Handmade Beaded Jewelry
Beaded Jewelry Books
Increase Jewelry Book Sales with Gift Token
Jun 19th
We found that an occasional promotion would add a boost to book sales. A gift token or a discount as a kind of advertisement to make your product stand out from the crowd and build a brand name along the way.
I was helping a dear friend to market her jewelry book and picked those tips from her. It cost her a bomb to publish a book. Profit from book sales is nothing to shout about as I realised when I tried to clear a consignment for the author. The transport and delivery charges, free gifts given out at promotions, rental of a booth for autographing, time and efforts putting up free demonstrations, ate almost every cent that was earned. However, the experience was most rewarding, fun and worth the cause, the passion of promoting a hobby we love so much.
So, if you come across a bargain, immediately recognise it. It is a rare offer!
I made some rings like the one shown here. By varing the color combination, each ring appeared very unique by itself. Very simple but very attractive. Swarovski 4mm crystal bicone beads and 2mm metal beads or sead beads for the finger band. You can try this project on your own.
Pretty things are Simple
Stringing Beads is Easy
This is my sketch and I hope that it helps you get started. The star* marks the starting point and end point of this project. The ring is completed with a secure knot.
Try your hand at designing too. There are lots of ideas from “Wonderful Handmade Jewellery”, a source for inspiration, simple instructions and beautiful detail drawings.
You are welcome to share your ideas too.
Wonderful Handmade Jewellery
Sep 11th
There are very few Jewelry Artistes in Singapore who publish DIY books on handmade jewelry making. Jestina M Hong is one person whom I would declare, has distinguished herself by putting her designs on print, providing us with a great source of inspiration. I bought her first book ” Enchanted Handmade Jewellery Making” and her second book “Wonderful Handmade Jewellery”. They are books to treasure. The photographs were very well taken in vivid colors. The instructions are in simple English and every step is easy to follow. Probably she had very carefully tested each design. The illustrations and graphics are very beautiful and clear. All you need to do is follow diagrams step by step visually, an advantage even if you are foreign to English.
I refer to her books as a source of inspiration ever since I first began my hobby making beaded handmade jewelry. After 4 years, I find myself referring to the same books time and again, despite ready resources that I can get from the internet and whatever I can lay hands on at our local libraries and bookstalls. In “Wonderful”, there are useful references to local DIY jewelry shops too.
Start the hobby and start bonding with your loved ones. You will be surprised how you can touch their hearts with your first creation that is made with lots of love. This book can be found at major book stores in Singapore. I also found it at one convenient location at “Artica“, The Cathay, Singapore.
Your Blog, The Best Marketing Tool For Your Jewelry Business
Jun 15th
Want to make your blog the best marketing tool for your jewelry business? This is “How to Sell More Jewelry Directly from Your Blog” by Rena Klingenberg. Excellent tips from her right here:
Your blog is an excellent tool for selling your jewelry online. In fact, many jewelry artists sell their work exclusively from their blogs.
You can stir up your readers’ interest in your work by blogging about how your jewelry is created, what’s unique about a particular piece or component, what the piece signifies to you, what happened while you were creating it, etc.
Basically, give the piece of jewelry a history and an interesting story. Let the tale unfold over a few blog posts.
Stories sell jewelry. And stories told in episodes gain more readers with each new episode.
Use your blog to build up anticipation for each new piece of jewelry or new design you’re working on. Build suspense and desire – and then unveil the piece. Launch it with a bit of fanfare. Invite readers to comment.
You can put a discreet “buy now” button right there in your blog, directly beneath the photo of the newly unveiled piece of jewelry. Many artists are able to sell each new piece they make, directly from their blog, with these techniques.
Remember that your jewelry blog visitors don’t just want information; they want to be entertained. And the better you entertain them, the more they’ll bring other people to your blog – and to your jewelry.
It’s sort of the modern version of being a traveling artist in Medieval days – you gather an interested crowd by spinning stories and entertaining your audience as you make jewelry.
When the jewelry is finished and its story has been told, there’s always a well-entertained customer eager to buy it. And the rest of the crowd spreads the word to tell their friends and family about the entertaining jewelry artist.
Repeat this process indefinitely. And once you really develop a following and people see how fast your new stuff disappears, your new pieces will go even faster.
People will pay for things they love, regardless of the price. Your job is to help them fall in love with it, and feel the urgency to buy it before someone else does.
Occasionally post blog entries to tell stories about other things that your audience would laugh about or care deeply about. But make it into a personal conversation with them, putting your own words and heart into it.
This kind of story can be triggered by something you saw in the news, or in another blog or forum. For example, if you’re making mothers’ bracelets and your market is moms, you might share an emotional story you read about saving childhood memories.
Make your readers laugh, make them cry, make them feel.
Emotions are powerful, and if you can make your audience feel something, they’ll come back for more – and share it with their friends.
*Discover more ways you can sell your jewelry directly from your blog, in Rena Klingenberg’s ebook “Social Networking: Sell Your Jewelry Online the New Way”.
5 Great DIY Jewelry Sites : Tips and Tricks
May 23rd
5 Great DIY Jewelry Sites : Tips and Tricks to Handmade Beaded Jewelry.
5 Great Treats for all Beginners in Handmade Beaded Jewelry, fantastic web sites to visit.
Treat No: 1
Jewelry Making at About.com
Great articles by Tammy Powley. Free tutorials for beginners, large database of resources. Free Jewelry Making E-course emailed weekly.
Treat No: 2
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads is America’s Favorite Beading and Jewelry Supply Company. For more advanced designs, beautiful free catalog, how to, free tutorials and Design Gallery. Huge traffic volume can be frustrating, just got to be patient and take a little longer to load the site.
Treat No: 3
Auntie’s Beads
Great instruction videos, basic technicques and interesting projects on video.
You can also find these videos on Youtube too.
Treat No: 4
This beautiful project is from Wig Jig University.
Wiring techniques, choosing the right tools, how to use the jig, beginners instructions and many great projects.
Treat No: 5
Bead Online
Basic Jewelry Making techniques. Graphics to show the steps to beautiful free projects.
Have a wonderful time! Happy Beading!
Bead It Forward
Jan 27th
Bead It Forward was a project started by Jeanette Shanigan, Design Artist. “The 2007 theme was ‘Butterflies’, symbolizing being metamorphosed through the battle with breast cancer.” She invited others to join her in donating small beaded squares that she put together into 10 x 10 inch quilts and framed them in shadow boxes. They were donated to the Bead Artists Against Breast Cancer (BAABC) Auction which raised over US$20,000 at the Bead and Button show 2007.
Extract from a section of a 2007 Butterfly Theme Beaded Quilt.
Jeanette, also a teacher and author of many beading books, was moved by the encouraging response from beading enthusiasts all over the world. Fire Mountain Gems and Beads is also supporting the cause. This project was featured recently in their weekly online newsletter, making a call to all interested in submitting a square for the beaded quilts.
Just a glimpse of a section of a 2008 Rose Theme Beaded Quilt.
The theme for 2008 is ‘Roses’. The full article can be found at Fire Mountain Gems and Beads website. Any kind of beadwork or technique can be used but the motif must be a Rose of any kind. The specified size and ground rules and instructions can be obtained in a PDF file from Jean’s website at shanigansbeadshenanigans.com. All completed squares must be submitted by 1 April, 2008.
I see this as a great opportunity for beginners to make a contribution for a good cause. Some free rose patterns and tutorials on how to get started are already available on the site. The entries received to date are displayed online and I think they are really awesome! Very inspiring and beautiful works from budding artists and beading artists around the world. Indeed it is a very innovative way of raising awareness and raising funds to fight against cancer.
Another way of looking at it, it is a program to help cancer patients learn a new hobby to ease some pain in their struggle to their recovery. It is a very rewarding past time, making little gifts for your loved ones. An excellent form of therapy and literally takes stress away from your mind and fill it with a little cheer. And for the impatient, you see what you can accomplish in the shortest time. It’s delightful!
In a concerted effort, the legacy lives on, and each year a different theme will be chosen to celebrate each woman’s struggle with breast cancer. Cheers!
View display of Rose squares already submitted for the 2008 Beaded Quilt at
Jeanette Shanigan’s website at shanigansbeadshenanigans.com
Beads and Crystals DIY Dealers in Singapore
Dec 8th
Hi, here is a list of Beads and Crystals Suppliers in Singapore. This is a free listing to help all Beaded Jewelry Making enthusiasts get started on their new hobby. Just buy what you really need, otherwise, you will end up with heaps in cold storage.
It’s beads galore! There are beads, gemstones, findings (metal parts) and crystals that come in different shapes, sizes and quality. The best crystals are Swarovski Crystals from Austria. Swarovski crystals are precision-cut and have an incredible brilliance that enhances your design. Happy Beading!
Pricing Your Handmade Jewelry (e-Book)
Oct 6th
Did you have a problem Pricing your Handmade Jewelry?
I had this problem on my first attempt. My first few pieces were sold at a 20% to 30% discount off the tags. Sales was good because the pieces were unique and the price so affordable. Rings and single-strand Bracelets were sold at an introductory offer below US$10.
I couldn’t sustain long because that kind of price gave an implicit branding of my product. One day, one guy came along for something special for his girlfriend. He was attracted by a handmade Swarovski Crystal Ring. He was surprised that it was not pricey at all. Aha, but! He faltered. Because he wanted a more expensive item to tag Sincerity and Love for his Girlfriend!
Thru trial and error many of us developed a more professional and successful approach to selling our handicrafts. Something we can learn from the experience of other Jewelry Artists. Rena Klingenberg had written this e-book “Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth“. It is a step-by-step information resource to bring your home business one step further, out to Shows, Fairs and Festivals.
Follow her Tips and Suggestions
Click Here! Find out what are the 3 Bonuses she is giving away.
How Did Jewelry Making Become A Passionate Hobby?
Sep 17th
I attended my first Jewelry Making Workshop at the Civil Service Club in March 2006. There were about 25 participants and within 2 hours, everyone was able to complete 2 projects each. Plus time for a break for High Tea and excited chatter.
There was this Sense of Accomplishment. We made our very own accessories for the 1st time. A pair of Earrings and a Ring customised to our finger size. Something we can wear and treasure.
From then on, I joined the Elementary Stage for Jewelry Art & Creation Course, and continued learning up to Intermediate Stage. I even visited every Beaded Jewelry Supply Shop I can find in town. Bought lots of beads and parts and worked into the night past 12 midnight everyday.
Why That Kind of Fever?
The inspiration came from my Jewelry Teacher. She sets high standards, but made sure they are achievable as I progress from one level to another. It gives me great satisfaction. Jestina M Hong is the teacher, Jewelry Art Designer, and the Singapore Author of the book “‘Enchanting Handmade Jewellery: DIY Guide to Creating Jewellery from Crystal Beads & Pearls“.
More…..in the next segment.
Beaded Handmade Jewelry
Sep 15th
Beaded Jewelry Making is an inexpensive and fun hobby that nearly anyone can do. The materials needed are available at Beads Jewelry Supply Stores and do not cost very much. Aside from the required material like nylon strings, metal parts and beads, there are also some other materials that the hobbyist can use in making beaded jewelry. You can also experiment with various beading techniques to make interesting, beautiful and unique creations.
Basic beading techniques involved in making beaded jewelry are Stringing, and Wire-working with beads. Various types of string are available: cords, plastic, twine. You can also use silk and nylon threads most popularly utilized in making beaded jewelry. Using fiber in beaded jewelry gives a nice touch – it transforms the product into a unique creation and makes a great conversational topic. Wire of various thickness is another popular option. In addition, wire is used to make beaded jewelry items such as rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and gives a polished finish and connection onto clasps.
Beads for jewelry are available in all shapes and forms and sizes as well. In spite of beaded jewelry’s reputation for being inexpensive, a person can also use precious gemstones like pearls and precious metals, such as gold and silver, to make beaded dress accessories. Beginners, can choose to work with less costly materials that are widely available for making beaded jewelry. There are beads made of glass, crystal, coral, polymer clay on sale or DIY yourself. Whatever materials as a design artist uses, he or she is able to customize the type of beaded jewelry to be worn personally, given as a gift, or sold to Beaded Jewelry Lovers.
Choice of colors and enhancing the piece presents an overall visual effect of the beads, a number of knotting and stitching techniques are recommended. Learning basic methods like simple knots and stitches will help beginners, and with practice, you will be able to progress to the more complicated and fancier methods used in making beaded jewelry.
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