Item of the day!

It's been way to long since I've updated the blog. I've been really busy. Yeah. Right. That's my excuse.

Anyway, things have gone well. We had a sale online and Karla took her jewelry to a church activity and managed to get a few unexpected sales. We always love that!

I just had a crazy thought today, an "Item of the day" promotion where one item will be at 30% off for one day. I think it's a really great deal. Here's today's item:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6807258

Polyclay in the HOUSE

I've been wanting to try to make a bracelet or wrist band out of polymer clay for quite some time. It's an idea that keeps coming to my mind and I had to try it out. So, last night, I finally broke down and started the project. It was a little more complicated than I anticipated and took some more thought than the initial idea, but I think it turned out really well! The one I listed in our online store, I have on hemp cord. I'm not sure that I like that look, but I didn't have anything else to use and it looks decent. I'm thinking it would be better with leather cord. I have more ideas for wristbands that I'm going to implement.

And Karla is going back to Mexico to visit her family again, and this time, I'm going to join her there! She's lucky and will get to go for over a month, and I can only take 2 weeks vacation. So I'll join her down there later and then we'll come back with new toys!

Our Fourth of July sale is still going on, buy one, get the second at HALF PRICE! You just can't beat that. We'll see you 'round!

One of a Kind: Take Two

We just had an interesting experience last night. We had another in home jewelry showing and got quite a bit of business. It was very nice, to be there with all those people and talk to them and they were quite kind with their purchases, as well.

However, when we got home afterwards and Karla checked Etsy, we'd had a sale, one of the very things that someone had set aside as a reservation. Luckily, I was able to call the customer and explain that someone had bought that same article, and would she mind terribly if we sent it to the paying customer? She was very understanding and agreed and we made a deal for her next purchase. It's a good deal for her and for us, as it guarantees that she'll be a future customer. And it's good that we got to actually sell the item that had been listed on Etsy.

As I explained to Karla last night, this is one of those dangers of having only OOAK pieces. If we can't make duplicates, how will we handle this situation in the future? I think the solution we worked out today will work in the future.

Problem solved!

One of a Kind

A couple days ago, I was in Michael's browsing for some inspiration, when I started chatting with another woman there. I found out that she was a semi-successful jewelry artist who had just returned from a show in Louisianna where she had pulled in $8k. Cool, but that's neither here, nor there.

We got to talking about materials and techniques and, I don't remember how, but we got into a big discussion about whether it's good to make copies of previous designs, or if one should always make only one of each item. Now, I'm all for making copies. She was quite adamant that each piece should be original, and the only one of it's kind.

I like originality. I like making something that no one else has thought of. But, with jewelry being such an old art, and there being so many people on this planet... can I really come up with a design that no one has thought of yet?

So... I'll keep doing what I'm doing. I make what I like and if someone wants another piece that I've already made, well, why not?