Lorelei Eurto's Blog, page 47
December 2, 2013
November 26, 2013
New Leather Cuff
Yesterday afternoon was awesome. I felt like I was totally in the groove, beebopping to my Pandora 90s Dance Music station, and creating beautiful things. The better half of the afternoon was spent on this bracelet and it warrants it's own blog post because I am so proud of how it turned out.
I know cuff bracelets aren't the most popular piece of jewelry and I never do sell them well, when I make them but it's okay. I really fell in love with this new leather that I found at Limabeads. Unfortunately I "wasted" a lot of it before I finally ended up with my final bracelet but that happens when I don't plan out my design ahead of time. Note to self, think about it and sketch it out FIRST.
The first thing I did was figure out what the focal would be. I picked this star lentil bead from Gaea. I'm not sure how the addition of the etched copper washer from Divine Sparks happened, but it did. To attach it to the leather, I punched some holes at the center of the leather band. To keep the copper washer from shifting, I thread it onto 1 linen cording, pulled the 2 ends together, and thread them through the hole of the lentil and then did the same on the other side, but thread the linen ends through the lentil in the opposite direction.
To keep everything tight, I punched an additional hole about 1/4" from the original holes and thread the cords back up through the leather. Then (finally!) incorporated some pretty awesome Herkimer Diamond rondelles that my friend Theresa bought me at Fall Hill Gem & Bead in Little Falls. Believe it or not the holes were big enough to string 2 linen cords!
My next task was to figure out the clasp. I played around with leather crimp ends like these... and wasted a lot of time fussing with punching holes in the leather. Also wasted to much time trying to utilize a hole that was already in one end of the leather. Because the leather is stiff, I knew that I wanted to create the style of clasp that incorporates a forward facing "hook" if you will. Using some jump rings, and some flat brass wire and rivets, I finally achieved the look I was going for!
Anyway, I am happy. It was fun to construct this. I will posting it on Etsy for sale in a moment. :)
I know cuff bracelets aren't the most popular piece of jewelry and I never do sell them well, when I make them but it's okay. I really fell in love with this new leather that I found at Limabeads. Unfortunately I "wasted" a lot of it before I finally ended up with my final bracelet but that happens when I don't plan out my design ahead of time. Note to self, think about it and sketch it out FIRST.
The first thing I did was figure out what the focal would be. I picked this star lentil bead from Gaea. I'm not sure how the addition of the etched copper washer from Divine Sparks happened, but it did. To attach it to the leather, I punched some holes at the center of the leather band. To keep the copper washer from shifting, I thread it onto 1 linen cording, pulled the 2 ends together, and thread them through the hole of the lentil and then did the same on the other side, but thread the linen ends through the lentil in the opposite direction.
To keep everything tight, I punched an additional hole about 1/4" from the original holes and thread the cords back up through the leather. Then (finally!) incorporated some pretty awesome Herkimer Diamond rondelles that my friend Theresa bought me at Fall Hill Gem & Bead in Little Falls. Believe it or not the holes were big enough to string 2 linen cords!
My next task was to figure out the clasp. I played around with leather crimp ends like these... and wasted a lot of time fussing with punching holes in the leather. Also wasted to much time trying to utilize a hole that was already in one end of the leather. Because the leather is stiff, I knew that I wanted to create the style of clasp that incorporates a forward facing "hook" if you will. Using some jump rings, and some flat brass wire and rivets, I finally achieved the look I was going for!
Anyway, I am happy. It was fun to construct this. I will posting it on Etsy for sale in a moment. :)
November 25, 2013
New jewelry and a Tin Snippets Sale!
Last week I worked up a few pretties that I really love... these are all listed now at Etsy.
SALE SALE SALE!!!
Today only- enjoy 20% off your TIN SNIPPETS PURCHASES using coupon code TIN20 [only valid on tin components purchases!]
http://loreleieurtojewelry.indiemade.com/catalog/tin-snippets
SALE SALE SALE!!!
Today only- enjoy 20% off your TIN SNIPPETS PURCHASES using coupon code TIN20 [only valid on tin components purchases!]
http://loreleieurtojewelry.indiemade.com/catalog/tin-snippets
November 24, 2013
Extension for C Koop Book challenge
Uh oh. This is my C Koop book. Empty as can be! So I'm voting for an extension! If it is alright with the other participants, I would like to extend this deadline til December 13. Those of you who have sent in your projects, THANK YOU! Those of you who possibly needed to drop out of the running, here's a second chance! And those of you, like me, who waited til the last minute to do this project, we'll have a few more weeks to procrastinate!
If you are finished with your project, please do not share via social media until after the 13th. Keep sending me your stories and photos to my email LJEurto@gmail.com
I sincerely hope that inspiration hits me soon for this project!
I will try my best to contact everyone on the list directly - hopefully you'll see the news here or Facebook.
November 22, 2013
Etsy Vs. Indiemade
I have been getting a lot of emails lately from people wondering what I think of Indiemade, why I have both shops, and if I think they should start an Indiemade site. I thought it might be a good time to lay it all out on the table and share my experiences here. These are only my opinions and of course, you should do your research completely before making a decision either way.
Here's a screen shot of my Indiemade site. It's pretty right? :)
I like the look of it, I like the big banner, I like the layout. Everything is easy to read and not confusing. I can post links to my tutorials, ebooks, etsy shop, blog etc.
Here's a screen shot of my Etsy shop. Yep. Looks like a typical Etsy shop. Looks pretty much like EVERY OTHER Etsy shop.
Yep. It's boring. I can't include links to blog, Indiemade shop, ebooks and tutorials. Can't incorporate anything really other than my Etsy listings.
So why Do I Keep it?
Well, one word. TRAFFIC.
Etsy is a marketplace. It's like an online mall and a shopper can go there when they're looking for "handmade jewelry". They can peruse a bazillion shops, all selling "handmade jewelry".
Indiemade is not a marketplace. It's a host for a personal website. There is no way to search "handmade jewelry" from a bazillion shops. As an Indiemade site owner, it's your job to link the store up in other places like social media sites, etc.
My opinion is: It's great to have BOTH. Especially if what you're selling is your job and NOT just your hobby. As an artist, you want to have a professional website and not just an Etsy shop.
As a seller, this is what I like about Indiemade:
Also- Indiemade rivals etsy when it comes to customer service. They actually respond to queries and are HELPFUL! I've received responses from customer service always within 24 hours!
Purchasing:A misconception about Indiemade- you need to be a member to purchase from an Indiemade store. FALSE!! You don't need to login to purchase something from an Indiemade store! I just purchased something from a fellow indiemade store owner and all I had to do was fill in my name, address, phone number, email and then the site redirects me to Paypal to complete the transaction!
You also can pay using a credit card instead of a paypal account by merely clicking the link at the sign-in screen to says "pay with credit card"!
I think if you are new to selling, Etsy is a great option to get up and running. Once you have maintained a following using your Etsy shop, blog and social media- it's a good idea to branch out with an Indiemade shop. My thoughts are this-- if you are new to selling, don't start just an Indiemade store out of the blue and expect fantastic results- unless you are a social media guru who knows how to promote the heck out of your business.
Another thought.... Because Etsy is more of a marketplace, chances are high that shoppers will tend to "comparison" shop for items. Therefore they tend to buy based on price and not quality. Just another reason why it's good to have a website!
These are just things that were at the top of my head and is no way comprehensive but I just wanted to jot some things down in case you were wondering about these topics. Feel free to comment on this post if you have other thoughts or additional facts to share.
Will I ever leave Etsy for good? Hells No. Would never risk it, as I do get quite a few views on Etsy each day and each view is a step towards a possible sale in the future.
Please check out some of these great examples of other Indiemade stores:
http://tesoritrovati.indiemade.com/
http://www.humblebeads.com/
http://moiraklime.indiemade.com/
To read more about starting an Indiemade shop, click here.
To read more about starting an Etsy shop, click here.
Here's a screen shot of my Indiemade site. It's pretty right? :)I like the look of it, I like the big banner, I like the layout. Everything is easy to read and not confusing. I can post links to my tutorials, ebooks, etsy shop, blog etc.
Here's a screen shot of my Etsy shop. Yep. Looks like a typical Etsy shop. Looks pretty much like EVERY OTHER Etsy shop.
Yep. It's boring. I can't include links to blog, Indiemade shop, ebooks and tutorials. Can't incorporate anything really other than my Etsy listings.
So why Do I Keep it?
Well, one word. TRAFFIC.
Etsy is a marketplace. It's like an online mall and a shopper can go there when they're looking for "handmade jewelry". They can peruse a bazillion shops, all selling "handmade jewelry".
Indiemade is not a marketplace. It's a host for a personal website. There is no way to search "handmade jewelry" from a bazillion shops. As an Indiemade site owner, it's your job to link the store up in other places like social media sites, etc.
My opinion is: It's great to have BOTH. Especially if what you're selling is your job and NOT just your hobby. As an artist, you want to have a professional website and not just an Etsy shop.
As a seller, this is what I like about Indiemade:
Also- Indiemade rivals etsy when it comes to customer service. They actually respond to queries and are HELPFUL! I've received responses from customer service always within 24 hours!
Purchasing:A misconception about Indiemade- you need to be a member to purchase from an Indiemade store. FALSE!! You don't need to login to purchase something from an Indiemade store! I just purchased something from a fellow indiemade store owner and all I had to do was fill in my name, address, phone number, email and then the site redirects me to Paypal to complete the transaction!
You also can pay using a credit card instead of a paypal account by merely clicking the link at the sign-in screen to says "pay with credit card"!
I think if you are new to selling, Etsy is a great option to get up and running. Once you have maintained a following using your Etsy shop, blog and social media- it's a good idea to branch out with an Indiemade shop. My thoughts are this-- if you are new to selling, don't start just an Indiemade store out of the blue and expect fantastic results- unless you are a social media guru who knows how to promote the heck out of your business.
Another thought.... Because Etsy is more of a marketplace, chances are high that shoppers will tend to "comparison" shop for items. Therefore they tend to buy based on price and not quality. Just another reason why it's good to have a website!
These are just things that were at the top of my head and is no way comprehensive but I just wanted to jot some things down in case you were wondering about these topics. Feel free to comment on this post if you have other thoughts or additional facts to share.
Will I ever leave Etsy for good? Hells No. Would never risk it, as I do get quite a few views on Etsy each day and each view is a step towards a possible sale in the future.
Please check out some of these great examples of other Indiemade stores:
http://tesoritrovati.indiemade.com/
http://www.humblebeads.com/
http://moiraklime.indiemade.com/
To read more about starting an Indiemade shop, click here.
To read more about starting an Etsy shop, click here.
November 18, 2013
Christmas Party
I know, this isn't typically like me- these pretty blingy beads- but they were speaking to me today when I went to Michael's, and I really like how they remind me of a fancy Christmas party. It's always nice to have some sparkle in your jewelry box. These are listed for sale in my webstore now!
November 16, 2013
Bracelet Tutorial
Yesterday I typed up this PDF tutorial for an asymmetrical Flower bracelet design using a layering technique with a Classic Bead Flower and vintage shank button and a cool brass leaf connector from TheaToo.
Click here to buy the tutorial, it's only $4.99!
November 15, 2013
Shipwreck Dandy Artifact Co.
There is an uber cool chick that lives about an hour from me, who makes really cool things. Jewelry and also beads. Her name is Richelle Hawks and I am pretty sure I've mentioned her here before. But you know what. It warrants another mention because she's been extremely busy getting her Etsy shop stocked with wonderful components. Check out Shipwreck Dandy Artifact Co.She sent me a few beads to play around with and although they are different from the things I normally use, I actually really enjoyed the challenge and am so happy with the resulting necklace. I used a few of her new painted beads- a new technique she's been dabbling in. Richelle is very good at creating with materials and colors that reflect a more organic and free-form feel. I also used one of her text beads, and I really love the subtle colors and textures they give to a piece.
You are probably familiar with these faceted beads , that I have shown on the blog. She's still making them but is concentrating more on "new things". The beads she's making are polymer believe it or not. They have a much richer feel to them though- more like ceramic.
You'll also find things like painted wood beads, painted clay beads, and then even some vintage bead strands and buttons. I guarantee that you'll have no trouble finding something fun and worth-while for an upcoming project!
Here are some of my favorites in her store...
Stars and Moon
Colorful illustrated beads
11 Rustic Eclectic Beads
Daisy Chain Extra: the FINAL update
Be sure to stop in at Joanne's shop this morning, coming up at 8am!It's here last and final shop update ever. Lots of really cool things are currently listed,and these new pieces are just fantastic! those Flowers!!The heart toggle!ugh! I will miss this talent!
Round Rabbit Extra Update today
Oh My.
Just when I thought she had come up with the most amazing thing, she creates another even more amazing thing, like these leaves. We joked back in August at Bead Fest about beads being good enough that we could eat em. Yep, these fall into that category.
Be sure to check out the Round Rabbit Extra update today at Noon est.
And check back here a little later. I have a local artist I want to promote, and I made a cool necklace with some of her beads.
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