Getting ready for Fall Craft Fair...New to Etsy....destash...and Marketing tip~

Amber and Copper Necklace

This lovely necklace is made from amber beads in various shades paired with purple crackle quartz all wrapped up in warm copper. The focal amber piece is over 50mm wide by 30mm tall with copper and silver findings. The necklace is over 22" in length and is adjustable. The earrings are my gift to you and measure over 2 1/2" in length with 2 amber beads and a divine piece of purple crackle quartz. Earrings have a copper French hook.

I have taken AnnaLee's lead (my fellow eSMARts team leader) and considered adding a "Destash" category to my Etsy shop... began listing items tonight. Fellow jewelry artisans...feel free to check it out!!

MyGemStoneBox by Diane will be at the Fall Craft Fair and French Canadian Festival on October 25th (rain date 26th) in Rotary Park, Kennedy Drive Putnam. The festival begins at 10am and ends with River Fire at 5:30pm on the Quinebaug River. Here is the link to mapquest.

Come out and join us!

This just in.... I just sold my Peaceful Pendant tonight on Etsy!! Yah!!

Marketing tips:

Make customer service your top priority. This should be really obvious but sometimes it isn't. There's simply no substitute for the brand experience. If you can't win battles like delivering on time and soothing customers' ruffled feathers, you'll lose the war. Remember, the path to profitability is paved with repeat customers. There are many ways to build repeat business, but you need to lay the groundwork from the minute you start writing your business plan. The goal is to sketch out a scheme that'll create customers for life. If you can do that, you're at least halfway to ensuring your business will be around for the long haul.

Etsy a How-To Guide and "The Veil Nebula"

Fellow eSMArt'ers and Estian's, here is a tasty tidbit! The Etsy Seller Handbook: All Our How-Tos about Selling

Here you'll find a handy index of all the useful How-Tos about Selling on Etsy. They are calling it the Seller Handbook. They will be adding all new how-tos for sellers to this index.

Look for sections on Your Shop 101: How-Tos for Getting Started on Etsy, Photography How-Tos, Alchemy and Custom/Reserved Listing How-Tos, Shipping How-Tos, Advertising How-Tos, Business and Pricing How-Tos, Promoting & Marketing How-Tos, Craft Show & Events How-Tos Blogging, Podcasting & Video-making How-Tos, Legal Info for Artists, Tagging How-Tos, Team Tips, All about Etsy & Site Features.

Dig in and enjoy!!!

Veil Nebula Bracelet.... this is what is new at my Etsy shop this week:

This substantial wire wrapped bracelet in copper and sterling silver has all the colors in the nebula. Green faceted quartz briolettes matched with rondelle’s of aquamarine and rose, along side the smooth crackle quartz in purple and aqua are the base of this bracelet. Add a sprinkle of Swarovski crystals in topaz yellow, ruby red and tourmaline pink for sparkle. Finished off with faceted rondelle’s of yellow jade, faceted briolettes of chalcedony and garnet and a lovely faceted yellow citrine gemstone. Finishing touches of silver and copper findings accent this couture look.

Here is what the Veil Nebula looks like from the Hubble telescope:

Astronomy is near and dear to my heart along with meteorology and physiology.

Neatostuff.com...I'm featured!!

I'm so excited to be featured by this shopping blog called NeatoStuff.com They are dedicated to finding a nice collection of things for sale from around the web. They know about stuff for him, her, kid and baby so that’s the kind of stuff they write about. They like to find stuff that’s unusual and off-the-beaten-path but they are not afraid to write about mainstream things if they like them too.

They don’t get paid to put reviews on their site so you’ll only see things they actually like. They stay in business with advertising and some of the stores pay them a small commission if you buy after they have referred you to their site. Neither of those things impact their editorial commentary.

I'm hoping this will drive more visits to my Etsy site! We'll see.....I'll be front page for about a week and then will remain searchable in their database.

Marketing tip:

Invest in leave-behinds. Calendars, refrigerator magnets, pens and mouse pads branded with your corporate identity are another tried-and-true method of reminding customers you exist. It's hard for a customer to ignore something that's staring him or her in the face.

New on Etsy tonight...Marketing tips too!

I am completely taken with this weave.... This heavy bracelet is woven from 16ga natural copper using the Tucuman Braid fashion. This weave originated in Argentina and was used to make horse reins. The style of this bracelet is that the closure is the focus... along the side I have added 3 round freshwater pearls and 3 lovely blue faceted chalcedony briolettes. The bracelet can be opened and closed or slide on like a bangle.

I happened to be taking pictures tonight and caught this beautiful sunset and wanted to share it with you all!

Marketing Tip:

Create customer rewards programs. Whether it's a discount during the customer's birthday month, "Buy 12 buttons, get the 13th free" or an invitation-only sale for preferred customers, rewarding customers for loyalty is a good business practice.

Focus on an Esmarts team member : CoastalArtist

Etsy and eSMArts are both interesting places…”Why?” you might ask…my answer: “Because of the extraordinary people there.” I’d like to introduce to you one:
CoastalArtist.

Coastal (Van) joined Etsy July of this year and eSMArts in August. In the short time I’ve gotten to know him, I am taken with both his art and his insight. Looking at his art in both pencil and oils you see what he sees; you feel what he paints or draws. That is not easy to communicate, but Van makes it look easy. To use his words:
"With each painting an artist becomes a 'self-taught' artist, learning something different with each painting rather it be the application of colors and hues or the different composition styles a particular scene or animal offers. Each painting is an adventure into the world not only of art but the spirit of the subject, be it a wolf in Montana or a Green Heron on the shores of Week's Bay."

I have enjoyed our Thursday evening team chats on Etsy and it has given us all the opportunity to get acquainted with Van and I enjoy his humor….
“There was no doubt in my heart or spirit that I would be an artist someday ..... I'm still working towards that goal sixty-three years later. My mother wanted me to be a doctor, my father wanted me to be an engineer, my brother just wanted me to be gone. My grandfather wanted me to be a preacher, my grandmother, a full blood Cherokee, wanted me to follow my spirit.”

Van speaks here (with humor, of course!) about his introduction to the arts:
“My mother had said more than once that "I was born with a paint brush in one hand and a pencil in the other". (Not sure she ever forgave me for that LOL) I began drawing as soon as I could stand and reach the wall with my crayons, those that I didn't eat first. After learning what NO meant and what a 'SWITCH' was (that was way back when you could spank a disobedient child) I began using paper. To this day paper and pencil are my favorite mediums. Pencil sketches can capture the moment or scene with just a few strokes or a thousand neatly laid out lines. Along the way I discovered oil paints and canvas.”

eSMArts is a diverse team with members spanning the globe and from all walks of life… here is a bit more about Van:
To this day..... I walk after my spirit. Even after 60 years of painting and drawing the world around me, I start each new painting with all the excitement and expectation as if it were my first. An avid outdoorsman, I live with my wife Joyce (behind every man stands an even greater woman) on the sun-filled Gulfcoast of Alabama. Together we explore the bays , bayous, and shoreline for a never-ending supply of new sources for paintings.















Van invites you to visit CoastalArtist on Etsy as do I!!
CoastalArtist on Etsy
“I share with you my art but I also share with you my spirit. Don't just look at the art.... spend the time with it and feel it. Let it touch you, let our spirits touch.”

Etsy teams: eSMArts is featured!!

I thought I would share with you my latest newsletter:

As summer winds down there is a chill in the air in the evening and we begin to prepare for fall. The leaves have already begun to change color here in RI.

In my last newsletter I announced that I have taken on the responsibility of Social Marketing Director for the team eSMArts on Etsy.

Well, Etsy administration has taken notice of our efforts! This is a huge opportunity for my team to grow and makes sales! I invite you to take a look at the article currently running on the homepage of Etsy about my team!!!

THE STORQUE

The Etsy Social Marketing Arts Guild (eSMArts Guild) is a global collaborative of mixed media artisans intent on further understanding and applying eCommerce advertising and promotion techniques.

I am very proud on our team leader / founder, Ms. AnnaLee Husband for her insight and hard work to get us this feature spot so quickly as we are very young in terms of team "life".

Martha Stewart promoted Etsy in a big way back on Fri Feb 29, 2008 on her show:

Etsy on the Martha Stewart Show
February 29, 2008 at 3:35 pm · Filed under Marketing, Press · By Kate Black

Rob Kalin from Etsy was one of the guests on Martha Stewart’s Leap Year show today!
The focus was on artwork made by members, including CubistLiterature & DesiraPesta — the shirt Rob’s wearing, The Black Apple — doll & painting, The Sweetest Pea — stuffed monster on the left, and ToyBreaker — screenprinted ties.

And Rachael Ray also featured Etsy :
Check out what she had to say on You Tube!

Regardless of the fact we are currently experiencing a few "growing pains" I am very proud of each and every member. We all make a difference~ together!!

Other "artsy" endeavors...and Marketing tips

As I was rewriting my profile for my Etsy store, I gave some thought to sharing more about myself with my online family and visitors alike. Before my jewelry there was art... before my 30's or 20's...there was art. All my life I have drawn, painted, crocheted, made quilts, tatted, knitted and have tried various other mediums. Of all these, jewelry making is by far my favorite. I love the feeling of taking a mass of beads, gems and wire and making something that someone will proudly wear! There is nothing like hearing the "ooohh and ahhhs" of a satisfied customer.

Here are some other artsy creations....My room divider \ Photo display ~I painted the rose trellis freehand.

My Wedding album... I designed the album and painted each flower on paper individually then cut them out and arranged them on the photo page. Labor intensive...but I love it!

And glass painting... these goblets found a home with my Mom.

Marketing tip:

Never compete on price alone. If you do, there'll be no reason for customers to return if a competitor has a better deal. You need to offer added value, whether it's a strong guarantee or better customer service, or discounts to repeat customers... to draw customers permanently into the fold.