Welcome To The Angels' Muse…

This is a blog that I linked to my etsy store.

The idea for this store and blog came to me as I was talking to husband and trying to think of the perfect name for a business that included jewelry making, party planning, calligraphy, clothing embellishments, and aromatherapy items for the bath and body.

My business is unique in that you can not find all these generally under one roof.  For more details on store policies click on the etsy link in the side bar.

As the business grows and I make contacts with other businesses and crafters on the internet, their links will be added to the sidebar as well.  I believe in paying kindness forward.

Attached to this post is a brochure that explains a little of what we do.  You will need adobe to read/print the file.

Little by Little, It’s Getting There…

This is the site as it is now...

There it is as it looks now.  It is formatted through soopsee.com.  I won’t talk bad about the service. If you are looking for a site that will integrate all of your blogs, and your etsy sites, this isn’t too bad for a free site.  It’s easy to use, friendly to navigate, and you can personalize it with a few tweaks and a minimum of coding skills.  

The free service doesn’t update automatically.  This means that you will have to log-in to your soopsee account to sinc up between your shops and  your site.  There are limits to the free service, as there always is when something is free, but all in all, it’s not a bad service.  

I needed to further personalize my site to really reflect my business, and have the add-ons and neat stuff that I wanted.  This meant that I had to crack open the coding books, and pay a visit to the css play website.  I highly recommend this web site for menus and layouts and such.  He is very talented.  He does ask for donations, but considering the fees that most sites charge for css codes, and templates, it’s a small price to pay.

Here we go…

Well, here it is almost February, and I am putting together a class schedule for jewelry making. I am finally doing it. Mainly because the consignment shop where I have my jewelry displayed has a space that he is most graciously letting me use. The other reason is that some of my convenience store customers have asked if I was going to teach some classes.

So, now, I am sitting at my place of work, putting the schedule together. Some would think that it is just a matter of simply putting what is going to be taught on what day of the calendar, right?

Nope…

There are a lot of things that go into heading a class of this type, privately, of course. I wouldn’t know how the big box stores do it.

First, asses your comfort level. How many people you are comfortable teaching? Six is ideal for a cozy setting and all you need really, unless you’re highly technical and have a projector for your smart phone. If that’s the case, knock yourself out. An intimate setting, like a dining room or small workshop in the back of a store is perfect.

Second, there is the inventory to consider. If you want to set it up so that you furnish the items they are going to need, you have to factor in your inventory costs, per item, and then work in a little profit to recoup the shipping and inventory. I usually divide the number of the item by the cost and then multiply it by how much they are going to need, adding in the individual shipping as part of the overhead. I also include a little surcharge for my time and effort. Generally, you want to charge enough so that a minimum of four people will recuperate your costs.

Keep it simple at first.
Start with the basics to catch the interest of those who are curious. I am starting out with cleaning and simple repair before I teach how to string beads together. This will give them the confidence to try the harder classes later on down the road.

Above all, make it fun.
Really engage the students, be loose and flexible in the class setting. If you are comfortable, then they will be as well.

Working, working, working…

Another week is about to start, and I am still trying to catch up from the first week of the year. Well, from last year actually. You see, I still have two orders from last year to fill. Good thing they weren’t Christmas presents.

The first order is for an angel that will adorn a desk. I have already started on the skirt. I am doing it in chainmaille/wire work. Lofty? Yes, but you never know what you are capable of until you try.

The second order left over from last year is a chainmaillle dragon. Another lofty project (I promise you. No puns intended.) for me, but one I am looking forward to accomplish. I have all the wire and scales that I need for the project.

The next order is the first one I got for the new year. It is for two rings in two different sizes. The one after that is a bracelet and earring set for a necklace already purchased as a Christmas gift.

On top of this, I have two invoices for shop deliveries, items to make to keep the creativity going, and taxes. Yep, taxes. I am not looking forward to getting my paperwork together. I can’t wait until I can afford to pay someone to keep up with that for me. Along with that is me putting together a digital display for the gas station to let everyone know where my pieces can be found.

Yes, this year has started out in a whirl-wind fashion, but I hope the blessings never stop.

Picking the Right Beads…

… Or how not to get carried away by all the shiny things.

I must admit, even though I don’t wear what I make (Well, every once in a blue moon.), when I started making jewelry, I would buy beads because they looked cool, neat, pretty, or just caught my eye. It wasn’t until I sat down to start actually making pieces that I would wonder what I was thinking as I looked around to all the shiny, colorful beads that I had purchased. I would force myself to string together beads in combinations that I now look back on and shudder. The pieces were, in my biased opinion, hideous. I either dismantled them, or buried them in a box, never to be looked upon again.

Now that I have been making jewelry for a while, I am more selective in what I purchase. Here are a few tips for the budding designers out there, whether you are starting a jewelry business or just making your own.

Finding the “Zen” of it.

If you can’t picture it, don’t buy them. It’s easy to fall into the trap of buying all the pretty and shiny beads out there; so, as you look at the strings of beads hanging from the peg, ask yourself if you can picture yourself making anything with the beads. If you can’t, let them be and move on my friend.

I have an idea, but I don’t know where to go from here.

You have an idea. This is a good start. Your next hurdle is picking colors and then the style. Sketch it out. It doesn’t matter what the sketch looks like as long as you can read it and refer to it for a visual.

Color and Style

Color is relative to both the season and the clothing being worn. Summer colors with winter is a clash that no one wants to see. Fire Mountain Gems has a color forecast page that is wonderful. The style is purely preference. Everyone has their own. You can choose to be the fashionista and replicate the current styles, go vintage, or even come up with your own by looking at books, magazines, and websites, and putting your own spin on it.

Above all, have fun with it.

God bless. Until next time.

Of Things to Come…

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

I hope everyone had a fun and safe celebration.  Yes?  Good.  Now, on to what this year is going to bring, and things that have already been put into motion.

The New Year…

Every New year brings with it new challenges, and new opportunities for growth. The stores are now all open again on Etsy, and I hoping that you can take the time to stop by and take a look. I will be delving into poly clay more seriously this year, and vowing to be better at making blog posts to keep all of you informed as to the items hitting the stores. Remember, there are three blogs for the business, this one, one on natural health, and one on event planning. I hope you can take the time to browse all three.

I hope all of you had a Merry Holiday, whether it was Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and I am wishing you all the best in this New Year.

Still Moving Stuff Here and There…

Making sure everything is packed and ready...

Well, it’s time to move things over, and re-arrange a few things here, too.  The rest of the event planning related posts will be moved here.  Among the things to be moved will be, how to save money, plan your own event, how-to videos, and the cooking videos and recipes.  I find it only fitting to do so simply because I am trying to organize everything in to easy-to-find blogs and blog pages.  This blog will be solely for releasing new pieces, tips and tricks of the jewelry making trade, and how-to videos related to jewelry crafting.  I will be putting a link to the event planning blog on the sidebar.

Oh the Things that Have Happened, and the Things to Come…

Morgan Jewelers Showcase with my things.

The past year has brought many blessings to my little business.  The photo on the left is my latest accomplishment.  What you see displayed on the middle shelf are my pieces of jewelry.  They sit at Morgan Jewelers here in Newnan, GA.  You can find the store in Ashley Park, an open air mall of sorts. (Some would call it a pavilion.)  Either way you label it, I have been eternally blessed with the opportunity of a life time.  On Wednesday, December 28, two of my pieces sold, and  the owner handed me $80.00 in cash.  I was elated.

 

This, however is just the beginning…

Chainmaille Bracelet… Um er… Ring. Chainmaille Ring. Part 2

There were originally 2 rings in the center. I took one out.

There are several trials that got to this point in the design, but I didn’t take any pictures.  I placed two rings in the middle, and later, I took one out.  This was done so that it would hide the holes in the tail of the bead.

I tried different sizes of jump rings to get the right look for the center.  I think I went through about 4 different sizes.

Chainmaille Bracelet… Um er… Ring. Chainmaille Ring. Part 1

In the beginning... There was wire.

Yep, this is how all my chainmaille project start.  With wire, a mandrel, and -if I am at work- my wrist action.  It is a shame that my drill is too big to take to work.  It takes twice to three times as long to coil wire by manually, but I love what I do, and I already painting a picture in my mind of how the piece is going to look.

I have already linked two rings to a hook for a closure and to mark the start of the bracelet.  The small diameter coil is going to be the small jumprings I am going to need to make what I call Celtic flowers.