Over the past couple of years I've tried a few different sites to maintain a Jonesy Jewels store, from Etsy to my own website on Indie Made, and I have to say that it has been through a lot of trial and error.
I have finally decided on sticking with my Shop Handmade store, and will continue to add new pieces weekly if not daily. The address foe this site is: http://www.shophandmade.com/Store/Jonesy.
My Facebook fan page also has a store, and if you 'Like' my page you automatically get a 10% discount. I'll try to add new pieces to it as well, but I plan on concentrating my efforts on my Shop Handmade store. The address for my Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/#!/JonesyJewels/app_135607783795
Thank you all that have checked either one out!!
~Kristie
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Summer Time Gems
It's finally feeling like summertime! The bright sun, beaches, pool side fun, and sultry nights are just some of my favorite things...
Summer is a time to brighten up your wardrobe with lots of fun colorful tops and accessories!
I will be the first to admit that I love wearing black, but I try my hardest to add a little color with my jewelry, shoes, or handbag.
Seriously a bright pair of earrings or necklace can totally transform you from a goth Lilly Munster to a glam It Girl! Add in a pair of over sized shades and you can look like a Hollywood starlet, lol.
So far I've been working with the new, and very awesome, Swarovski neon colored pearls. I'm in love with them and they're SO much fun to work with! I've also got some stunning tangerine CN crystals that I've paired with all sorts of seed beads to make a multi-strand anklet and bracelet.
Here's some preview pictures :)
Summer is a time to brighten up your wardrobe with lots of fun colorful tops and accessories!
I will be the first to admit that I love wearing black, but I try my hardest to add a little color with my jewelry, shoes, or handbag.
Seriously a bright pair of earrings or necklace can totally transform you from a goth Lilly Munster to a glam It Girl! Add in a pair of over sized shades and you can look like a Hollywood starlet, lol.
So far I've been working with the new, and very awesome, Swarovski neon colored pearls. I'm in love with them and they're SO much fun to work with! I've also got some stunning tangerine CN crystals that I've paired with all sorts of seed beads to make a multi-strand anklet and bracelet.
Here's some preview pictures :)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Overactive Imaginations...
I've spent the last two days 'catching up' on the TV show 'The Walking Dead' with my grandpa. Normally I don't watch anything scary; I already get nightmares by watching CSI and Bones sometimes, lol. It's been said that I have an over-reactive imagination.
That said, even though the show is about Zombies and has way too much blood and guts (ick) it's also kind of fascinating. What would you do if the world suddenly went crazy because of some weird disease? This is actually the first Zombie movie/show I've ever really watched - when I do watch something a little scary my preferred supernatural creatures would be vampires. And not the 'Twilight' version; more 'Buffy' or even 'True Blood' is my style.
And with Halloween coming up (it's in my top 3 Favorite Holidays) I've had some fun making some more Gothic type jewelry and here's a sneak peak of what I just made a couple hours ago...
A little bit vampish, maybe 'The Walking Dead' will give me some 'ghoulish' inspiration? That was bad, I know! But I have been thinking about maybe using more Dragons Blood Jasper or Blood Stone a fun necklace or bracelet...
For now I need to order some more roses from Auntie's Beads and maybe find some more cool ring blanks from Etsy!
That said, even though the show is about Zombies and has way too much blood and guts (ick) it's also kind of fascinating. What would you do if the world suddenly went crazy because of some weird disease? This is actually the first Zombie movie/show I've ever really watched - when I do watch something a little scary my preferred supernatural creatures would be vampires. And not the 'Twilight' version; more 'Buffy' or even 'True Blood' is my style.
And with Halloween coming up (it's in my top 3 Favorite Holidays) I've had some fun making some more Gothic type jewelry and here's a sneak peak of what I just made a couple hours ago...
A little bit vampish, maybe 'The Walking Dead' will give me some 'ghoulish' inspiration? That was bad, I know! But I have been thinking about maybe using more Dragons Blood Jasper or Blood Stone a fun necklace or bracelet...
For now I need to order some more roses from Auntie's Beads and maybe find some more cool ring blanks from Etsy!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Festival Tips & Tricks!
My first real festival experience was this past weekend here in my hometown of Lebanon, IN at the
I say real because even though I had a booth set up at the same festival last year the only thing I could do was help set-up. I was sick and couldn’t stay for the full experience. This year I was able and raring to go!! The whole day was new and exciting; I loved every part of it and can’t wait till next years festival.
Now I like to be prepared so just like last year I searched for tips on how to make an awesome booth that would draw shoppers in and make them want to buy in that ‘I-just-have-to-have-that’ way. I found some amazing tips and tricks while researching; but here’s the very first one to really understand:
There is nothing that can truly prepare you for your first time other than experiencing it yourself.The lovely ladies beside me, selling Beauty Control, told me a rather scary story of their first time; just the weekend before in North Salem, IN. On their third day there a gust of wind blew in and caused their canopy tent to go flying! Thankfully none of them were hurt, but it’s strong reminder to always use something to weigh your canopy tent down when you have an out door show!As for what I learnt on my first time out, well here are some particulars:
Always help out you neighbors! My grandmother and I helped several booths around us assemble their canopies - those little buggers can be hard to latch on that last corner! During the event we all helped each other out, paper towel, a shared trash bag, ect. A kind act is something that all of us should be able to accomplish, even at 6am without our normal coffee fix or when we’re all exhausted after the show.
If you’re doing an outdoor show in the middle of September make sure you wear something warm!! I wore a t-shirt and flimsy jacket thinking that it would warm up fast. I was a popsicle from 6am till around noon, lol.
Smile, be genuine and warm. Say ‘good morning/afternoon’, answer questions, and never be rude. I had one lady come in with a stroller and when she apologized for taking up so much room I waved her off and told her not to worry about it. She beamed and told me that a customer in another booth (selling jewelry) had made a remark about the booth space being crowded and that the actual booth owner agreed and remarked that it was because strollers take up far too much space.
Not exactly a way to win over customers right? I voiced my disbelief and complimented her stroller, it was purple and I have a love of that color ;) All in all, it ended in a sale for me.
Have a wide selection of price points: I had a lot of competition, I’ve noticed more and more people selling handcrafted jewelry lately. My grandfather loves festivals and he loves to shop. This has translated into checking up on what competition I have. This year his ‘report’ was that even though there were a lot of jewelry booths none of them seemed to have anything priced under $20. I always make sure to have a price range from at least $3 and up. Try to think of what the average customer is going to think about, mainly could I get something like this cheaper at Wal-Mart?
That said I did read an article the other day about pricing that really made me stop and think, but I’ll cover that in a future post!
Network like crazy! This was a one day sell, but I got several amazing offers. The Beauty Control ladies loved my heart earrings, and they want to talk to me about making some that fit in with the theme they have to sell at the festivals they go to. I got invited to buy table space at an upcoming Holiday Bazaar at the local Moose Lodge - not being a member I probably would have never heard about it otherwise! Another young lady asked me to design some jewelry for her wedding that’s just after the first of the year. There’s a lot more but my point is that any event you do has the potential to help you in even more ways!
Make sure everything is priced! I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a procrastinator! And that killed me, even though I had most of my pricing done, and signs for the rest, I lost a few sales because several things were not priced and those signs? The few I had were sometimes not seen well and the biggest mistake I made was not having a sign with the name of my business on it. I meant to have one of course, but my printer ran out of ink and when I tried to print it off at my grandmothers house I couldn’t because I hadn’t saved the document correctly. I should have done this the day or even week before!
Quality is a must! A lot of my customers were happy to see that I use wire-wrapped loops whenever possible. I like to make sure that anything I sell will be wearable for a long, long time. One lady asked me why I didn’t use stretch cord; I just don’t like the fact that it seems so unstable to me. It’s just too easy to break.
I use memory wire instead for things like children’s bracelets (in the small bracelet size) because most kids put stuff into their mouths and I don’t want to take a chance on having the stretch break while I know the wire will not.
And all in all, have FUN!!
I say real because even though I had a booth set up at the same festival last year the only thing I could do was help set-up. I was sick and couldn’t stay for the full experience. This year I was able and raring to go!! The whole day was new and exciting; I loved every part of it and can’t wait till next years festival.
Now I like to be prepared so just like last year I searched for tips on how to make an awesome booth that would draw shoppers in and make them want to buy in that ‘I-just-have-to-have-that’ way. I found some amazing tips and tricks while researching; but here’s the very first one to really understand:
There is nothing that can truly prepare you for your first time other than experiencing it yourself.The lovely ladies beside me, selling Beauty Control, told me a rather scary story of their first time; just the weekend before in North Salem, IN. On their third day there a gust of wind blew in and caused their canopy tent to go flying! Thankfully none of them were hurt, but it’s strong reminder to always use something to weigh your canopy tent down when you have an out door show!As for what I learnt on my first time out, well here are some particulars:
Always help out you neighbors! My grandmother and I helped several booths around us assemble their canopies - those little buggers can be hard to latch on that last corner! During the event we all helped each other out, paper towel, a shared trash bag, ect. A kind act is something that all of us should be able to accomplish, even at 6am without our normal coffee fix or when we’re all exhausted after the show.
If you’re doing an outdoor show in the middle of September make sure you wear something warm!! I wore a t-shirt and flimsy jacket thinking that it would warm up fast. I was a popsicle from 6am till around noon, lol.
Smile, be genuine and warm. Say ‘good morning/afternoon’, answer questions, and never be rude. I had one lady come in with a stroller and when she apologized for taking up so much room I waved her off and told her not to worry about it. She beamed and told me that a customer in another booth (selling jewelry) had made a remark about the booth space being crowded and that the actual booth owner agreed and remarked that it was because strollers take up far too much space.
Not exactly a way to win over customers right? I voiced my disbelief and complimented her stroller, it was purple and I have a love of that color ;) All in all, it ended in a sale for me.
Have a wide selection of price points: I had a lot of competition, I’ve noticed more and more people selling handcrafted jewelry lately. My grandfather loves festivals and he loves to shop. This has translated into checking up on what competition I have. This year his ‘report’ was that even though there were a lot of jewelry booths none of them seemed to have anything priced under $20. I always make sure to have a price range from at least $3 and up. Try to think of what the average customer is going to think about, mainly could I get something like this cheaper at Wal-Mart?
That said I did read an article the other day about pricing that really made me stop and think, but I’ll cover that in a future post!
Network like crazy! This was a one day sell, but I got several amazing offers. The Beauty Control ladies loved my heart earrings, and they want to talk to me about making some that fit in with the theme they have to sell at the festivals they go to. I got invited to buy table space at an upcoming Holiday Bazaar at the local Moose Lodge - not being a member I probably would have never heard about it otherwise! Another young lady asked me to design some jewelry for her wedding that’s just after the first of the year. There’s a lot more but my point is that any event you do has the potential to help you in even more ways!
Make sure everything is priced! I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a procrastinator! And that killed me, even though I had most of my pricing done, and signs for the rest, I lost a few sales because several things were not priced and those signs? The few I had were sometimes not seen well and the biggest mistake I made was not having a sign with the name of my business on it. I meant to have one of course, but my printer ran out of ink and when I tried to print it off at my grandmothers house I couldn’t because I hadn’t saved the document correctly. I should have done this the day or even week before!
Quality is a must! A lot of my customers were happy to see that I use wire-wrapped loops whenever possible. I like to make sure that anything I sell will be wearable for a long, long time. One lady asked me why I didn’t use stretch cord; I just don’t like the fact that it seems so unstable to me. It’s just too easy to break.
I use memory wire instead for things like children’s bracelets (in the small bracelet size) because most kids put stuff into their mouths and I don’t want to take a chance on having the stretch break while I know the wire will not.
And all in all, have FUN!!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
1st Time Beading
Nearly 5 years ago I came upon my first ever bead store. I was vacationing with some family in San Diego, CA and from out hotel we could walk to the beach or to some shops and restaurants depending on what we were in the mood for.
On one such walk I saw this store that I was drawn into by the jewelry displays in the window, and I can't remember the name but at the time thought it was rather catchy. I thought that I would find a treasure trove of jewelry perfect for my limited budget...
When I walked into the store I was actually taken back however, and completely confused. Why were all these strands hanging on the walls without any clasps? And what in the world is a 'bead board' and why would I want to gather loose gem stones onto it?
I had no idea that what I had jut walked into would turn out to be my life's dream several years later.
In fact it was about 3 years later that my grandmother and I were wondering around Wal-Mart when we passed by the Crafts and she turned to me and said that I hould learn how to make jewelry since I loved to buy it all the time.
We walked over to the jewelry section and once again, I was way out of my element but willing to give it a try. My grandmother grabbed a tool kit for me and I picked out two different kits to try out.
I went home that night and when I realized that the kits really hadn't provided me with any directions I turned to the ever trusty Internet and found all sorts of tips, instructions, videos, and more. With their help I stayed up until I had made six pairs of earrings.
My loops were far from perfect, I couldn't begin to imagine a wrapped loop and using the crimping pliers was a disaster! But I was hooked, and I have been since.
To me beading is therapy and I am totally addicted to it!
On one such walk I saw this store that I was drawn into by the jewelry displays in the window, and I can't remember the name but at the time thought it was rather catchy. I thought that I would find a treasure trove of jewelry perfect for my limited budget...
When I walked into the store I was actually taken back however, and completely confused. Why were all these strands hanging on the walls without any clasps? And what in the world is a 'bead board' and why would I want to gather loose gem stones onto it?
I had no idea that what I had jut walked into would turn out to be my life's dream several years later.
In fact it was about 3 years later that my grandmother and I were wondering around Wal-Mart when we passed by the Crafts and she turned to me and said that I hould learn how to make jewelry since I loved to buy it all the time.
We walked over to the jewelry section and once again, I was way out of my element but willing to give it a try. My grandmother grabbed a tool kit for me and I picked out two different kits to try out.
I went home that night and when I realized that the kits really hadn't provided me with any directions I turned to the ever trusty Internet and found all sorts of tips, instructions, videos, and more. With their help I stayed up until I had made six pairs of earrings.
My loops were far from perfect, I couldn't begin to imagine a wrapped loop and using the crimping pliers was a disaster! But I was hooked, and I have been since.
To me beading is therapy and I am totally addicted to it!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Treasure Hunting...
I get up at the crack of dawn most Saturday mornings, dress, throw on a hat to cover my bed head and join my grandfather and great aunt for some serious garage sales.
We start out by getting a newspaper and going over the sale ads with a keen eye, intent on getting to the best ones first. As the navigator I carefully mark each one we want to hit and cross out the ones that are a few days old or out of town. Then I grab a GPS and program the first one in, yes, the GPS is a life saver even in a small town!
Then we grab a cup of hot coffee and tart out. I try to make sure we stay on course for the most part, though there are stops here and there for sales not marked in the paper. And each one of us has our own treasures to hunt for, mine of course is beads and jewelry.
I look for new and for old, with the mind to re-create something out of it all. There' really not much that you cannot find at a garage sale really, I've come across polished gem stones, vintage Lucite beads of every color, and more! It makes the imagination run wild with possibilities and not only is it a great way to get beads and supplies for a low cost but it's also very Green as you're recycling the old to make new.
And trust, the beads, findings, chain and other misc. supplies I've gotten really add up. If you're going to sell what you end up making it makes for a great profit! I once sold a bracelet that I had made from my garage sale stash for $10, nearly pure profit as other than the wire & crimp beads it cost less than $2 to make.
I think that the added bonus for me however is spending the time with grandfather and aunt, it's always a great day even if we don't find anything!
We start out by getting a newspaper and going over the sale ads with a keen eye, intent on getting to the best ones first. As the navigator I carefully mark each one we want to hit and cross out the ones that are a few days old or out of town. Then I grab a GPS and program the first one in, yes, the GPS is a life saver even in a small town!
Then we grab a cup of hot coffee and tart out. I try to make sure we stay on course for the most part, though there are stops here and there for sales not marked in the paper. And each one of us has our own treasures to hunt for, mine of course is beads and jewelry.
I look for new and for old, with the mind to re-create something out of it all. There' really not much that you cannot find at a garage sale really, I've come across polished gem stones, vintage Lucite beads of every color, and more! It makes the imagination run wild with possibilities and not only is it a great way to get beads and supplies for a low cost but it's also very Green as you're recycling the old to make new.
And trust, the beads, findings, chain and other misc. supplies I've gotten really add up. If you're going to sell what you end up making it makes for a great profit! I once sold a bracelet that I had made from my garage sale stash for $10, nearly pure profit as other than the wire & crimp beads it cost less than $2 to make.
I think that the added bonus for me however is spending the time with grandfather and aunt, it's always a great day even if we don't find anything!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)