A Gift For My Daughter

My lovely daughter Angela graduated from the teaching program at San Diego State University last month, and received her teaching certificate in bi-lingual education. To commemorate this very happy occasion, I decided to make her a one of a kind ring.

It's the most elaborate ring I've made yet, and is completely hand fabricated. I started with some silver wire and tubing, and 3 royal amethyst stones, each 2mm in diameter.

It required many soldering operations, creating the dainty leaves, and melting silver to form the tiny spheres. After I'd put the ring together, there was the matter of cutting the dinky little seats in the tubing and setting the amethysts. Thank goodness for magnifying visors!

It's so gratifying to put a design on paper, and then to actualize it in metal and gems. I'm very thankful to have a skill that I can use to make a unique and lasting gift for my loved ones. A special ring for my beautiful and brainy daughter!

Ups and Downs

Running an online shop can have its ups and downs. Getting on the Etsy Front Page for the second time and having 5 orders in quick succession (for me, I'm not a major force on Etsy, lol) was quite exhilarating. I was hoping that things were really starting to gel, and that getting a couple of orders a week would be the new norm.

Sad to say, that hasn't been the case. Since then, things have been exceedingly slooooowwww at Dalkullan Jewelry. It's times like these that try women's souls, or okay, maybe it's not that bad, but at least try one's patience. But when the going gets tough, the tough make lemonade, or something like that.

While maintaining the requisite stiff upper lip, I've been working on some new designs. I'm not ready to list them yet, but here's a sneak preview of a new earring design. It's got carnelians, lapis lazuli, and turquoise cabochons.

It's really hard to hold the earrings securely to set the stones, so I'm going to try sinking the backs of the earrings in thermoplastic mounted on wood in a vise. Then a setting punch and a chasing hammer to smooth the bezel cups around the stones. That should get the job done. Afterwards, I'll just pop the earrings out, and polish them up bright and shiny.

Thanks for dropping by!

Copper Flower Necklace & Earrings

I just finished making a necklace in copper. Copper is a lovely metal, soft and easy to work with, and it has a pretty, warm color. The affordability factor is also hard to beat!

I call this set Copper Flower Necklace and Earrings, and it's completely handcrafted.

I made the clasp, chain and little copper balls using wire wrapping techniques. The central motif of the copper flower I sawed from copper sheet metal.

After filing, sanding polishing and drilling, I added the flamework cobalt blue bead with a copper wire wrapped tendril. Don't you just love the mix of cobalt blue and copper?

The little horse in the picture is from Sweden. I inherited it from my Aunt, the lady who ran the original Dalkullan, which was an import store. I named my Etsy shop after her store.

Thanks for dropping by, and hope you have a great day! If you'd have any comments, I'd love to hear from you! :)

Second time on the Etsy front page

Dalkullan Jewelry had the wonderful experience of being on the Etsy front page for a second time! My lovely Hammered 14k Gold Earrings were in a Treasury that was featured.

Christine of dollcloset was the curator of the Treasury. Christine makes beautiful things for American Girls size dolls, drop by dollcloset for a fun shopping experience!

I didn't make a sale of the earrings, but did get 3 sales of other items, and the gold earrings garnered a lot of clicks and hearts.

As luck would have it, I was without computer access at the time, and missed all the excitement. It was quite a wonderful surprise when I could finally log in, though!

Thanks for dropping by!
Heather

Hidow Fiber Farm

I stumbled upon a truly amazing shop while on the Etsy Forums. Veronica Dowling is the owner of Hidow Fiber Farm, a gorgeous shop that truly exemplifies the finest in handcrafted excellence. The following is excerpted from the shop profile for Hidow Fiber Farm:

"Hidow Fiber Farm is located on over 100 acres in the Thumb area of Michigan. Our farm has been in the Hirons family for over 125 years. Grandma and Grandpa Hirons only had girls, so when we bought the farm the name changed to Dowling. The name of Hidow was thought up by Grandma, it was her way of combining the family names to represent the farm, we have kept it in her honor.

"Currently on the farm we have Huacaya and Suri Alpacas and a flock of Shetland sheep. Our animals are organically raised with love and care.

"I am currently trying to clear out the fiber stash in my closets, fiber is an addiction! you can NEVER have enough. But shearing season is coming soon and I need to make room. Not only do I have fibers from my own animals, but over the past year I have also picked up some interesting fleeces from other places. If you are looking for something in particular, let me know, I may have it in the closet.

"Each step in the process adds to the value of the fibers so I price accordingly. If you are on a budget, try buying unwashed raw fleece, I will be happy to tell you how to wash it. If you don't want to bother washing it yourself, then look to my washed fleeces and if you don't want to card, let me know and I will be happy to hand card a few ounces for a special order."
This amazing needle felted Sheltie figure is a one of a kind work of art, which Veronica created using alpaca from her own animals with a bit of Icelandic Sheep fiber for accents. Since Veronica also breeds and shows Shelties, you can be sure it's an accurate depiction of this most adorable breed of dog. Veronica has a lovely selection of needle felted animals, including a cuddly bunny, just perfect for Easter! She is also a talented photographer, and has some gorgeous fine art photo prints in her shop. The Burgundy Lily at the start of this post is just one of Veronica's prints. Be sure to click on the link and read the beautiful story behind this stunning photograph.

Hidow Fiber Farm is a wonderful source for wool -- all you knitters and crocheters be sure to enjoy the woolen eye candy at Veronica's store. Just imagine the lovely things you could make from this marvelous wool.
For those of us who are looking for goods all ready to wear, Veronica has a cute hat, felted from fiber from one of her own alpaca, Sid. Here's the beautiful Needle Felt Woman's Hat, and also a picture of Sid. How cool is that?

For the ultimate in handcrafted goods, just stop by Hidow Fiber Farm!

Promoting Your Shop Via Facebook

Facebook is a useful social networking site for promoting your online shop. I've had a Facebook business page for about 7 months, and found it to be an effective and cost effective (free!) way to get the word out about Dalkullan Jewelry.

After I set up my FB business page (it's also called a fan page, it's the same thing) I fanned myself. Yes, I know, a bit pathetic, but then I can see everything that the future fans are receiving, which I find helpful. I like to know what my fans are getting on their personal page about my shop. And at least I had one fan, lol.

The next step was letting all my Facebook friends know about my business page, so they could fan me if they liked. I actually set up a new personal page to use to create my business page from, instead of using my Facebook page I'd set up a couple years earlier to keep in touch with family and friends. I want to keep my personal and business doings separate, but that's just me. And I like to use a picture of my jewelry for my profile picture on my business page.

I started putting up a link to my FB fan page on the promo section in the Etsy Forum, and got some fans that way. I also have a link in my profile at my Etsy shop. Having a contest, in which each fan who got a friend to become a fan could each win a pair of earrings, was a successful way to add fans.

Gradually people will start fanning because they see your work on a friend's page, and it appeals to them. Also mentioning the fan page on your blog and using twitter to promote it are good ways to garner new fans.

So, now you have some fans, what's next? Here's my list of FB does and don'ts. This is just my opinion, please comment and add your own!

1.) Try to post only once or twice a day. People are following other businesses, and their friends and family, and don't want you to monopolize their news feed.

2.) Try to read and comment a few times a week on the businesses you are following. Nobody likes to feel ignored. :) It's fun to see what others are doing, and being an encourager is always a happy thing!

3.) Remember, it's very easy to block someone, so it looks like you're following them, but you actually don't receive any updates from their page. The more spammy stuff you post, the more likely this unhappy event will occur.

4.) Your page is promoting your business, keep it professional. There are those who are offended by swearing, off-color comments, etc.


How effective is FB on getting sales? I don't have a lot of sales, so I've got a pretty small data pool to extrapolate from. But I have made sales to my Facebook Fans, and I've made purchases from businesses I'm a fan of. Businesses I heard of only because they had fanned me, and I fanned them back.

Facebook is free, it doesn't take a lot of time, and it is a useful marketing tool. I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking to increase their online sales.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Wishing you happy crafting!
Heather

More Info on Treasuries

Here's some useful info from MaryMary, an Etsy staffer, about how to get your Treasury on the Etsy front page. I cut and pasted it from a thread on the Etsy Forums, "When Do Treasuries Show Up On The Etsy Front Page"

"Not all Treasuries are featured on the homepage, but we do try to mix things up. Some tips to keep in mind if you are making a Treasury with the goal in mind of it being featured on the homepage are:

* Use all 16 item slots, including all 4 alternates spaces.
* Make sure all 16 slots are from different sellers.
* Try not to use an item from one of your own shop/s.
* Include a variety of represented categories throughout your collection.
* Include a variety of price points throughout your collection.
* Use items with clear, crisp, and most importantly, inspiring photos.
* Try not to use the same sellers or friends frequently when you make new collections. We are trying to use more community made Treasury lists moving forward and will be looking for lists with broader variety. For example, using items or sellers that have been featured on the homepage recently isn't a best practice for having your list featured on the homepage. "

Very interesting info, because getting on the Front Page can be a major boost to your shop. Having other people put your items in their Treasuries is a great promo for you, it's free, people will see your item who wouldn't ordinarily view it, and maybe they'll visit your shop, too.

The best way to get in Treasuries is to have great photos. I've found making a light box and getting a couple of full spectrum light bulbs to illuminate it to be a big help; then I'm not dependent on the weather for when I can take photos. There are a lot of great tutorials online about taking good photos.

Wishing you every success with your online marketing, and happy crafting!

Heather

My Promotional Efforts -- Part Two

I have an earlier blog posting about how to make an Etsy Treasury, take a look at it if you'd like to find out how to make one. It's on Monday, Nov. 9th in this blog.

How do they work as a promotional tool? That is difficult to fully answer, because a lot of promotional efforts are impossible to really define as far as how much traffic they bring to your shop, and how many sales result from that traffic. I operate under the assumption that getting your shop better known is always a plus. Treasuries are free, you can list one of your own items in them, and sometimes they're picked for the Etsy Front Page.

I wouldn't spend too much time on Treasuries, because there are better ways to promote your shop. But they're fun, you might get on the Front Page, and sometimes a person you put in your Treasury will reciprocate and put you in one of theirs. Taking really good pictures, using a tag to state the color of your item, and relisting often will get you in Treasuries. Of course, outside of making lovely things that people want, taking gorgeous pictures is the biggest thing in online promotions. The most beautiful bag or ring won't sell if you only have one blurry, badly lit photo of it at your shop.

I've only had one sale of an item while it was in a Treasury, and that Treasury was moved to the Front Page. But I've seen a slight increase in traffic, and gotten some hearts for an item while it was in a Treasury. In my opinion, Treasuries have value as a promotional tool, worthy of some time, but not a major source of traffic or sales. Treasuries are free, and you get the happiness of helping fellow Etsians by promoting their shops in your Treasury. And while putting one together, you'll have the happy experience of seeing a bit more of the beautiful handcrafted and vintage items on Etsy.

Thank you so much for stopping by, wishing you many sales, and happy times with your craft!

My Promotional Efforts

I've been selling on Etsy since April 2009, and I've tried several different promotional methods. Here they are, in no particular order:

Etsy Showcase
Ad on Craftopolis
Twitter
Facebook
Renewing listings on Etsy
Etsy Forums
Etsy Storque
Etsy Treasury
I've also been chosen for the Etsy Front Page and a Gift Guide.

Some are/were very effective, others not so much. Let's start with the one I'm not going to use anymore.

For me, the Etsy Showcase was not worth the money. I didn't get any sales; I did get a slight increase in site traffic, but not enough to justify the 15 dollars spent. One thing in its' favor, it did bring some new people to my shop, but again, only about 10 or so, nothing dramatic. This is the only promotional method I'm not going to try again.

The ad on Craftopolis ran from the weekend after Thanksgiving for 2 weeks. There was an increase in traffic to my shop, and some were new views, from the ad. It was $28 dollars for the two weeks. I don't know if any sales resulted from the ad. I had 1 sale during the time the ad ran, but I don't ask my customer's about where they heard of Dalkullan. Those two weeks definitely saw an increase in site traffic, and hearts. I'd like to run an ad on Craftcult and compare the results. If you have any experience on advertising on either site, or other promotional methods, I'd love to hear from you!

Renewing listings is something I do when I haven't listed anything new in the last couple of days. It puts your item temporarily at the top of searches, but that certainly doesn't last long in jewelry-world. The 20 cents doesn't sound like much, but they can certainly add up. I look at it as part of my advertising budget, and try not to do it too often.

Etsy Forums are a good way to meet people on Etsy. I've found a lot of gorgeous shops that way, and also learned a lot. You can start a thread, or just post to one. It gets your shop some recognition factor. It's a good place to start a thread in the Promotions section asking for twitter followers and also blog followers or Facebook Fans. Always try to be polite and upbeat on the Forums. There are some real sour lemons there, and some bullies, I can't imagine they're doing their business any good with that kind of attitude. But to each his own.

The Etsy Storque has some very informative articles, some lovely finds from various shops, and you can leave a pleasant comment and also hopefully garner a little buzz for your shop. If you're fortunate enough to get an item picked to be in the Storque, you're one lucky person! I'm still hoping to attain that happiness. Someday! :)

And the Forums and the Storque are free, which is a big plus. I'm going to leave the other methods for my next blog post. Thanks so much for visiting, and wishing you all the best!

Happy New Year!

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Changes are occuring at Dalkullan Jewelry, I've opened a shop at 1000Markets! If you don't like the hassle of having to join Etsy, you'll love 1000Markets. There's nothing to join, no PayPal transaction -- unless you prefer to use PayPal! All major credit cards are accepted, and it's backed by the guarantee of Amazon.com Hope you'll come and visit, I've only got 8 items listed, but more are on the way.

Santa was very good to me this year. A new jeweler's bench, lovely new Flex Shaft, and a propane/oxygen torch system. I'll be posting about my new workshop setup in the coming weeks, with some pictures.

Thanks so much for reading my blog, I really am humbled and so thankful for your interest.

All the best,
Heather