Going to Paris!

Starting a business is a great and huge endeavor: a product is created, you promote and sell your product, you rake in the dough, and you have the best boss ever - yourself. I pictured myself as a small business that was going to be based out of my home and working in pajamas.

I like to compare my adventure so far with going to Paris. I'm thinking bright "new order!" notifications, fashion, style, and excitement. I'm excited, all packed up, ready to go.

The first step for me was to decide if I wanted to take the plunge. I shopped for raw materials and set a budget for my soon-to-be shop. The cons were weighing out the pros (do I really need to be spend $XXX when I need it for groceries for the week?) but after a deep breath and a glimmer of faith, I decided to hit that "submit" button and ordered the supplies I needed to create my bracelets.

The best button I've ever pushed

I did research on the Internet on what was popular and figured out price points. My main goal was to create affordable jewelry for others (and mothers!) who did not have a lot of extra cash but wanted to have something pretty for themselves. I began to work at my "creation station" and beaded, twisted, and charmed away. The entire time, while still seriously determined, I was excited like a 5 year old girl who just received a Barbie Corvette and matching Ken doll for her birthday.

But my Etsy shop is better than the mall!

This is such a great idea!, I thought. I created a surplus of expandable bracelets, the kind that is famous like the Rhode Island based maker, with a different type of charmed style to make it my own. One hundred bracelets later, I opened up my shop at  julemijewelry.etsy.com and waited. Crickets. And those crickets had crickets. Then those crickets had crickets. I may as well have been in the deep meadows making friends with other creatures under rocks.

"I'll just wait here, and...wait."

So this isn't Paris. I'm on the outskirts staring in. Where are the bright lights? The noises? The fashion? Still just crickets. I began to lose a bit of the excitement and put my things away. It seemed like I was going to be here for a while.

Then, trumpets came blaring and lights start flashing when I hear that first glorious cha-ching from my smart phone. Well, no parade really, but the feeling was so gratifying. All that work in creation, and I finally received a sale three weeks since opening up shop. I was beginning to feel that much closer to Paris. I started re-packing because I felt that this was just the beginning and more was to come.

THEN THE REAL WORK STARTED....

Sales began to trickle then pour in because of the upcoming holiday (Christmas 2013). I needed more supplies! I needed more charms! Different charms? Well okay! I need more beads! And time! Where's all the time???? I work full time at a day job and have a daughter, so my time is limited. I maybe have 1-2 hours a day to create, photograph, edit, list, and promote. Sometimes I just want to work on my shop and shut the world out. I want to create.I want to sit at my desk and bead and twist. I want to make sure all my bracelets are perfect.

Then it dawned on me that I am now an actual business. What started as a hobby and a vision was now an up and coming shop. I had registered my business with the state to obtain a sales tax ID so I could sell at craft fairs and at home shows.

While I still consider myself a "newbie," I have gone much farther than I thought I would...and that's great!!

So...Paris isn't what I had expected. There's a lot of hustle and bustle. There's a lot of noise. There's an endless need to visit the craft stores and an endless need for beads and other supplies. There's endless fees and charges for running a business.

But, there's also a sea of endless possibilities.

Just last year alone from October to December sales, I was able to take a trip to Hawaii for a surprise visit to see my parents.

I have a creative outlet and I am doing something that I love that brings in revenue. It has its ups and downs, highs and lows, but it is still my home based business and I love my Etsy shop. I am always creating, thinking of new ideas, and putting items out there for the world to see. A part of me is in each piece.

Here's to more creativity!!

Hi! My name is Julie...and I'm addicted to beads.

Anyone who is a jewelry crafter will know what I mean. Hi, my name is Julie, and I have a problem. I'm addicted to beads.

Ever since I began my Etsy shop, new ideas have been swimming in my head like koi fish in a small desk bowl. I was on eBay a lot looking at items and things that I would need. Then I started visiting Etsy for supplies. I decided I needed more instantaneous gratification, so I started going to Jo Ann Fabrics and Michael's Craft Stores. OH...MY...GOD!! And OH MY WALLET! The Jo Ann store right by my abode is not so great when it comes to a selection of beads, but is great for supplies like jump rings or connectors. The store that is a few miles away in another town seriously has a sun ray shining down on it and should have a group of angels singing at the entrance.

Not only is it HUGE but the item selection is magnificent. I feel like Mr. Scrooge in his money tower walking through the store's endless possibilities.

This past Saturday, I received a 25% off my entire purchased coupon which is the sole reason I decided to leave my house. I got Emi ready and headed to the store. I immediately went towards the bead section, and wouldn't you know that the pretty much the entire stock was 50% off!!

 

While perusing the aisles, I met a woman who needed an opinion on matching beads with a swatch of fabric she had. A quick opinion turned into a shopping venture down the beading aisle. If she were a man, we'd run off together into the other crafting aisles hand in hand and swim in spools of yarn. Just kidding...but I digress...we chatted about colors, shapes, how to get the coupon code (she did not know), and what would match with what. The entire time, I kept thinking I should give her my Etsy business card. If it resulted in a sale, GREAT!, but if not, at least I would have a new (beading) buddy who gets just as excited as me when it comes to craft shopping. I said goodbye to her when I left to go look at wrapping options. I was a little sad to leave and regretful of not giving her my business card.

If this Jo Ann store location was much closer, I would be visiting it more than the Michael's location by me. BUT...Michael's is one of my most favorite stores. Coming first before Target, and my friends and family know how much I LOVE Target, I visit Michael's almost once a week to look and touch the beads. I swear I have a connection with the beads and have a "conversation" with them to see what kind of projects they could be in. Kind of like an interview. I can see that I sound crazy at this point, but remember...I have a problem...and I'm addicted to beads!

I have not met anyone as special as the Jo Ann lady, but enjoy my time here as well. I am convinced by myself that I cannot bring the baby here (if I can help it) because I will seriously take an hour looking at the beads and deciding which ones to purchase for upcoming projects. Sometimes I won't even have an idea in mind, but once I see the bead, I know what to create. I keep telling myself that I have enough beads to make Lady Gaga a dress that she would be proud of but 1) I don't know Lady Gaga, 2) I can't sew, and 3) there's never enough beads!

I've actually begun to save my daughter's Gerber food containers to keep my beads in (washed and dried of course!) so I don't have to keep buying those organizers. Although the organizers are not costly, I would be able to stack a Fort of Beads with them and I would be the watch guard. Sounds fun, but my walls would not withstand the Power of Emi.

I plan to visit the store tonight for something completely non-bead related but we all know how that may end.... Stay tuned for news on my addiction!


Visit julemijewelry.etsy.com to see my completed pieces :)

Can Winter Go Away Now?!?

Last week, we were treated with a cozy 65 degree weather. The very next day, it went down to half, and the very next next day, it was a frosty 9 degrees. Woah!

Needless to say, there wasn't much to do outside without the risk of a finger breaking off or having my daughter's cheeks turn a rosy red, so I sat at my work station and decided to think of new designs.

She could be a Campbell's Soup baby!

In my attempt to lure in the warmer weather, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to make beach jewelry. There was an earlier attempt back in January when I utilized actual beach shells, stones, and sand but I haven't had much success with them. There have been many views and likes on Etsy, but only one purchase.

I got on the iPad and searched my supplier shops for the items that I needed to make my bracelets. Having my Etsy lists makes searching so easy. I was able to find all my supplies within half an hour. (Probably sooner if I hadn't had to stop the Underwear Thief.)

"I'm just going to put these where you won't find them."

Once I received my items, I sat at my work station and started beading away. Here is what I came up with so far:

The adventure continues tonight!

The Cost of Hand Made Items

I'm pretty new to the whole crafting and selling market (aka Etsy) but I have learned so much on the way. I have been open since October 2013 and every step is a new learning experience for me and my shop.

One experience that I have to learn to grow a thicker skin with is the reaction of people when I talk about the cost of hand made items. Some craft fair attendees are pretty aware of what they are looking at when they pick up a $50 crochet blanket with roosters on it. Others will not only think $50 is expensive, but that those roosters are ridiculous. Unfortunately, there are people who associate (and mistake!) craft fairs with flea markets or swap meets. Although these are not horrible venues to sell products, sellers have to be aware that shoppers are looking more for bargains than great quality hand made items.

My first experience at a "craft fair" should have been more of a flea market. Although there were genuine crafters there (I made a few friends), about 90% of the venue was taken up by the hosting party's knick knack pally whack items and old costume jewelry. With the exception of one seller who made caramel covered apples and other tasty treats, the majority of the other sellers were quite upset with the hosting party.

Any way, I digress. Their table took the entire center stage AND was next to my table. It got worse....they were selling jewelry for $1!!

All I had was a killer sales pitch, a decent display, and the gift of gab (well, I was personable). People still scoffed at me or walked away from my "too expensive" items. My most expensive item that day was my "2 for $20" deal and I had some $5 earrings. If anything, I was undercutting myself!

I was hoping that my first experience would be ground breaking, fun, and a learning experience. Nope, I could not wait to pack up and go home. I was considered lucky to have made my table cost plus $30 in profit.

I must say that I've learned quite a bit with how to close my sales at craft fairs. Without being pushy, I show my knowledge with my products and not bash any other jeweler at the show. I've even set up shop next to another jeweler friend of mine at my third show. We both did well, even with being next to each other.

"Do these bracelets tarnish?"
My reply has always been,"Most metals will tarnish over time. My bracelets are made of iron and have long lasting color." Then I'll show my own bracelet that I have made for myself, along with a sterling silver plated bracelet I had purchased at a large retailer (already tarnishing), and another bracelet that I had purchased at another craft fair.

Top: from popular retailer.  Bottom left: from a craft fair. Bottom right: my bracelet

This is supposed to be sterling silver....and my little crystals have already begun to fall out.

This is my own bracelet from my shop

And then, the golden question...."Why would I pay this much when I can get the 'real thing' for a few dollars more?"
I try to keep my chest from imploding. I used to have cold sweats because I did not know this answer in the beginning. I would seize up and my mouth would be drier than sponges left out in the desert.

And the honest answer is that my love for my craft goes into each piece and it's evident. I spend hours not only crafting, but doing the usual Etsy routine of photographing, editing, listing, then promoting on social media. It covers the cost of materials used and some profit for myself. Each one of my items are all hand crafted by me (I'm a one woman shop) and most are unique in design to my shop. I try to explain that what I'm selling is a part of me and my ideas put into physical form.

Now for the technical part. A fellow Etsian has been so nice to provide me with a spread sheet with formulas to help determine what I should be charging versus what I was charging. I was comfortable with what I was charging because I was making a tiny profit, but he had told me that my time working should be factored in as well (with the creating, and the photographing, and the listing, and the promoting, etc)

After entering the numbers of material costs and my hourly pay (I pretty much gave myself minimum wage for what I do - poop), my prices are supposed to be doubled what they are. It was also mentioned multiple time in the Etsy forums that increasing prices also helps with sales because the shoppers on that venue are looking to pay for great quality items. So far, I hear crickets ever since I've raised my prices.

When it comes to my shop, the important thing to me right now is delivering a quality item in pretty packaging :)
I'm sure I am going to keep learning along the way. In the mean time, CRAFT ON!

Visit www.etsy.com/shop/julemijewelry to visit the shop or scroll down for a sneak peak of what I have to offer.

Craft Fair Affair

In 2013, I was part of four craft fairs in during the holiday rush. Here are my experiences with all three.

My first show was at a church function and I was a bit nervous as I was completely new to it all. I did a bit of research and signed up for a Square credit card reader (best thing to have done!!) from Square. I designed my layout at home so I knew how many items I would be able to display. My traditional charm bracelets were going to be hanging from a tree branch stuck in an empty wine bottle and some were going to be on an acrylic picture display I found on Pinterest. My bangles were in small jewelry dishes on silver platters (hey, I know...amateur, but I was still learning! Here is a photo of what it looked like.

"I'd like some hors d'oeuvres with my bracelets, please."

I was excited and thought my display was pretty decent. My excitement was quickly squashed when I found out who my neighbor was. See that table there with the red and blue tablecloth? Turns out they were selling costume jewelry for $1. WHAAAAT?! Yes, $1! By the time viewers came to my table, they scoffed at my $10 prices. At the end of the day, I made only $65 with $35 of that covering the cost of the table. So in actuality, I only made $30. I was almost swayed to never do a craft fair again because my first experience was not great at all. However, I did learn some new things:

Bring food and water. Although the food was not expensive (they had meatball sandwiches for $5 with a soda), I still thought that I could bring my own snacks to munch on when I had the chance. A small bag of chips or popcorn rather than a huge messy meatball sandwich was easier to hide behind the table.

But with water (or any drink)....be prepared to use the rest room. If you are alone, establish a trust worthy friend to cover your table when you leave for a potty break. I was able to find three new friends who were also upset about the table placement. If you aren't able to make an friends, search for the event coordinator or have a friend/loved one close by relieve you.

Definitely write receipts. Even if the buyer does not want one, keep it for your own records come tax time.

Talk to everyone, even kids. If there is a small child lurking about, say hello. Chances are they will talk to you just to talk to you. Mom, dad, or grandma will come soon after and take a look. A look is all it takes. And I have an awesome story that took place at my second show.

But don't be pushy. People will come and look and some will walk away or just pass. Don't chase. Smile and say hello, but if they leave, thank them and/or hand them a card.

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I found my second show in the paper after one of my friends from the previous show had suggested I look there for school related shows. I changed my display again but it still looked pretty much the same.

I wanted the viewers' eyes to move around my entire display but tried to keep them grouped. Again, the dish display was a flop because they kept getting moved around and my bracelets were getting mixed up. I was not able to make that many friends at this show (just one) but luckily, the event coordinator was continuously walking around to take food/drink orders and relieve vendors for bathroom breaks. There were other jewelry vendors (including popular Lia Sophia and Owl) but I still managed to make very good sales. I walked out of that show with $250 in profit which was a big deal for me since my items were priced at $25 and under. My faith in craft fairs was restored!

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Craft Show #3 was at another church function and I was nervous when I found out it was in the lower level (aka basement) of the rectory hall. My Square did not work (since it runs on the cellular service of my phone) and it was a sloooooow day. I don't recall how much profit I made that day (I think around $70) but there was one sale that absolutely made my day:

His name was Luke, and he was shopping with his grandmother. Grandma was looking at some scarves on the table next to me and Luke was looking at my jewelry. He told her he thought they were pretty and asked for some money to buy something. She replied with,"they are probably too expensive, dear" which honestly did sting a little because she did not look at my items, but when I said there are some items that are $5, she said that was doable and handed Luke $5. (Please keep in mind that my $5 items were my clearance earrings only.) He clutched his money and looked at all my items. He secretly told me he wanted to buy something for his grandma. I asked Luke what her favorite color was and that I had some bracelets with "grandma" on them ($15)

but he said she liked pink. I pointed out a sparkly pink wrap bracelet and he liked it right away, saying that Grandma would LOVE it. I almost felt bad taking Luke's money, but gave him a $20 bracelet for $5. He proceeded to tell me it was a secret, and I locked my lips and threw away the key.

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Craft Fair #4 was almost 45 minutes away from my job (totaling about an hour and a half from my home) but it turned out to be awesome! The fair was a small vendor fair. When I say small, I mean - only four vendors - small. It was for a friend of mine, and it was their first vendor fair. Even with only 13 sales, I was able to bring in $171. The table was free so everything that I made was all for me.



I have another fair happening in April. I will take pictures and let you all know how that one goes!

Saturday with Emicakes...and No Promoting

Today was a prime example of how slow my shop would be if I am not on my website promoting, chatting on the forums, or advertising on Facebook. I've noticed that a lot of my views come from Etsy itself from posting in the forums or uploading new photos of what I made the previous night. It really is exhausting work between creating (which is definitely the fun part), then photographing (not so bad - I bring out my inner Austin Powers), to editing (insert dark cloud here) and then listing and promoting (come on fingers and brain, don't fail me now!) It takes just about an hour to do just ONE item!

Any way, I digress. I got up at 6:30 this morning to have my coffee, feed the baby, and kiss daddy good bye as he went to work. (Off topic - he's STILL out...working 12+ hours today! Yikes!) I did not open any forums or chats, but I did check to see how many views I've gotten and if there were any sales. Maybe five views, two favorites, and nada for sales.

I made some yummy oatmeal white chocolate cranberry cookies for a dear pregnant friend of mine and met her for lunch with Emilie. We chatted and chased and chatted for almost four hours before I headed back home.

I checked my shop again....Twenty-five views and still five favorites. Oyyyy...this is no good. Let me edit the photos (and keep all the hair on my head in the process) and list the three bracelets I made last night. Two hours and maybe a fistful of hair later, they are listed and promoted. In just about twenty minutes, my views rocketed up to sixty-two views and (just) ten favorites. I did chat a bit on the forums and I think that also brought in more viewers to my shop.

Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time to be on Etsy all day to promote my shop (although Ian likes to differ!) It really is a fun thing for me but as stated before, time consuming. Let's see what happens later tonight. It may just be a wine and movie night.

Here are some bracelets that I completed last night.

What should I name it?

After the decision was made to open up shop, the next big thing was to decide on a name. I can only remember the odd names I had thought of. I wanted something imaginative, yet catchy. I wanted something that reflected both my daughter and myself.

Here we are!

"Emilie Jewelry?' Nah... not catchy enough.

"Just keep thinking, mom, while I concern myself with this basket instead."

"Jemilie Bracelets?" Ehhh...not exciting enough.

"Jumilie..." Let's just stop right there.

"Really mom? 'Jumilie'??"

"Do you like Julemi?" I asked my husband. It sound catchy, unique, and was a mix of our names.

"I think you may be onto something there!"

"What about me?" he exclaimed. After thinking for a few seconds, I calmly said that a name like "Julemian" sounds very alien and may give prospective buyers the wrong idea of my jewelry line. He huffed puffed for a bit, then let it go.

Yeah, maybe daddy is a bit alien...

So there it was. Julemi Jewelry.

Okay, now what about branding? A friend of mine was able to design a banner with a picture of cherry blossoms I had on my computer. The flowers are pink and pretty, and I wanted to have that message of beauty relayed to viewers. Pink became my signature color for boxes, ribbon, bags, and tags.

Hmm...a little toooooo girly. Let's add another color. That is where the teal color came in. I know, I know..it's only on the label, but it's just subtle enough. Here is what my Christmas 2013 gift packaging looked like.

And so here we are. I have opened up shop in October 2013 and have had over 100+ sales on Etsy and in person at craft fairs. I continue to gather inspiration from everywhere, even in my dreams. (It's true)

Join me on my journey, and I hope you like what I have to offer :)

Well, if I'm going to be part of this business, I better dress the part, talk the talk, and walk the walk.

New Spring Inspiration for Jewelry

My newest addition to my jewelry collection is my Spring Collection. It includes both silver and gold expandable bangles, each adorned with two pastel lucite flowers and a butterfly charm.

Over the past few weeks, I did a Facebook poll on what things remind my followers of spring. I took all of these suggestions into account and tallied my responses. A few of the answers that I’ve gotten included bees, rain, flowers, grass, and alas…butterflies.  Butterflies took the cake by a long shot. I secretly hoped that someone would mention birds but when no one did, I knew that bird-related bracelets were not going to be a popular item in my shop.

And so the ordering and creating began. I was excited to see that there were so many flower options on the web to choose from! I settled on a pretty simple 5-petal flower and decided that head pins would provide a more secure hold than jump rings. Man, they are hard to twist when the charms and bangle itself get in the way! Whew!

Within a few days (I think two) of posting them on my shop, I’ve received a lot of Etsy “favorites” and included in three treasuries. To me, that’s a big deal. Treasury inclusions happen in spurts, and I was overjoyed to get the notifications and the results afterward. No sales, but every view still makes me happy.

Here is a link to one of my gold/silver spring flower bracelets:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/181586264/gold-expandable-stackable-adjustable?ref=related-7

https://www.etsy.com/listing/181594756/silver-expandable-stackable-adjustable?ref=related-5 #etsy#etsyfinds#expandable