my next promotion will only last one week. The purpose of this one is to motivate me to finish photographing all of my inventory. The earrings are especially time consuming because there are so many of them.

This morning I purchased a spot in the Mothers Day showcase on two different days. This will be my first experience with advertising on etsy. I would have purchased a spot for the etsy beadweavers challenge voting, but they were all taken already. I've learned to purchase a spot when I list my entry.

The challenge voting is from 4/9 thru 4/15. It is on the beadweaver's blog. The Facebook page for the beadweavers has each entry listed where you can click on the photo to go to the creators shop. Facebook has some nicer features than blogspot. My entry is Dancing with the Sky which you can find by clicking on the item listed under my blog banner. My description includes where to vote details. There are many choices.

Earrings Promotion & SEO

I added this pair of earrings to my etsy shop, http://www.KRDesigns11.etsy.com/ before this afternoon's virtual lab on SEO. I think I learned that if I listed similar items, I was competing with myself for Google rankings, so somebody please buy a pair of cream pearl and crystal ab earrings. Seriously, you can find these in my shop; easiest way is to click on the item in the feed listing of recent items in my shop under my blog banner. I rearranged my shop to put coordinating items next to the earrings.

I wrote in the new earrings description about the matching choker necklace and bracelet and gave links to the previously listed items. I learned that it would give my new listing a better chance to be crawled by google if I had put the new listing link in the descriptions on the choker and bracelet. Good thing I went to the virtual lab on SEO. Think I have to rewrite my shop announcement, change my shop title and definitely redo listing titles for keywords that buyers would search for. The tags can be more technical to my item because people who search etsy are more likely to know and use such terms. The ones in the titles are for searchers on google. Oh, and I should not have changed or added categories.

Glad I'm learning these things now that I've already done it wrong! There is a forum thread about the mistakes made in the first year of having an etsy shop--I need to read it! We were promised more info on the blog about success--I received mine today after the lab. So, if you are an etsy seller, that email was the understandable part of the lab. Read it and change what you need to.

The next etsy beadweaver challenge is on insects, so I've ordered delicas in aquas, lime and orange. Did you think I was going to write purple, lavender and lilac--show me the bug and I'll use the color scheme--I don't need to buy more purple beads. There was the flying purple people eater!?! Time to sign off.

Three Pages of Items Listed in my Etsy Shop!

I am celebrating having three full pages in my etsy shop. My April Challenge bracelet filled the third page. I set three pages as a goal for the amount I would like to have in my shop, but my earring promotion goes through the end of the month, so my shop will have more pages. The panel discussion on the Handmade Marketplace gave me the idea that I need to have more of my special work in my shop. I hope to attend the next session in the virtual lab tomorrow.

So the challenge bracelet fits in that oh wow (at least to me) category. My imagination, fantasies and feelings come through in the art jewelry I make, more than just beading a bracelet. Dancing with the Sky expresses that by using colors and textures I love. Being on line you miss the drape of the fiber created of beads and the glorious feel of the bracelet against your skin and the glamorous fantasy that I as a senior citizen imagine. I would love to show you my work in person.

Today's earring promotion is an air blue opal Swarovski bicone paired with a heart themed pewter bead cap I purchased last year on etsy. The local bead society yahoo group page was filled with how to find out who made the bead cap on one of the listings; this is by that artist, but the one that everyone raved about was sold. Ask me in the comments if you want to know the seller.

Another Earring Promotion

This photo is of a petite and dainty pair of earrings I call Purples. It has alexandrite (looks blue or purple depending on the light)Swarovski crystal, a purple shade of Czech blue iris round beads, and a round Swarovski violet opal bead. It also has a petite special price during my April promotion, so click on this item under my banner to go to my etsy shop.

Today is Easter which I spent time with my family. I have a beadwoven bracelet which looks close to completion if I spend a lot of time beading tomorrow. It is light blues and green with a silvery accent--typical of my style design.

Feel free to comment on my blog. I really don't feel like writing tonight.

Another Pair of Earrings

I am always surprised where the picture ends up. This time I have a line to write above it. Oh well! These earrings are my selection for day 2 of my earring promotion in my etsy shop. If you want the details, you can click on the description of my recent listings under my banner.


I am using this promotion to test the number of views of my etsy shop. According to the sites that help you manage your shop, I have had no views on my promotional earrings. Also, my shop is not included in the first 20 pages of listings in the etsy search for beadweaving which is what I do. I've spent a lot of time setting up my etsy.com shop, today is my second full month of adding items which now total 59, with no sales. Life.

I joined the Etsy Beadweavers team, which gives me places to say I listed a new item, and we look at each others. When I list the earrings, I cannot post them on the beadweavers places because they are not beadwoven. So now I wonder if the views I have gotten on other items are from my fellow beadweavers (sellers), from supply sellers trying to sell me their merchandise or if they were potential customers. If you are a potential buyer and are reading this, please add a comment to let me know.

I am going to be learning more about search engines. Not exactly what I wanted to do, but seem to need to do in order to make all the time and effort I've put into setting up an etsy shop worthwhile. If you would like me to blog about SEO, please comment.

A pastel artist I know sends a fairly regular weekly email to many people; he always includes a photo with a lesson of sorts. This week there was no photo, so I wrote him asking if I missed it. He responded with the photo and a comment that only 2 people inquired about the missing photo. How sad. If you are interested in pastel paintings (he's good) or live near Chicago, I can put you in contact with him to view his website or take classes from him.

So it's not just husbands that don't listen to their wives and vice versa!