A New Endeavor: Etsy Free Feature

This is a first post in hopefully a series of special feature posts. In an effort to create more free advertising opportunities for Etsy-sellers, I've created this first feature post! Below are items from talented Etsy artists. All items are under $50, providing viewers with affordable, handcrafted gift ideas.


I appreciate any feedback on this first post, so comment away!

Happy browsing!
Sarah
La SuaVoce Designs


Chinese Turquoise, Peridot Jasper, Wood Earrings, $18

Giant Indigo Dew Drop Ring, $12

Full Moon - Crocheted Earrings, $15

Handwoven Pillow with Monogram, $30

Fear's Uncloaking Fine Art Archival Print, $20

Four Ornaments or Pocket Dolls Fabric Panel, $8.50

Mini Yoda Pipe Cleaner Creation, $7.50

Goddette Earrings, $23

Poster -Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right, $14

Elegant Handmade Scarf, $48

Mod Pop Resin Ring, $44

Custom Made Christmas Ornaments, $23

Craft Splurge!

Blick Art Supplies has to be one of the most irresistable places (right up there with Joann Fabrics and Michael's)! This week, bogged down with too much work and too much calculus (not to mention whatever was happening at homecoming), I found the inspiration to start up pen and ink with watercolors again. I did a bit of illustration work (a VERY little bit) in high school with pen and ink, and I've sort of brought it back with the new backgrounds for La SuaVoce's shop.

So $50 worth of materials later (that's a lot for a college student by the way), I'm looking at creating some greeting cards and illustrations...and just go crazy! :)

Happy Weekend!

Sarah

La SuaVoce Designs

Friday Fantasy Feature: Hightower Botanicals

We stumbled across Hightower Botanicals on the Etsy forums, and it wasn't hard to be drawn in by the quality and details in the jewelry. Her pieces are truly unique...and stunning. We are die-hard fans of sterling silver. Silver is a splendid style for the autumn and winter months. Though her pieces are not directly related to fantasy, we felt that her pieces were reminicent of woodland faires, elves, and other mysterious creatures...

Hightower Botanicals makes rings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets, all made with amazing attention to detail.


What do you do? By day I work as an artist assistant in a large studio. I make allot of molds and help fabricate and cast sculptures. By night and on the weekends I make jewelry!
Where do you get your inspiration for your work? I love plants. Especially herbs. Herbal teas and medicinal uses. And I love stones.

Do you have any pieces that are inspired by fantasy? Or are reminiscent of fantasy? I like reading about the folklore behind plants. Allot of cultures used and use herbs for magic potions. In ancient Greece, their was a legend about a beast called the Basilisk. It was described it as dragon like creature with the head of a rooster, body of a serpent, and the wings of a bat. If one looked at a Basilisk in the eyes, they would instantly die. Basil leaves were considered the best cure for a Basilisk bite. As you can see, the name Basil was in the Basilisk. Many of today's names for herbs are derived from traditional uses in medicine. Quite often this mixed in with folklore and sometimes fantasy. A also like to read about the metaphysical properties of stones and the power that they are said to hold.

How did you become involved in your work? I have always made things with my hands. I went to art school for painting. During my senior year I took a foundry class and learned how to cast bronze. I fell in love with the process. After graduation I worked in several bronze foundries in Brooklyn and Queens. I learned how to make various types of molds and learned allot about metal work, casting and chasing wax and metal castings. (Chasing is cleaning up seams and imperfections in a casting.)I've never had any formal jewelry training but my skills as a mold maker and metal worker transferred over to jewelry nicely. A few years ago my friend Robin took me under her wing and taught me how to make jewelry. She taught me so much. And I am still learning new things all the time.

What made you start selling your creations? I guess I've just always been prone to selling handmade creations. In junior high I made lots of polymer clay/ Fimo beads! I made bracelets and necklaces out of them and sold them on the school bus after school. I didn't sell many but receiving money for my creations was an incredible feeling. Before I learned how to solder I made jewelry with stone beads and sold them at Bittersweets when Robin had a store in Brooklyn. After graduating to cast metal jewelry, I began to sell that at her store and it has evolved into Hightower Botanicals on Etsy.

What is your favorite item that you make? My new rosemary hoops are my favorite at the moment! I have so many favorites that they change allot.

Which fantasy creature is your favorite: fairy, dragon, or vampire? H. P. Lovecrafts's Cthulhu is one. I am drawn to the more evil, demon-like creatures!

Visit Hightower Botanicals at her Etsy shop: http://hightowerbotanicals.etsy.com/

Website: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6124496

Blog: http://hightowerbotanicals.blogspot.com/

Other: Check out this site for more fantasy-inspired silver jewerly! http://www.bittersweetsny.com/


Happy creating!
Sarah and Angie

First Friday Fantasy Feature: On Gossamer Wings

Introducing our first Friday Fantasy Feature: On Gossamer Wings!

On Gossamer Wings caught our eye while we were browsing through fantasy-inspired work on Etsy.com. Her work is truly unique (we've never seen anything quite like it!), and we were drawn in by her fun personality (see questions below).

On Gossamer Wings is the first artist to be featured in our "Friday Fantasy Feature" series. Keep an eye out for a new feature each week.

What do you do? I create singularly sublime fairy wings of stylish originality! If you are pleasure-bent for the finest in fairy "art-wear" made specifically for you, my traffic-stopping, handcrafted fairy wings just can't wait to take the spotlight!

Where do you get your inspiration for your work? Over the years (12 of them to be exact), I’ve been inspired by everything around me from autumn leaves to stripey socks…ok, ESPECIALLY stripey socks (they make me happy)!! Anyhoo, some of my favorite artists are Amy Brown, Molly Harrison, Linda Ravenscroft, Renee Biertempfel, and Nene Thomas just to name a few. Their influence can sometimes be spotted in my work.

Do you have any pieces that are inspired by fantasy? Or are reminiscent of fantasy? I truly hope so, otherwise I’ll have to get a “normal” job, and for safety's sake, no one should really want that to happen!How did you become involved in your work? Waaaaaay back when I was in college, I was an Art Major, and I developed an affinity for the goth culture…only, I wasn’t filled with quite enough angst. I found that there was a movement of “Perky Goths,” and one of the pastimes they seemed to enjoy was making fairy wings. They looked so beautiful in the pictures that I saw, and I found my artistic side crying out to make my own pair. And make my own, I did! And then I made another pair, and another.

What made you start selling your creations? Making fairy wings became an obsession for me, and I was swimming in them. It was at that point that I decided that I needed to start selling them or risk losing my dog forever under the piles of wings.

What is your favorite item that you make? It varies based upon the day and my overall attitude, but lately it’s been my Moxie wings. I think it’s because they have such a strong Halloween feel to them. I have a design for a set of peacock fairy wings that I’ve been dying to make, but time is rather short right now.

Which fantasy creature is your favorite: fairy, dragon, or vampire? I think I’ll have to go with fairy…otherwise, I’ll have to face legions of upset fae. Ever seen a mad-as-gump fairy? Trust me, you don’t want to! My eyebrows are just now growing back.

Vist On Gossamer Wings at her Etsy shop: http://ongossamerwings.etsy.com/

Website: http://www.fairy-wings.com/

Blog: http://ongossamerwingsblog.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ongossamerwings

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ongossamerwings

And on http://glittrrgrrl.deviantart.com/

Angie & Sarah

La SuaVoce Designs

Selling Your Work Wholesale: Tips, Checklist, and Resources

Wholesale Resources

Are you ready to start selling wholesale? We are, so we did some research and we’d like to share! Here are some great blogs, forum posts, and articles that provide valuable information about selling wholesale.

If you’re shy and don’t think you’re up to visiting stores, check out this forum post: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6201294

This great two part blog post provides information about pricing, quantity, and communicating with retailers:
Part I: http://qbranchltd.blogspot.com/2008/02/selling-wholesale-part-i.html
Part II: http://qbranchltd.blogspot.com/2008/02/selling-wholesale-part-ii.html

A thorough article about beginning to sell your artisan work wholesale. Includes a number of helpful links:
http://www.indiepublic.com/profiles/blogs/946391:BlogPost:510081

Our Checklist for Preparing to Sell Wholesale:
*Check out the links above and throughout this post for more information to supplement our checklist (some of the terms were unfamiliar to us until we read the information provided in all these links!)*

1. Prepare Etsy shop (and blog, etc.) for wholesale
-adjust prices to be RETAIL prices (double wholesale price for retail price)
*Tips on pricing wholesale:
http://www.helium.com/items/622909-tips-for-pricing-your-handmade-crafts
-make it known that we are interested in selling wholesale
-make it easy for retailers to contact us
-provide a “request form” in blog and Etsy store

2. Create a linesheet & other “things”
-Make a wholesale linesheet
-Make pamphlet to send to far-away boutiques
-Make email template for far-away boutiques
*Specific tips on creating a linesheet:
http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com/jewelry-line-sheets.html
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/what_is_a_line_sheet/

3. Research for retailers
-check out local fashion magazines for label names
-explore local shops (check out the yellow pages!)
-browse online

4. Call to make appointment with boutique owner

5. Be ready with wholesale price sheet and large amount of display-ready merchandise

My New Shop? Photography and Illustration

I've been throwing around the idea of starting a new shop devoted to my photography and illustrations. I really have to do my research (I've never sold either before!), but the idea is so exciting. It seems like photographers have pretty good success on Etsy.com if they can find their niche. First things first: fix my digital camera!

Sarah

A Glimpse Into Our Studio (of Sorts)

It might not be the most glamorous place to work, but it's what we have right now! At home we have a studio set up in our basement, but while we are away at college we have to make due with what we have. This usually means making jewelry on our beds or clearing off our desks. Unfortunately, this also means no soldering until summer (or like this summer while we stay on campus for research, not until August). Most of our pieces (and all pieces now listed on Etsy) are made using cold connections. Suprisingly, this limitation has been mostly to our advantage. Limitations really challenge our creativity, and push it beyond it's limits.

Happy creating to all!
Sarah
(SuaVoce)

Jewelry Suppliers? Here's Where We Go!

It’s tough finding a reliable jewelry supplier that sells a variety of quality products at affordable prices. SuaVoce has made a number of mistakes when it comes to purchasing supplies. We turned to eBay in an attempt to find inexpensive supplies. EBay, however, was unreliable (sometimes you may not get quite was you expect), and quality control was iffy. We have purchased items from craft stores, and while they are often convenient, they tend to be pricy.

So where do you go? Well, SuaVoce has discovered some great suppliers, and we’d like to share…

Rio Grande Jewelry Suppliers
I could rave all day about Rio. Their customer service is incredibly helpful (they always know what they are doing, and they are very efficient). You can be assured that the supplies you receive from Rio are high quality. Plus, they ship your purchases in a timely manner.
http://www.riograde.com/

Etsy suppliers
There are a couple jewelry suppliers, who SuaVoce has had good experiences with, on Etsy.com. Etsy is a really good source for supplies. Generally, buying off Etsy is less expensive, and (from our experience) their products are quality. Also, you can contact the seller and ask if they will reserve a special order for you.

LLing2303 is a seller who sells a variety of items. Of particular interest for this post are her beads and supplies, which are very affordable. We purchased clip-on earring hooks from LLing2303, and we were really pleased! The hooks were packaged nicely and she included a free gift with our purchase J
Check out LLing2303’s shop:
http://lling2303.etsy.com/

Infiniteconcepts sells beautiful connectors, links, charms and other findings. Infniteconcepts allowed us to custom order silver plated earring wires. We were very happy with our purchase, which arrived quickly and in perfect shape.
Check out infiniteconcepts’ shop:
http://infiniteconcepts.etsy.com/
And twitter page:
http://twitter.com/rowrow1
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25580596

“Tibetan Silver Connector Charms” by infiniteconcepts

Hopefully this provides some good sources for your supply shopping!
Angie (SuaVoce)

An Introduction

Hello,
We’d like to introduce ourselves! We are two sisters who make and sell handmade jewelry. We love trying new designs and are willing to take risks with our work. Recently, we’ve created an Etsy.com store (http://suavoce.etsy.com/).

We love input from our viewers. At our college, we like to get our friends together to help us designs unique pieces. All input is taken seriously, and we love recieving it! Don’t hesitate to design your own piece. Afterall, SuaVoce is “Indenpendent Style for Independent Women!”

Love,
SuaVoce