Desperate Times

My boyfriend, Will, and I were supposed to buy a used car yesterday that we found on Craigslist. I had talked the owner down from $750 to $650 via email (I had to make sure we could afford it before we asked someone for a ride out of town to test drive it). Will's unemployment check was delayed a day because of Thanksgiving, so I emailed the owner and said if our money cleared today that I'd call and make an appointment to see the car. 

Well, his money did clear.... but he didn't get all of it. You see, the Florida unemployment office has been withholding 40% out of each bi-weekly check for old court fees from years and years ago. Those fees should've all been paid two weeks ago, but I guess my numbers were wrong or their system doesn't automatically update (my money's on the latter). I emailed the unemployment office but we won't hear back from them until Wednesday. 

The good news is that Will was called back into work starting this Wednesday, but the bad news is that he has no transportation to get there. His shift starts an hour before city buses even run, and our city (the county seat) doesn't have it's own taxi service so other nearby city cabs want a minimum of $20 just to pick us up! Screw that. We've been giving my mom and his brother gas money to do things like grocery shop and wash laundry, but the inevitable cabin fever has set in. 

We've been without wheels for 5 weeks now. That's unacceptable to me, but I've always been very independent. I hate having to ask for help. Will's the same way, but he hates seeing me so sad and depressed. I think that's why he posted THIS AD on Craigslist earlier today. I even posted a link to the ad on Facebook and Twitter hoping to bring in more jewelry sales so we could buy that car. No luck so far, even though I did sell some beads in a Tophatter auction earlier today. 

We're still $110 short to buy that car. I'm not asking for a cash handout; I'm asking you to consider my Etsy shop when buying holiday gifts. If 5-6 people can each buy one thing before Tuesday we can get that car, Will can go back to work, and I can remember what it's like to smile.

Tis the Etsy Season

I've been working my creative tail off getting my Etsy shop ready for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the holidays in general. I couldn't find a global editor on Etsy so I had to edit each and every one of my 94 items at a time. Two hours later my items were ready for the Etsy promotion this weekend. 

Etsy had some guidelines for their Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, so I chose to give a free small gift with every order $10 or more. 

I was looking into these worry stones on Oriental Trading with inspirational saying (mainly because one version says "dream") but they're too diverse. If only they let me choose which ones I wanted... I would buy the stones that said dream, create, love, smile, peace and inspire. If I don't find something soon I'll be using a few pieces of handmade jewelry as free gifts! 

I read someone online that most handmade merchants waste time making holiday-colored jewelry not realizing that people are buying gifts to be worn year round. I didn't care. I have plenty of items in my Etsy shop that can be worn year round. I spent last week making holiday colored bracelets so I could use them as my "featured items" at the top of my shop. I think it give my shop a festive look - it's the online equivalent of hanging Christmas lights on your house! I plan on making one or two more Hanukkah themed bracelets, too, like THIS ONE. 

Profit Margins

I read an old Etsy blog this morning about pricing your handmade items correctly. I've been concerned that my prices were a bit too low for a while now, but I haven't had the time or the tools to sit down and work the numbers out. The blog post is called 'A Simple Formula for Pricing Your Work' and it helped get my started. I still need to figure out the exact cost of materials for each kind of item I make, and then there's my profit margin, too. Shesh... I feel overwhelmed already!

From this chart I made using the info I found on Etsy I know my base price for every item is $5. Then I need to add material costs and my profit margin to get the wholesale price. They say to double the wholesale price to get the retail price. I don't know if I will double it until I see all the numbers. I want to make affordable jewelry!

I've been told by some customers that my items are too under-priced for the time I put into them and that they'd sell faster at a higher price because buyers don't mind paying more for handmade items. I've been told by other people that my items are priced just right and I'd risk loosing customers if I change my prices now. It's one of those "rock and a hard place" situations.

If you're a seller and you have any feedback for me please leave a comment on this blog. Review my current prices on Etsy HERE. Thanks!  

My 5th and 6th Etsy Sales

My handmade "bead soup bracelet" from my last blog post sold on Etsy less than 24 hours after I posted it. That was my 5th sale in the 2 months I have been selling on Etsy. I can't explain how exciting it is to see an email from Etsy about a new order. You other Etsy artisans know what I mean. 

Minutes after purchasing that bracelet, the buyer emailed me asking for the "ice cream sprinkles bracelet" that I wrote about it the same blog post. It's the same bracelet but I used white instead of black beads for one of the spirals. I took this photo if the bracelet in progress and made her a custom listing on Etsy. She paid for it immediately. That's sale number 6 for those of you counting :) 

I sent Karen, the buyer, a thank you email for her custom order, and here's what she wrote me back:

"Oh my goodness, you are so KIND! THANK YOU!!! I LOVE IT!!! So kind of you to do this for me and to make it long, and to do the toggle clasps! :) Clasp is gorgeous, thank you so much for showing me, as are the bead work and color choices you did and made! Well you obviously have tremendous talent and I wish I could buy a lot more of your pieces but I have to save up to help my friend move. I love your work so very much. I hope ALL your dreams, goals, and plans come true, and you obviously have the amazing and honed skills it takes for everything to happen."

I wake up every day excited to dig into my beads and make something new because of customers like that and compliments like hers. 

It's not my intent to pat myself on the back with this blog. Instead I want other newbie jewelry artisans to be inspired and know that buyers for their items exist and are waiting for those handmade pieces (they just don't know it yet) and to never give up on their craft. 

I broke even on 2 craft fairs last Christmas and had an ArtFire shop for a whole year with 33 sales (4 of which were actual sales and not trades) before moving to Etsy and seeing more traffic and selling tools. Since then I've changed my business logo, found more free marketing tools, and branched out with product ideas. I'm hoping these first 6 sales on Etsy are just a taste of what's to come this holiday season.

Bead Soup Bracelet

As promised, here are photos I took today of the Russian spiral bracelet that I made last night with the mixed bag of beads. I used a bronze magnetic clasp on the bracelet because it looks more modern... and I almost always use magnetic clasps on my Russian spiral bracelets.

 

In the seed bead world a mixed bag of beads is referred to as "bead soup" so that's what I named the bracelet! I'm making another one now except I'm using white 8/0 beads instead of black. The white one looks more like ice cream with sprinkles. Crap... now I want ice cream. 


You can buy this bracelet on my Etsy shop for only $14 (or at least view it and "favorite" it) by clicking HERE. Get free shipping with code DREAMFREE.