My last shopping trip surprised me because the clothing styles had suddenly turned from tanks and shorts to sweaters and long-sleeved shirts. Although I'm not headed back to school myself, this time of year reminds me of new outfits and shoes in need of breaking in. Dazzling Textures, this issue's free project, would be the perfect complement to a summer, fall or transitional outfit. Learn a jewelry designer's tips for success and find out about a new book that is certain to inspire.
Finding Success as a Jewelry Designer
Crickette Brown Glad, jewelry designer and owner of Between the Cleavage, has grown her business 98 percent over the past few months. She was kind enough to share her tips for business success with our readers.
10 Tips for Jewelry Success in a Slow Economy 1. Be a Business, not a Hobby. Many jewelry designers consider themselves artists first and business professionals last. Jewelry designers who want to make money have to take their business seriously. When I started thinking of jewelry designing as a business instead of my hobby, my company started to grow.
2. Hire Professionals. Stop trying to do everything yourself. Hire professionals in the graphic design, public relations or sales industries, and stick to what you are good at: designing jewelry!
3. Stand Out. Everything you create, including your jewelry and your company name, must stand out against the competition. Are your pieces truly unique? Is your name memorable? If not, your jewelry will be easily forgotten.
4. Use Good-Quality Hangtags. Hire a graphic designer to create stunning marketing materials. Hangtags are direct extensions of your business. A cheap, handwritten tag diminishes the perceived quality of a beautiful necklace.
5. Try New Things. Don't be afraid to try new ways of marketing. Take advantage of advertising and sales opportunities that come your way, such as trade shows, events, fairs and festivals. Try promotional methods at least twice and learn from your experiences.
6. Reinvent Yourself. Don't stick to the same old designs, even if they are what you are best at. Leave your comfort zone and try new designs to see what works with your customers. Seasons and styles change quickly; you have to stay on top of trends if you want to sell your designs.
7. Stand Behind Your Product 100 percent. Create quality pieces, so you are comfortable offering a money-back guarantee. Buyers are more willing to purchase items if they can trust the quality. Fix anything that breaks and make exchanges if a customer is unsatisfied.
8. Don't Let Your Items Go on Sale. Check in with your retail stores and be sure your items are not being discounted. A sale on your designs diminishes the perceived quality of your brand. If a collection or item is not selling, offer to exchange it for a more current, trendy piece.
9. Provide Excellent Customer Service. Follow up with retailers and buyers. Be consistent without being pushy. Pick up the phone and call instead of sending an e-mail. In this day, an actual phone call is more memorable than an e-mail.
10. Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs. Trust in yourself and believe that you can succeed. In many cases, our own self-limiting beliefs can be our biggest challenge. If you are truly proud and confident in your designs, others will notice and want to wear your work.
See Crickette's beautiful jewelry on her Web site, BetweenTheCleavage.com.
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Book Reviews
Seed Bead Fusion
by Rachel Nelson-Smith
$24.95, Interweave Press, September 2009
If you've ever considered learning about seed beads, wire or stringing, Rachel Nelson-Smith has more than just a few things to show you! Rachel knows everything about fearlessly crafting, jewelry and blends techniques and materials from her experience working in bead stores and teaching students.
Broken down into three sections, Beadweaving With Wire, Wireworking With Seed Beads and Combining Beadweaving Stitches, the book offers 18 stunning projects. No matter what your level of experience, diagrams and clear step-by-step photos make each design completely approachable. Every project is shown in a variety of colorways that entice and inspire. For clarity, Rachel also provides a detailed Basics section that covers tools and materials, and shows stringing, wire techniques and basic stitches.
Seed Bead Fusion offers variety and innovation that is certain to change and expand your perspective on beading. Rachel's exciting color choices and innovative methods will leave readers inspired, skilled and ready to create showstopping jewelry.
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 Free Project: Dazzling Textures
Design by Rebekah Willis
These delicate pieces are proof that jewelry doesn’t have to be oversized to have texture and presence. Seed beads, pearls, crystals and other assorted beads make these pieces lightweight and comfortable to wear.
Materials
- Assorted lightweight beads including:
- 6mm faceted black crystals
- 4mm gold bicones, cream pearls, mother-of-pearl rondelles
- 8/0 gold and black seed beads
- 11/0 seed beads: black, cream, brown
- 4mm–6mm glass beads: black, cream, gold
- 2 gold crimp beads
- 2 gold head pins
- 2 gold eye pins
- 2 gold French ear wires
- Gold snap clasp
- 26 inches .015-inch-diameter 19-strand nylon-coated flexible beading wire
- Round-nose pliers
- Chain-nose pliers
- Crimp pliers
- Wire nippers
Finished Sizes
Necklace
25 1/4 inches
Earrings
1 1/2 inches long
Instructions
Necklace
| 1) |
Cut a 26-inch length of beading wire. String a crimp bead 1/2 inch from end of wire; place wire end through one half of clasp and back through crimp bead. Crimp the crimp bead. String on an 8/0 seed bead and push it close to crimp bead; trim excess wire tail. |
| 2) |
String on desired assortment of beads until beaded section measures approximately 24 inches. |
| 3) |
String on an 8/0 seed bead, a crimp bead and remaining half of clasp; thread wire end back through crimp bead and several other beads. Crimp the crimp bead. Trim excess wire. |
Earrings
| 1) |
Thread an 11/0 black seed bead, 4mm gold bicone bead and an 11/0 black seed bead on an eye pin. Use round-nose pliers to form a loop above top bead; trim excess wire. Attach loop to ear wire; close loop with chain-nose pliers. |
| 2) |
Thread an 11/0 cream seed bead, 6mm faceted black crystal bead and an 11/0 cream seed bead on a head pin. Form a loop above top bead. Trim excess wire. Attach loop to bottom loop on beaded eye pin; close loop. |
| 4) |
Repeat steps 1 and 2 for second earring. |
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Source: Beading wire from Beadalon.
Copyright © October 2005 Simply Beads magazine. All rights reserved.
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Rainy Day Beading Fun
Are you entertaining friends and family during the last big weekend of summer? Nothing is more fun than a good barbecue in the backyard, but what if the weather doesn't cooperate? Having some rainy day activities as a backup plan is always a good idea! Any beader will tell you that rainy days are the best for beading. Stay warm and dry while making a nice piece of jewelry or a fun home decoration that brightens any day.
I found fantastic free project ideas for beading with teens and kids online at www.artistshelpingchildren.org, crafts.lovetoknow.com, and kaboose.com. Many projects use ordinary household materials that you may already have on hand. Searching the house for supplies can often be half the fun of craft projects. Keep an open mind, and don't be afraid to search the garage, recycling bin, basement or the pantry for potential craft materials.
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