A Little Tennyson for Your Day.

Watching Penny Dreadful with the kiddo last night Ferdinand Lyle quoted Tennyson "It is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all." We've all heard the quote many many times, and it dawned on me I had never read the entire poem prompting me to google it.

This truth came borne with bier and pall,

I felt it, when I sorrow’d most,

’Tis better to have loved and lost,

Than never to have loved at all–

O true in word, and tried in deed,

Demanding, so to bring relief

To this which is our common grief,

What kind of life is that I lead;

And whether trust in things above

Be dimm’d of sorrow, or sustain’d;

And whether love for him have drain’d

My capabilities of love;

Your words have virtue such as draws

A faithful answer from the breast,

Thro’ light reproaches, half exprest,

And loyal unto kindly laws.

My blood an even tenor kept,

Till on mine ear this message falls,

That in Vienna’s fatal walls

God’s finger touch’d him, and he slept.

The great Intelligences fair

That range above our mortal state,

In circle round the blessed gate,

Received and gave him welcome there;

And led him thro’ the blissful climes,

And show'd him in the fountain fresh

All knowledge that the sons of flesh

Shall gather in the cycled times.

But I remained, whose hopes were dim,

Whose life, whose thoughts were little worth,

To wander on a darkened earth,

Where all things round me breathed of him.

O friendship, equal poised control,

O heart, with kindliest motion warm,

O sacred essence, other form,

O solemn ghost, O crowned soul!

Yet none could better know than I,

How much of act at human hands

The sense of human will demands

By which we dare to live or die.

Whatever way my days decline,

I felt and feel, tho’ left alone,

His being working in mine own,

The footsteps of his life in mine;

A life that all the Muses decked

With gifts of grace, that might express

All comprehensive tenderness,

All-subtilising intellect:

And so my passion hath not swerved

To works of weakness, but I find

An image comforting the mind,

And in my grief a strength reserved.

Likewise the imaginative woe,

That loved to handle spiritual strife,

Diffused the shock thro’ all my life,

But in the present broke the blow.

My pulses therefore beat again

For other friends that once I met;

Nor can it suit me to forget

The mighty hopes that make us men.

I woo your love: I count it crime

To mourn for any overmuch;

I, the divided half of such

A friendship as had master’d Time;

Which masters Time indeed, and is

Eternal, separate from fears:

The all-assuming months and years

Can take no part away from this:

But Summer on the steaming floods,

And Spring that swells the narrow brooks,

And Autumn, with a noise of rooks,

That gather in the waning woods,

And every pulse of wind and wave

Recalls, in change of light or gloom,

My old affection of the tomb,

And my prime passion in the grave:

My old affection of the tomb,

A part of stillness, yearns to speak:

‘Arise, and get thee forth and seek

A friendship for the years to come.

‘I watch thee from the quiet shore;

Thy spirit up to mine can reach;

But in dear words of human speech

We two communicate no more.’

And I, ‘Can clouds of nature stain

The starry clearness of the free?

How is it? Canst thou feel for me

Some painless sympathy with pain?’

And lightly does the whisper fall;

‘’Tis hard for thee to fathom this;

I triumph in conclusive bliss,

And that serene result of all.’

So hold I commerce with the dead;

Or so methinks the dead would say;

Or so shall grief with symbols play

And pining life be fancy-fed.

Now looking to some settled end,

That these things pass, and I shall prove

A meeting somewhere, love with love,

I crave your pardon, O my friend;

If not so fresh, with love as true,

I, clasping brother-hands aver

I could not, if I would, transfer

The whole I felt for him to you.

For which be they that hold apart

The promise of the golden hours?

First love, first friendship, equal powers,

That marry with the virgin heart.

Still mine, that cannot but deplore,

That beats within a lonely place,

That yet remembers his embrace,

But at his footstep leaps no more,

My heart, tho’ widow’d, may not rest

Quite in the love of what is gone,

But seeks to beat in time with one

That warms another living breast.

Ah, take the imperfect gift I bring,

Knowing the primrose yet is dear,

The primrose of the later year,

As not unlike to that of Spring.

I'm doing a little better these days, working has helped. Being around people when I wanted to crawl in a hole and die has helped. I've lost more than 40 pounds and I can see myself in the mirror again, I've aged some these last few months. He's aged more. I don't know what exactly the future brings, but after the past few months I'm sure I'm ready for some good things to come my way. My schedule changes every week so trying to get back into a routine has been a little difficult. Some days work is all I can manage, others I look forward to trying to figure out a routine again. One thing I have learned is I don't need to be on the computer all the time to make sales, but it does increase the frequency when I do come online and do a little something.  Thankfully sales have been fairly steady, little lulls here and there but enough to allow me to make so I don't go crazy. My muse allowed me to make a sweet simple pair of earrings the other day and I fully intended to make another to list but haven't found the time do so yet. At least they're planned that's more than I've done in awhile! 

Be kind to yourselves. Love one another

Oil next time!

On Storms and Paying it Forward

Leonid Afremov on Etsy
Find him HERE

It's storming again as I write this. Yes, AGAIN! This has been a rough month storm and rain-wise. If you remember the bread and butter business is in Construction, rain makes for downtime lots of downtime. Downtime means the bills run late because you need to work to make money. Which actually brings me to todays topic believe it or not.

I’m sure I mentioned I’ve taken a part time job recently. Our expenses have increased just enough that it was becoming a strain on the hubs, especially with the weather we've been having, and I wanted to help take some of that stress off. I've also been going a little stir crazy cooped up on this hill all by myself for so much of the time.  So, I’m working as a cashier at our local Dollar General. 

My In-Laws insisted I was going to hate working there, but I am really falling in love with this job. It’s a lot of hard work I’ll admit. Stocking shelves between customers can get to be a heckuva  work out. I was working on sky boxes (we keep over stock on the top shelves) the other day and I joked it was the best leg work out I’d had in a long time - up and down the ladder all day long! 

My customers, though, are the reason I love this job. They are just amazing people. They make me smile on days I don’t want to. They make me laugh when I think there is no more laughter. They love one another and me. I get teased for being short and for no reason at all. I even have customers who will come along behind me and place things back up on the top shelf after I’ve pulled them down to restock shelves. Best of all I regularly get to see acts of kindness and pay it forwards that genuinely warm my heart. 

I have missed this so very much! What I see of the world lately on Facebook isn't so nice. It's political and personal, angry and sad, and that wears on you, it wears you down and I was feeling it. It took its toll on my marriage too. I can't tell you how much I needed to have my faith in humanity renewed and my customers have done that in a big way.

Be kind to one another, commit random acts of kindness and pay it forward. The love and compassion you share has an amazing ripple effect. Those acts touch many other people as well and that’s a VERY good thing. It's what makes my job a joy, thank you!

I haven’t made anything new lately, but that doesn’t mean I’m not making. Amazon sales have remained steady and I make to order most of those. Once I get my routine back in order I’ll get back to new goodies again I’m sure. Those “leg days” are kind of whooping me lol

Thanks so much for stopping by!

We'll see you next time!

on Creating Efficiency, a Theme on a Goal

My new posts will feature the things that inspired my jewelry.

One of my goals this year is to be more efficient with my time in order to free up more time for the family. 

I’ve noticed more posts on FB doesn’t necessarily equate to more interaction. In fact I increased postings before Valentines and my stats dropped. So a high frequency of posting isn’t necessary at all, but a good quality posting still is. 

I opened a Hoot Suite account for scheduling purposes but I still haven’t used it. I have however started working on putting together some posts and trying to work out a schedule that doesn’t put the same post everywhere at the same time - no one likes that either, or at least I don’t, maybe no one else actually minds and I’m just weird that way. What “my” audience does seem to really like are in progress shots and inspiration posts and gasp posts about me? lol I don’t know why that surprises me, but it does. I kind of like it though. It’s like I’m finally finding that little something I’ve been hunting for.

The whole less posting thing has freed up a bit of time for me, and I feel more productive with my time when I am online and posting. More importantly my family is happier with my increased presence and availability for them. And THAT is what it’s all about. 

Aventurine Gemstone Donut & Silver Stampings

This weeks Year of Jewelry piece is a green Aventurine donut adorned with silver plated stampings, a sterling rolo chain and a couple sweet crystals in a matching green. I believe this one is running off to live on the east coast fairly soon but if someone were interested in a similar necklace I can easily pick up another gemstone donut or two…. or more. As pretty as it is in Aventurine, think how sweet this could be in the soft pink of a Rose Quartz! Or how fun a composite Turquoise would look with it’s metallic veining! I might have to buy some just so I can play with it now, I wonder who has some Mojave Turquoise available?? What do you think? Blue, Purple, Green? Or the heavy black matrix with pops of blue/green turquoise? I am really going to have to check this out as soon as I'm done posting here.... or after I get back from the post office... customer service first, shopping second.

Thanks for stoppin by!

See ya next time!

It's Still January

Whew! It's Been a Busy Busy Holiday Weekend

Week 3 Year of Jewelry = Coral    I had coral pulled I really did, paired it up with turquoise for a really pretty necklace but then this Red Creek Jasper said it wanted to play pretty pretty please. Isn’t it just a gorgeous stone?! At first I was going to weave a bail for it but that just seemed too plain. I’ve been trying to clear off my desks and found some small pieces of brass that I set aside and I had one just the right size for a bail. I’m pretty pleased with the results, and I kind of want to keep this one for myself.

*Red Creek Jasper* *Picture Jasper* *Black Lip Shell* *Cedar Berries* *Amber Heart* *vintage brass roll chain* *hand crafted bail* *hand crafted rosary chain* *hand crafted vintage style hook and eye clasp* *hand twisted jumps* *roughly six hours in the making including design time and where did I put that/where did it go now time*

I finally managed to wrestle the checkbook away from the hubs and was up to my eyeballs in doing bookwork, balancing the checkbook and having anxiety attacks over deposits not being written in even though the amount was added to the balance so I get to find a $2000 discrepancy because 600 plus 800 is 1400 not 3500 and blah blah blah I think he cut a year or two off my lifespan with that one sigh 

In the midst of all that I see in my e-mail I have a notice…..

	Stephanie Drapeau mentioned you.

	Stephanie Drapeau @stephanidrapeau Jan 18   Simply love these designs!❤️❤️ @MeiFaithStudio @DanasWindDancer@HeidiLee_Design @2LittlePs of @theartisangroup View conversation

ah, just warms the heart! She likes them, just made my day - and then I found the missing deposit in the bank statement and all was right with the world once again.

We've headed into Week 3 of the  Infinite Possibilities Project 

Here's what we've been up to with that.

Day 12 Plan the celebration for achieving your goals - sadly when this one came in I was pretty mad at the hubs, A Party was not anywhere on the list. Maybe I can revisit that one in a day or so.

Day 13 Share the Love, today spend a couple minutes and Pay it Forward with a Random Act of Kindness - That I can do

Day 14 Create a daily planner and fill it with all the things you wish you’ll be doing. - My first thought was I’m an introvert, the only thing I want is to hide away on my hill and make pretties.l Then I looked a little deeper into my hearts desires and realized Jamaica isn’t on my hill. Vacations are a blessing and toes in the sand is really quite necessary to recharging batteries, and since I’m not angry with the hubs anymore he can come too =grins= 

Day 15  send thoughts of love in small and meaningful ways, even if you don’t say it out loud think it. I love how you’ve read this with me, thank you! I like this one too. It fits in with my goal of being kinder and replacing those negative words that have crept in. This works for me. HEY!! We’re half way through already!

Day 16 Almost missed this one, notes don’t come on the weekend and I kept watching the inbox for it. Was in bed before I realized It was Saturday! lol Technically I did miss it lol But you didn’t know that! Create a pleasing ritual…… hmmm I was thinking 15 minutes on the Stairmaster every morning just to get the blood pumping, but maybe a gentler start that won’t be so tempting to brush off on off days would work better for my purposes. I’m thinking a morning stretch, or maybe a little bit of yoga that can be done even before getting out of bed while still warm and cozy. This I like! I need to do a little research to find what I can do but it sounds like a really nice way to start the day. I can hit the Stairmaster after coffee, once my eyes are actually open and my feet are no longer stumbling.

Day 17 acknowledging your amazing self. Another nice one! We say and do good things all the time without acknowledging the good we do in the world. Take time to look over just the last 24 hrs and take note of the kindnesses and good things you have done. They do make a difference in the world and in doing them so do you!

Day 18 Going back to the calendar, pick a day and visualize everything wonderful going on. From the moment you wake up on…

This really has been a fun way to start the year and I'm looking forward to the next 12 days. It's been really intriguing how well it ties in with my goals for the year. If you've been following along I'd love to hear how well it's been matched to your goals too. Please let me know in the comments!

Valentine's Day is coming up, I think I'll post some hearts and flowers over on the FaceBook page for the next couple of weeks, show you all how much I appreciate you!

See you next week!

the Infinite Possibilities Project

As you know last week I wrote about setting goals instead of resolutions. I had briefly touched on a couple of my goals and noticed efficiency seemed to be my mantra for the year. 

You may also recall I subscribe to Notes From the Universe (click here!! to see what that’s all about ) I love starting my mornings out on a good note and I encourage everyone reading to start theirs our on a good note too. The Infinite Possibilities Project (click here! to join in the fun) is the brainchild of Mike Dooley, who just happens to bring my notes to my inbox every weekday morning. I thought since the notes start my day so well THIS would be a great way to start my year. It’s 30 days of quick activities to help you achieve your dreams. Day one was all about setting goals, right up my ally! 

Since I talked about some of my goals with you last week and since it’s so on target with this time of year I thought I’d share my 30 days on the blog here throughout the month of January, and since it’s a new year and I have a new shop to fill up I’m also participating in the Year of Jewelry Project again this year, so I may sprinkle some new goodies in there from time to time as well.

5 goals in order of importance, ordering them was kind of hard because they all kind of intertwine with each other…… 

1: Health; Continuing regular exercise and improving on our nutrition. Because even Pizza Night can turn into a family meal with a salad.

2: Business; you’ve read this one already : Social Media Marketing, Inventory, Book Keeping and the business plan revisited for the bread & butter business. You might feel this one should be lower but once it gets rolling it will free up time for 1, 3 & 5 (my Mantra for the year) and will actually help create 4 but it is 2nd because health above all else, without it you can’t fully enjoy the rest.

3: Home; finish my existing projects, prioritize what needs to be done and get those started

4: Finances; my little business has been self-sustaining and has met it’s goals consistently, this is the year I want it to contribute to the household.

5: Family; help the kids build their dreams, be kinder, be happier, cook together. Once the kids were big enough to cook without supervision I backed out of the kitchen when they cooked to allow them to stretch and develop their skills. But I really miss cooking together, some of our best happiest and goofiest moments are had in the kitchen together. If they’re making pizza, I can make a salad. Which brings us right back around to Goal number 1.

Day 2 was about choosing a theme for the year and I immediately thought ha! I’m ahead of the game my word is efficiency. But then I thought no that’s not my theme, efficiency is the key to finding balance so that I can create abundance.

abundance |əˈbəndəns|

noun

• plentifulness of the good things of life; prosperity

Abundance of Love, of Creativity, of Time, of Success, of Health and sure of Wealth too. So the word might be efficiency, but the theme is Abundance.

Day 3 was getting into detail about day ones goals……. hahaha umm yeah did that on day one :)

Day 4 start a journal to record your 30 day journey lol again ahead of the curve I started writing this on day 2 because I loved how well it tied in to what I was already writing about.

Consider creating a vision board on Pinterest….. that might actually be fun too. If I decide to make one I’ll post it on next weeks blog for those of you following along and need ideas for your own board. Or I can do that now! (that's the magic of writing posts early lol)  Here's my Board! 

As this publishes for you to read it will be day 5  - I try to write my posts a couple days early so I can post them in the morning, and now you know why some posts are late.

All in all it’s been a productive week around here, I love the renewed energy a new calendar brings, it’s fresh and new and full of potential. just waiting for me to fill it up with wonderful things!

Speaking of Pinterest boards…… I have one for the Year of Jewelry Project, I started it last year so don’t let the dozen or so posts fool you I’ve only posted the one bracelet so far this year.  It’s here if you want to see.  https://www.pinterest.com/winddancerspin/a-year-of-jewelry/

New Year’s Hopes and Contemplations

The countdown to 2016 is upon us so like many of us, I’ve been contemplating what I want to accomplish in the coming year, and taking stock of what I’ve accomplished so far.

As I ruminate on this, I’ve decided I need to figure out what my idea of success is, if it’s still the same or has it evolved? When I first started selling, my idea of success was to sell enough to reinvest in more gemstones and tools. That evolved into creating a more consistent sales pattern. Which evolved into defining and developing a cohesive line that allowed me to play with different skill sets and price lines. In these regards I have been very successful. I’ve set and met my goals, exceeding in some areas and refining what still needs work.

Since opening the “doors” at Amazon’s Handmade Marketplace, I’ve been deliberating on my ideas of success and have decided it may just be time to set the bar a little higher. I like Amazon, a lot. I like the business lay out, I like how straight forward things are, I like how it makes sense to me, I like how it even makes Etsy clearer for me. I believe Amazon will help make me a better seller on Etsy and I look forward to the coming year on both selling platforms. I truly believe this is going to be a very good year!

As far as resolutions go, I generally set goals and map out plans for them all year long re-evaluating as necessary and adjusting accordingly. Where last year was about photos and tags, this year will be about book keeping and inventory, exciting isn’t it? 

I lost my inventory data when my desk top died and I started rebuilding it some time ago but that stalled out. I just recently lost a decent sale when I didn’t have the inventory on hand to complete it. That hurt, I need to know what materials I have on hand and reorder when low so that doesn’t happen again.

Book keeping is boring but I constantly have a stack of receipts to file and that just needs to be addressed, I used to be on top of these things. Part of that is just not really liking the software I have and the resulting procrastination. I need to just get over it OR find new software, I’m leaning towards new software.

Other than that it’s just building a cohesive shop on Amazon and keeping a decent balance of items in my range. As well as developing a nice clean look in Etsy so both market places have similar looks. This should also streamline my photo process for me which is a bonus really.

As I read over this I’d have to say I have a recurring theme for my goals this year.  I’d say the word of the year is Efficiency.

Efficient: adjective: working in a well-organized and competent way

: organized, methodical, systematic, logical, orderly, businesslike, streamlined, productive, effective, cost-effective, labor-saving. ANTONYMS disorganized.

hahaha yes I am a Virgo why do you ask?!  Yes, I did just reorganize my pantry…… and cupboards……umm no I’m not a neat freak, the dust bunnies would thank you not to put that particular idea in my head lol  I just like things where I can find them easily so I can make a mess with them! Including numbers, because lets face it - taxes and inventory need to be seen at a glance and the less work it takes the better.

I do have other goals as well but they revolve around family and the house. I’ll probably share those later in the year as things get done. Knock wood  😊

What say you? Any wonderfully wild plans for your year? Fun things or serious? Goals Hopes Dreams Ambitions? Share them here if you're so inclined.

of Photography and Neutral Backgrounds

MultiTasking the To Do List

With the pending launch of Amazon’s Handmade I’ve  been up to my ears in retaking photos for those pieces I intend to offer.  My camera died just in time for Amazon to give the thumbs up for setting up shop.  The kiddo as you know graduated Fine Arts with a focus in ceramics, but she started out a photo journalism major. The kid has a camera! Kiddo to the rescue, this is no point and shoot and I have zero familiarity wth it. She set it up for me, showed me how to manually focus and was gone. Some 200+ pics later the battery needed recharging and that leaves me time to write this, and descriptions and SKU’s and sort through possible posts for my FB page— multitasking getting just a little bit of everything done all at once lol

Long Green Dangles

Amazon has asked for white to neutral backgrounds no props. Neutral no props is not a problem, I’ve got antique linens, burlap and hand thrown pottery (kiddo again!) that serves quite nicely. 

Wind Dancer Studios: Copper Bangles

White however, takes quite a bit more work. I’ve got a poster board that makes for a great back ground but it has a slightly reflective surface and a purple shirt during the photo shoot makes a pretty water color effect but…. I’m looking for a uniform white.

I managed the sliders well enough to get some of the photos to cooperate when Marica mentioned Foto Fuse. As we discussed it I realized  it works much the same way as PS Elements does using the magic selection tool and a paint bucket. 

Photo Editor Comparisons

In the true form of an artist facing pending deadlines I researched all three methods for the better part of an afternoon. The kiddo observing this and now has a healthier self esteem - Mom does it too! lol  Here’s what I found:

I’m on a Mac Book, iPhoto was the photo software installed for many years, the newest updates are Photos minus i. It brought back some of the functionality that was lost along the way and just takes a little play time to figure out what each slider does and doesn’t do.

If you take the time you can create a very natural white background with soft shadows and a hint of reflection.

PS Elements,  I’m still running 9, is much the same however shortcuts and time savers were what I was hoping for so I elected to use the magic wand to select the jewelry then a paint bucket of white to douse the background. That worked great! Only problem is it’s fairly resource intensive and tends to unexpectedly quit after just two or three photos. There is a tool that works just like Foto Fuse for deleting backgrounds, I just couldn’t remember what to click to get to it.

Foto Fuse allows you to upload a pic, or import it from Etsy (spent a little time playing with that feature too!), hi light the area to be saved and deletes the background. With a little adjusting of brush sizes this works very nicely. Sometimes it looks a little unnatural but overall it’s the fastest method and is a good alternative when facing a time crunch.

I’m using a combination of the two. If I can get a natural white with Photos I’m good, but if it still has a hint of cast to it off to Foto Fuse it goes. I do actually like the water color effect so I’ve kept a copy of those as a secondary photo.

As for the product in use for size reference photos - the kiddo has stalled in her promised life size portrait for me….. she doesn’t like the size of her mouth, the one she drew. So I’ll wait until she does.

I’m off to write descriptions, create SKU’s and maybe make a few things as the battery is still charging. 

Have a great day!

Thanks so much for stoppin by!

We’ll see you next time!

I'm Late, I'm Late .....well ok Not Yet!

Change it Up Hop Next Week and I'm blogging this instead of working on my piece!

cue hysterical laughter

I'm heading back into the studio so I can work on my wonderfully awesome creation!! at least I hope you'll think it is :) I just keep getting side tracked with all the other wonderful stuffs going on right now. Which will all make for wonderful blog posts as they come to fruition but until then.....

I just wanted to remind you that next weeks blog post will be on Friday the 25th instead of Tuesday.

I mentioned it on FB but haven't said anything here. The kiddo got her first kiln! She's busy making up a list of needy things so she get her first firing under way and we're flipping coins inside/ outside where do we want to let it cook. I think just outside her studio window where she can keep an eye on it and the hubs is thinking IN her studio where she can keep an eye on it. We shall see where it ends up, your guess is as good as mine! Her studio will be directly beneath mine, so I can stomp the floor and she can poke the ceiling as we create lol  I should poke a hole so we can have tin can phones!!

Back to work I go. I also have a ton of photos to take...... another blog post!

Thanks for stoppin by!
See ya next time!

Ramblings on...

We used to have this exact alarm clock on the night stand.
Works a charm to get you up especially when it's on the
other side of the bed!! lol 

It's clear it's an election year coming. The discussions out and about are getting deeper and have more substance than the idle chit chat that flows through FB most of the time.

It's a very good thing when they stay civil. It's really interesting to see the way other peoples minds work and what really clicks for them.

The only problem is I'm an introvert so while I love the discussion they can be a bit draining emotionally for me. They steal my day away and my energy.

I thought I might deal with this by starting my day with some outdoor time, do a little weeding and some watering out in the garden. Then take a couple laps around the house, sounds like a great plan right? It is! Until you realize how out of shape you are!! It was only about a half mile but the humidity popped up and I was so ready to head back inside lol

Since I had sold several pairs of earrings the plan was to shower and head into the studio to replenish stock but then I checked FB and I got caught up in a couple discussions. The time got away from me again. I need to set a timer or a limit or something, I really do.

And of course B'Sue's blog hop is coming up in just another couple weeks. Thankfully I finally have an idea for what I want to do, I was really beginning to wonder. I just have not had the urge to create for the hop at all and it's been kind of unnerving. I have ideas I want to play with, they just aren't for the hop. sigh This never happens, normally I'm all over it! Make make make, I like a challenge! I think I'm going to be ok now that I have an idea to play with though!

I just need to actually get off the computer and Get In To The Studio...........

The kiddo has been feeling the same way too. Good news though, we finally found a kiln for her!
She's excited and I'm excited for her! I'm so looking forward to seeing her really take off now! She's been getting so antsy since school started up again. She really needs some hands in the mud time. I'm so glad she's finally going to get it!

Thanks for stopping by!
We'll see you next time!

Procrastination Invites Inspiration

I seem to be in procrastination mode. I'm procrastinating right now, I should be working on some paperwork but I'm writing my blog post that I procrastinated writing yesterday. It's important and needs to be done, I just don't want to.

Instead I'm giving myself permission to go find inspiring jewelry. I mentioned before how I loved the forum and all the sharing and inspiration. I miss that. So I gave myself permission to search out the oohs and ahhs on Pinterest and Instagram. It's been awhile since I just let myself enjoy other peoples pretties, it wasn't long before I had ideas perking, oh those look a lot like my necklace, if I add this and take away that, they would make a perfect pair of matching earrings. Why didn't I think about making matching earrings before?

I signed up for B'Sues  Change it Up Blog Hop, I know which element I'm going to use but not a clue how I really want to go about using it. While I was out and about carousing the pretties I starting thinking oh what a cute idea! I could cut it up and do something like that, or I could patina it and do something like this. I think I may need to order a couple pieces and allow myself to experiment. Now that sounds like fun and a plan for tomorrow *wink*

Sometimes giving ourselves permission to do something tomorrow allows us to give ourselves permission to recharge the soul and quieten enough to listen to the whisperings of our muse. I needed that.

I'm off to do something, not sure yet just what that is but I'm off to do it!

Thanks for stopping by!
We'll see you next time!

The Difficulties of Pricing your Work or Time is Money

Amethyst Rain Drops
Year of Jewelry Week 6 Amethyst
$48.oo

I've been self employed pretty much my entire adult life.

Pricing work in some areas is easier than others.

Take for instance our construction business. You factor in all costs for the year, payments, insurance, fuel costs, utilities, rent/mortage, repairs etc etc. Then you estimate the number of working days in a year. Weather factors in here, below freezing temps, melt your brain temps, freezing rain etc etc you just can't work in some of that, some for only a short time. Then you figure the hours in an average work day and divide your expenses by your workable hours and factor in a percentage for profit (kids might need braces, you might want to go out to eat on occasion, you definitely need clothing and food) and tada! there's your price. Piece of cake.

Jewelry isn't so easy. It should be but it isn't. A lot of artists just don't seem to see the business side of it, it's all emotion there. The formulas for pricing are abundant and there seems to be one for every personality out there. Most aren't bad at all and will give you approximately the same price within a couple dollars, just different ways of going about it.

The one piece of advice I see floating around that REALLY bothers me is don't factor in your time. My major in college was business management, people time IS a factor in cost, see above. Your time HAS VALUE. Even if you work in gold and diamonds the worth of your jewelry isn't just the sum of its parts, the worth comes of you. It comes of your time and knowledge in putting those parts together in a way that someone else thinks is beautiful. Someone who loves it and wants it as their own. Should you ever become busy enough to need help I can guarantee they aren't going to work for free.

Even the popular materials only pricing takes into consideration the cost of time when explained fully.
Materials x 5
once for the cost of materials
once for replacement of materials
once for your time
once for overhead
once for profit

That formula doesn't work so well when you're recycling or reusing but it works fine for silver or gold etc as it does take into consideration the full spectrum of your costs. When applied to several of my own pieces it came close enough to my prices I felt comfortable discussing it here.

One more thing, you know I owned a B&M once upon a time and half a country away, when I bought wholesale pieces for retail I didn't ask what the hourly wage was so I wouldn't multiply that number. I just doubled or tripled MY cost and that includes your hourly wage. Think about that.

Then there comes the issue of comparisons. Don't base your prices on others. I agree to a point.  You don't know if they're purchasing their materials at retail or at wholesale, you don't know what hourly wage they're charging or IF they're charging at all.

However, I absolutely believe in market comparisons. The power of the Perception of Value is potent. Jewelry is a luxury item, it is a fashion accessory. You want to be seen as elegant, or trendy, maybe even cutting edge, but you DO NOT want to be seen as bargain basement leftovers, wear today, throw away tomorrow. I suppose there are always exceptions but I am NOT one of them!

I don't willy nilly compare prices. I look for shops that are selling well and are selling items that are of a similar quality and style to mine. I look at the average pricing for simple, for elaborate, glass, gemstone and if I'm in the ballpark with my pricing I leave it as is. If I'm very high, I look closer at the materials gold filled and gold plate are not the same thing. Imitation gemstones don't price the same as the real deal. If I'm very low, I do the same. If it appears all else is equal I may adjust my price upwards or downwards as warranted. If I am secure in my price, knowing all is as it should be I leave it be.

Here's the kicker, I have very RARELY if ever lowered a price after this type of market comparison. I have however raised my prices on numerous occasions. Have my sales suffered? No they've increased. Is it because I raised my prices? I don't think it hurt, but to be fair it's probably just as equally important that I'm becoming recognized as an established fixture and not a flash in the pan here today and gone tomorrow. Online sales require more faith from your buyer than in person sales do. They want to know you're a real person and if they have a problem you'll be there to help. If they have family or friends that just have to have one too that their recommendation of you won't haunt them. Perception of Value increases with longevity as well.

 Whatever formula you decide to use, make sure you are fair to yourself. EVEN if you're just a hobbyist looking to make what you love self supporting, or just having fun at it. If you happen to become the new IT, you'll thank me for making sure you have a working/living wage.

I worked the price backwards from one of Etsy's IT designers once, she had burned out and was considering closing up shop. She had made a lot of money but still had only paid herself 50 cents an hour per piece. Granted she had a very streamlined production process and could make quite a few in an hour her total wages for the amount of work was only $9 an hour. Less than minimum wage in her home state.

Don't confuse volume of work with volume by sales. She could make much more than she sold in volume, however you can only earn by what you sell. Those are the numbers I worked from, what she had sold.

She ended up selling her shop and the new owner raised the prices by $1 effectively doubling her wages and she hired a helper. That shop is still humming along in the top sellers list. Proving a living wage will not cripple your prices or your sales.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope I've given you some helpful insight into pricing.
We'll see you next time!