Findings can be expensive. Findings can be cheap. A particular size of finding, in the color/tone you want, may escape you. However, there are other ways to get what you need.
When I first really dug into jewelry making, there weren't a zillion choices at the crafts stores. Most still clung largely to the scrap booking segment of the market with large areas dedicated to die-cutting, paper stock, and scrap booking classes. It wasn't until about 10-12 years ago they dug deeper into jewelry. Findings, beads, classes. Initially, it seemed the quality of these items was incredible. The jump rings were sturdy and well-made, the chains, many made by the company Plaid, were flat-out gorgeous. As time has passed, these items have become more and more cheap (not price, quality). Michael's and JoAnn no longer sell anything made by Plaid with regard to jewelry which was a dark day for me. Many of my designs included those items and because I am not a large-scale seller (meaning I make all of my own items, by myself, on top of a full-time non-Etsy job), I relied heavily on local crafts stores to buy inventory as needed.
Know this: The daily items you use in your designs will change, this is not a maybe, they will change. Be prepared for this by stocking up if possible, or, finding another seller with the same/similar item that is not a big-box store (who changes inventory rather quickly by trend). I have found many substitutes on Etsy, Ebay and Amazon. If you use a particular style/size of chain or bead, take a picture on your phone and upload it to Flickr or Google Photo or whatever for easy reference when shopping (do not forget to include the measurements for the item) so that a replacement is as close as possible.
If you have an item that sells with regularity, as most of us makers would hope, buy the supplies to make this item(s) in bulk. It saves you money, which means more profit, you will have to take fewer pictures as the looks of the items won't vary, and the outcome is predictable.
Okay, off on a tangent...back on track!
This post is not about the every day, run-of-the-mill jump rings. This is about other ways of finding and using findings.
One of the best resources for 'different' findings is necklaces and/or neck chain. I can remember once being in a pinch because I needed a specific size/shape of jump ring or connector and couldn't find anything that would work in either the shape or the color metal I was using. One trip to the crafts store and boom! I found exactly what I was looking for in a pre-made neck chain, and it was on clearance!
It pays to look outside the box and it's perfectly okay to cannibalize other necklaces in order to make your own :)
Another resource is second-hand stores. Lots of old jewelry, just waiting for you, and me. Older unique beads can be found in these places along with old crafting supplies from people cleaning out their old unused stock. I have hit many jackpots in these places.
And to finish, unless I think of something else, garage/yard sales. Tons of old crafts stuff just waiting. Grandma liked to make jewelry and now she doesn't have the time or interest in it so she is getting rid of what she had. Score!
I hope this helps at least a little. Try to be creative with what you find and think of other ways to make what you need.
Oh, and as another idea you can always buy wire, any gauge and color. Learn how to use a mandrel to make jump rings. It's much easier than you would think and if you need just a few of a certain size, this is an easy and cheap alternative.
Caio!
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Friday, June 16, 2017
The Downside of Crafts Shows
First the positives:
Now the negatives.
So what really sparked this post was the realization that one of my items that I had listed on my ETSY account was purchased, but I no longer had it and had to refund then cancel the sale. Wow! That is the FIRST time that has ever happened to me and man was that embarrassing!
I keep very careful records when at crafts show as to what was sold and for how much so that I am sure to make another identical item and/or remove the active listing on ETSY.
Sure I have noticed suspicious shoppers. They pick up many items in rapid succession, never putting them back in the correct place, they move around a lot, and sometimes, they'll take your item(s) out of the booth to supposedly see how it looks under daylight (as opposed to your canopy), which is flooded with daylight!
Really there is little you can do. I have literally 100's of items in my booth and it's impossible to know what item(s) may have been purloined. I always go with 1 or 2 other people, my daughter is a great sales woman and is in the booth, showing items to potential buyers, which helps. However, if the thief is good at what he/she does, you'll never catch it. Even while tending to a sale, a shopper of ill repute can take something because you are not paying attention to them.
So that's it. It's of little help, I know. I guess this is just a heads-up. Know that theft can happen and because these are crafts shows, I think it happens quite a bit.
- I have always done well at crafts shows
- I have only been in three (all good)
- Almost never hear nasty things from shoppers
- Many transactions are cash, allowing you to avoid excessive credit card processing fees!
- Lots of great opportunity to network and meet others in the crafts show circuit
- Even if you break even, or show little profit, there is ALWAYS benefit to crafts shows. You network, you hone your set-up / take-down skills, you see how others set up their booths.
Now the negatives.
- Weather can kill it.
- Be prepared to spend a good 8 hours setting up, selling, tearing down.
- If you are not prepared, it will not be a good experience.
- Don't start by selling at over-priced venues!
- People can try to pass off counterfeit money.
- There ARE shoplifters at crafts shows, BEWARE!
- f you go it alone, you leave yourself vulnerable (how to go to the bathroom? how to look at other booths?)
- Pay attention to your vicinty/area. If you are in a farming community or urban community, will your type of item have any appeal to the locals? For example: Selling kitsch-y and oftentimes bizarre shrink plastic jewelry may not appeal to farmer Brown, or his wife.
So what really sparked this post was the realization that one of my items that I had listed on my ETSY account was purchased, but I no longer had it and had to refund then cancel the sale. Wow! That is the FIRST time that has ever happened to me and man was that embarrassing!
I keep very careful records when at crafts show as to what was sold and for how much so that I am sure to make another identical item and/or remove the active listing on ETSY.
Sure I have noticed suspicious shoppers. They pick up many items in rapid succession, never putting them back in the correct place, they move around a lot, and sometimes, they'll take your item(s) out of the booth to supposedly see how it looks under daylight (as opposed to your canopy), which is flooded with daylight!
Really there is little you can do. I have literally 100's of items in my booth and it's impossible to know what item(s) may have been purloined. I always go with 1 or 2 other people, my daughter is a great sales woman and is in the booth, showing items to potential buyers, which helps. However, if the thief is good at what he/she does, you'll never catch it. Even while tending to a sale, a shopper of ill repute can take something because you are not paying attention to them.
So that's it. It's of little help, I know. I guess this is just a heads-up. Know that theft can happen and because these are crafts shows, I think it happens quite a bit.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
All Shrink Plastic is NOT Created Equal
Truer words have never been spoken. Having dabbled with shrink plastic for well over 13 years, maybe even longer if you include my interest in it from childhood (AKA Shrinky Dinks), it would be more like a lifetime.
I started seriously making jewelry from shrink plastic about 12-13 years ago. It seemed back then, there were so many different manufacturers to choose from, and all handily available. Avery, JanAnn, Shrinky Dink, Super Color Shrink, Grafix, Darcie's, the list goes on and on. They all produced quality, inkjet printable plastic. Where have they gone? Out of business it would seem, and amazingly, it seems interest in the shrink plastic jewelry market has grown. So why have so many folded? In one word: quality. If you produce plastic that shrinks like garbage, you won't be around long. And take it from me, the quality of the plastic has gone drastically downhill. At first you could buy printable plastic (one side only). Amazing! Then, you could print on BOTH sides!!! This printable plastic blossomed in the hey day of super-magnificent-spectacular-print-quality inkjet printers. Sadly, as the color laser printer market shot for the moon, the quality of inkjet printers tanked as the lasers took over. Paper handling capabilities of shrink plastic dictate the type of printer you will use.
Shrink plastic, being of a fairly thick property, does not feed easily from a bottom tray, it needs to be fed from the back in as straight a path as possible. Now, I've had it feed through okay from a bottom tray, but you always run the risk of a jam or misprint. Just like the heavy card stock used to print greeting cards or quality photos, rear feed is a necessity. There are still quite a few inkjets out there that do this, but for how long? Nobody knows. The best printer I ever owned was a Canon MG5220. Man, that thing worked for over 8 years. It was perfect. I bought it at Best Buy for $65 on sale. It was a printer/scanner. When it died, I went looking for it's latest cousin. But nope, it does not exist... When I went online to find possibly new, old stock, people were charging $500 for the same model. All I can say to that is 'ain't happenin'. So I kept my eyes peeled at garage sales and second-hand stores and lo, I found a used Epson at Goodwill for $5, yes, $5. It needed to be cleaned and have the print head cleaned. Once done it worked great, so I was back in business for almost nothing. Can you say winner winner chicken dinner?
But back to plastic. The issues with the plastic as time marched forward increased. From plastic that skewed to poor finishes that bubbled up, to intense curling that would never relax again during the baking process. Those are the main issues. I have printed squares that when baked, came out looking like rhombuses or trapezoids. Circles that ended up looking like lop-sided ovals,etc. Not fun. Now, in all fairness, that is part of handmade. But, these inconsistencies are so big, there is no excuse for it, especially when 6 sheets cost $13.99 at the store. It also seems like the king of the hill, Shrinky Dinks, had fun competing with and running out of business, other brands. As those brands fell to the wayside, the quality of the Shrinky Dinks became a joke. I also think the slide in quality happened when one of the original owners of the Shrinky Dink empire retired. Once she left, it went to hell in a hand basket. The surface texture was rough, the edges were rough, they would skew. It was like the trifecta of bad plastic from what was once the gold standard in inkjet shrink plastic. Things got so bad for Shrinky Dink, that they quit selling through Amazon and then two years later, sold their empire to Alex Brands art crafts for kids.
I wish I could give insight into where to get the plastic, but the truth is, you never know when you'll strike it good on a decent batch. You have to shop around, buy it, test it, and if it's good, get all of it you can from the same source at the same time and stock up. Save your pennies for these opportunities.
I have boxes of shrink plastic that is good. I never stop looking and in the summer, at garage sales, I can pick up many packages, most 1/3 to 1/2 used for a pennies to help augment my growing hoard.
The difficulties and insane frustration I have experienced with shrink plastic is not for the faint of heart, and you have to absolutely love working with the medium to weather such hardship. Many shrink plastic artists have parted company with the plastic altogether, opting for more predictable and cooperative mediums. I too have ventured into another discipline which I am currently perfecting. This new medium will be offered in another shop which will be dedicated to it; everyday my excitement in this area grows.
Of course, I'll never let go of my love for shrink plastic. It's been with me too long and because I just love creating jewelry with it.
Remember, if the plastic is driving you nuts to the point it is no longer fun, find another medium you love to work with and move on.
I started seriously making jewelry from shrink plastic about 12-13 years ago. It seemed back then, there were so many different manufacturers to choose from, and all handily available. Avery, JanAnn, Shrinky Dink, Super Color Shrink, Grafix, Darcie's, the list goes on and on. They all produced quality, inkjet printable plastic. Where have they gone? Out of business it would seem, and amazingly, it seems interest in the shrink plastic jewelry market has grown. So why have so many folded? In one word: quality. If you produce plastic that shrinks like garbage, you won't be around long. And take it from me, the quality of the plastic has gone drastically downhill. At first you could buy printable plastic (one side only). Amazing! Then, you could print on BOTH sides!!! This printable plastic blossomed in the hey day of super-magnificent-spectacular-print-quality inkjet printers. Sadly, as the color laser printer market shot for the moon, the quality of inkjet printers tanked as the lasers took over. Paper handling capabilities of shrink plastic dictate the type of printer you will use.
Shrink plastic, being of a fairly thick property, does not feed easily from a bottom tray, it needs to be fed from the back in as straight a path as possible. Now, I've had it feed through okay from a bottom tray, but you always run the risk of a jam or misprint. Just like the heavy card stock used to print greeting cards or quality photos, rear feed is a necessity. There are still quite a few inkjets out there that do this, but for how long? Nobody knows. The best printer I ever owned was a Canon MG5220. Man, that thing worked for over 8 years. It was perfect. I bought it at Best Buy for $65 on sale. It was a printer/scanner. When it died, I went looking for it's latest cousin. But nope, it does not exist... When I went online to find possibly new, old stock, people were charging $500 for the same model. All I can say to that is 'ain't happenin'. So I kept my eyes peeled at garage sales and second-hand stores and lo, I found a used Epson at Goodwill for $5, yes, $5. It needed to be cleaned and have the print head cleaned. Once done it worked great, so I was back in business for almost nothing. Can you say winner winner chicken dinner?
But back to plastic. The issues with the plastic as time marched forward increased. From plastic that skewed to poor finishes that bubbled up, to intense curling that would never relax again during the baking process. Those are the main issues. I have printed squares that when baked, came out looking like rhombuses or trapezoids. Circles that ended up looking like lop-sided ovals,etc. Not fun. Now, in all fairness, that is part of handmade. But, these inconsistencies are so big, there is no excuse for it, especially when 6 sheets cost $13.99 at the store. It also seems like the king of the hill, Shrinky Dinks, had fun competing with and running out of business, other brands. As those brands fell to the wayside, the quality of the Shrinky Dinks became a joke. I also think the slide in quality happened when one of the original owners of the Shrinky Dink empire retired. Once she left, it went to hell in a hand basket. The surface texture was rough, the edges were rough, they would skew. It was like the trifecta of bad plastic from what was once the gold standard in inkjet shrink plastic. Things got so bad for Shrinky Dink, that they quit selling through Amazon and then two years later, sold their empire to Alex Brands art crafts for kids.
I wish I could give insight into where to get the plastic, but the truth is, you never know when you'll strike it good on a decent batch. You have to shop around, buy it, test it, and if it's good, get all of it you can from the same source at the same time and stock up. Save your pennies for these opportunities.
I have boxes of shrink plastic that is good. I never stop looking and in the summer, at garage sales, I can pick up many packages, most 1/3 to 1/2 used for a pennies to help augment my growing hoard.
The difficulties and insane frustration I have experienced with shrink plastic is not for the faint of heart, and you have to absolutely love working with the medium to weather such hardship. Many shrink plastic artists have parted company with the plastic altogether, opting for more predictable and cooperative mediums. I too have ventured into another discipline which I am currently perfecting. This new medium will be offered in another shop which will be dedicated to it; everyday my excitement in this area grows.
Of course, I'll never let go of my love for shrink plastic. It's been with me too long and because I just love creating jewelry with it.
Remember, if the plastic is driving you nuts to the point it is no longer fun, find another medium you love to work with and move on.
Saturday, May 27, 2017
It's been a long time
Wow. I forgot I ever started this blog. It's been almost two years since I wrote the first post! LOL Lots has changed. Between work and Etsy, I never have a free moment and you can see that by taking a long hard look at my house, and my yard...Just ask my daughter.
Shrink plastic business has been good. It is a side job that has kept me very busy and has given me some pocket money to spend. Not a treasure chest full, just a little extra cash and that works for me.
I have had many friends and acquaintances ask about starting an Etsy store and I tell them 'just go for it'. If you love what you are doing, you cannot go wrong. However, for many, it's more about 'what can I sell?' than 'I love to crochet, I'm going to try to sell some of the things I made'. There is a clear difference. You cannot just pick something out of thin air, decide to do it and then think you'll become an instant Rockefeller. You won't. And, you may not like what it is you are doing which means there is a good chance you'll ditch it. What is the fun in that? So my advice is, do what you love, get an online store (it does NOT have to be Etsy, it can be Amazon Handmade, Shopify, among a million others), list your items and carry on. I mean, if you love what you are doing, you cannot go wrong.
Some tips: Price your items wisely. If you make items similar to others', look at what they offer and what they charge, be competitive. Decide early on if you wish to sell wholesale. This can drastically affect your pricing. For example: If you are selling a charm bracelet for $25 online, a wholesale buyer generally expects 50% off retail price. The trade-off is that they will buy in bulk. So instead of waiting to sell 10 bracelets at $25/each in your retail store, the buyer purchases 10 bracelets at $12.50/each, then sells them elsewhere for the same price as you do in your store. The big question is, at $12.50/each are you going to make any profit? And that depends. I have an Etsy store and I do not sell wholesale because I like to cut out the middleman and offer the best price to my customers. I am not really interested in selling my items through other people's boutiques. On the flip side, I have been approached by many about buying wholesale, but truthfully, if I cut my current prices by half, I would lose my shirt. I would have to double my prices in order to make a profit.
Another thing to anticipate is fees. There are lots of fees, no matter where you go. If you sell on ebay, there is no time limit and no listing fees. Great! But, they take 10% when you sell something. Ouch! Etsy charges $0.20 listing fee every 3-4 months, they take an instant automatic $0.25 fee for each sale, then 3% from the total sale price (including your shipping charges), and then the credit card company (paypal etsypay outside credit cards), takes another 3%. Ouch! The part here that I most hate is taking 3% from shipping fees, but I know why they do it. This is a made-up example for explanation purposes: It started when a person sold something for $8.00, but then charged $12.00 for shipping (while shipping only really cost $3.00). The seller would make $9.00 on the shipping without incurring any Etsy fees (the 3%), thus creating profit without paying the Piper. Etsy handled it by taking a straight 3% from the sale price and the shipping, so now everybody pays. Boo hoo.
That's it for my online sales tips for the day. No onto my gorgeous shrink plastic! 😸😸😸
In the past year I've really gotten into resin work. It's time-consuming and meticulous (as you can mess it up pretty bad and there is no fixing it). However, when all goes well, the results are amazing!
There are many types of resin. I've watched a million videos. My favorite resin is the ArtResin. You can buy it on Amazon in different size containers depending on how much you use. And remember, the hardener can yellow with age, so don't buy too big of a supply if you aren't going to use it fairly quickly. The ArtResin is low odor, crystal clear, and very forgiving. Watch some videos and give it a whirl.
Now onto some of my recent resin-coated treasures!
See? The shine is simply amazing and I could not be happier!
I have a long love affair with shrink plastic and I don't see it ending any time soon. If you would like to see more of my work or are even interested in purchasing a piece, you can find it here:
www.fauxshowart.etsy.com
Shrink plastic business has been good. It is a side job that has kept me very busy and has given me some pocket money to spend. Not a treasure chest full, just a little extra cash and that works for me.
I have had many friends and acquaintances ask about starting an Etsy store and I tell them 'just go for it'. If you love what you are doing, you cannot go wrong. However, for many, it's more about 'what can I sell?' than 'I love to crochet, I'm going to try to sell some of the things I made'. There is a clear difference. You cannot just pick something out of thin air, decide to do it and then think you'll become an instant Rockefeller. You won't. And, you may not like what it is you are doing which means there is a good chance you'll ditch it. What is the fun in that? So my advice is, do what you love, get an online store (it does NOT have to be Etsy, it can be Amazon Handmade, Shopify, among a million others), list your items and carry on. I mean, if you love what you are doing, you cannot go wrong.
Some tips: Price your items wisely. If you make items similar to others', look at what they offer and what they charge, be competitive. Decide early on if you wish to sell wholesale. This can drastically affect your pricing. For example: If you are selling a charm bracelet for $25 online, a wholesale buyer generally expects 50% off retail price. The trade-off is that they will buy in bulk. So instead of waiting to sell 10 bracelets at $25/each in your retail store, the buyer purchases 10 bracelets at $12.50/each, then sells them elsewhere for the same price as you do in your store. The big question is, at $12.50/each are you going to make any profit? And that depends. I have an Etsy store and I do not sell wholesale because I like to cut out the middleman and offer the best price to my customers. I am not really interested in selling my items through other people's boutiques. On the flip side, I have been approached by many about buying wholesale, but truthfully, if I cut my current prices by half, I would lose my shirt. I would have to double my prices in order to make a profit.
Another thing to anticipate is fees. There are lots of fees, no matter where you go. If you sell on ebay, there is no time limit and no listing fees. Great! But, they take 10% when you sell something. Ouch! Etsy charges $0.20 listing fee every 3-4 months, they take an instant automatic $0.25 fee for each sale, then 3% from the total sale price (including your shipping charges), and then the credit card company (paypal etsypay outside credit cards), takes another 3%. Ouch! The part here that I most hate is taking 3% from shipping fees, but I know why they do it. This is a made-up example for explanation purposes: It started when a person sold something for $8.00, but then charged $12.00 for shipping (while shipping only really cost $3.00). The seller would make $9.00 on the shipping without incurring any Etsy fees (the 3%), thus creating profit without paying the Piper. Etsy handled it by taking a straight 3% from the sale price and the shipping, so now everybody pays. Boo hoo.
That's it for my online sales tips for the day. No onto my gorgeous shrink plastic! 😸😸😸
In the past year I've really gotten into resin work. It's time-consuming and meticulous (as you can mess it up pretty bad and there is no fixing it). However, when all goes well, the results are amazing!
There are many types of resin. I've watched a million videos. My favorite resin is the ArtResin. You can buy it on Amazon in different size containers depending on how much you use. And remember, the hardener can yellow with age, so don't buy too big of a supply if you aren't going to use it fairly quickly. The ArtResin is low odor, crystal clear, and very forgiving. Watch some videos and give it a whirl.
Now onto some of my recent resin-coated treasures!
See? The shine is simply amazing and I could not be happier!
I have a long love affair with shrink plastic and I don't see it ending any time soon. If you would like to see more of my work or are even interested in purchasing a piece, you can find it here:
www.fauxshowart.etsy.com
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Life in Shrink Plastic
Long long ago, I made the wonderful mistake of buying some shrink plastic...
I set it aside, thinking I'd return it for a refund, but never did so.
Once the shrink plastic was rediscovered in a pile of stuff, I figured I'd give it a whirl.
That one pack of plastic, bought by accident, changed me.
It changed me in a wonderful way.
Suddenly, I was happily making all kinds of cool things, the sky was the limit!
I really got good at working with it. Key rings, beads, jewelry, you name it. If it could be made into something plastic, I was on board.
I had contemplated getting a store on Etsy very early on, but since I had a younger child and was busy with school full-time, I felt I just couldn't dedicate the time necessary.
All that changed last year. At the urging of family, friends, and co-workers, I took the leap and opened up a storefront. I had a bracelet listed less than one week and it sold!
From that moment on, I knew I was on to something.
Let's be clear. Shrink plastic jewelry has been around for 50+ years. It's nothing new. Inkjet printable shrink plastic, however, has only been around for about 20-25 years, and the two-sided stuff for much less time. The printable plastic is my plastic of choice. I like being able to manipulate images and patterns and come up with cool jewelry. I also dabble in the clear and solid colored plastic, but not like I do the printable stuff.
There are many shrink plastic sellers on Etsy. I'm in good company!
I set it aside, thinking I'd return it for a refund, but never did so.
Once the shrink plastic was rediscovered in a pile of stuff, I figured I'd give it a whirl.
That one pack of plastic, bought by accident, changed me.
It changed me in a wonderful way.
Suddenly, I was happily making all kinds of cool things, the sky was the limit!
I really got good at working with it. Key rings, beads, jewelry, you name it. If it could be made into something plastic, I was on board.
I had contemplated getting a store on Etsy very early on, but since I had a younger child and was busy with school full-time, I felt I just couldn't dedicate the time necessary.
All that changed last year. At the urging of family, friends, and co-workers, I took the leap and opened up a storefront. I had a bracelet listed less than one week and it sold!
From that moment on, I knew I was on to something.
Let's be clear. Shrink plastic jewelry has been around for 50+ years. It's nothing new. Inkjet printable shrink plastic, however, has only been around for about 20-25 years, and the two-sided stuff for much less time. The printable plastic is my plastic of choice. I like being able to manipulate images and patterns and come up with cool jewelry. I also dabble in the clear and solid colored plastic, but not like I do the printable stuff.
There are many shrink plastic sellers on Etsy. I'm in good company!
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