500th Sale Giveaway!

Today marks a very special day in my Etsy selling History….I have made my 500th sale!  Whoo Hoo!  Sound the trumpets, imagine confetti and balloons exploding all around you!
In honor of this special milestone I decided to do a giveaway.  Sale #500 was a copper ring.  In honor of that I will be randomly giving away 5 copper rings to 5 lucky people!  (plus I thought that sorta went with the fact that I am gearing up for holiday sales, and 5 is the number of rings needed in the 12 days of Christmas…okay so them may be 5 golden rings…mine are copper.  Who knows maybe when I hit 5000 sales I can splurge and do 5 golden rings )
Okay so it is simple to enter…All you need to do is leave a comment on this blog with 2 things….1  what size ring do you wear, and 2. what texture do you like?  Easy Peasy!  I will have a random Drawing on my birthday, Nov 2, 2011 at noon my time (Central), to determine who the lucky winners are.  The textures available are:

Coral Reef:

Fluted: 

Hash Mark:

Slate: 

Tree Bark:

Smooth: 

Boneyard Art Festival

Last Saturday, I had the honor of being one of the artists asked to display work in the lobby of the Main Street Plaza building in downtown Urbana, IL.  This is also where the Shared Space Coop is located; a budding new gallery that I have items located at.

As with any new show, I had no clue what to expect, but was very pleased with my location and the turnout.  I decided to try a slightly different layout from the one I did at the I Do Bridal Expo, mainly because I didn’t have the space or time to do a full booth set-up.  I like how cohesive it looked with my branding, but I still have some tweaks I would like to make for next time.  But it was not bad for a 2nd set up…and went MUCH faster than the first!

This was also my first experience with accepting credit cards at a live event.  I have to tell you, I am glad I had a set up that allowed me to see immediately if a card was accepted, as I had several students present me with cards that were declined.  My only complaint with the credit card system is that it was a little slow as I had to type in all of the info….and I am not a speed typist by any means.  For any future events I will be sure to get one of the card swipers that hooks up to the computer. 

I had the pleasure to meet a talented  photographer, Hector Mandel, who was set up just next to me.  You can see him on the left of the photo below…probably mid text to his wife, a lamp work bead and wire wrap  jewelry artist,  who was at another show.  Hector takes a variety of local landscape images, shot of everyday items in an unusual perspective,  and specializes in amazing images taken while skydiving!  He also has some brilliant shot of his wife making lamp work beads and you would swear you were looking at planets, nebulas, or even  jellyfish! 

All in all, I had a great day and if asked back I will probably go.  Hector told me about another event that is one that I will have to look into doing next year:  The Mom’s Day Craft Fair at the Illini Union.  It is fun to get out of the house and on the road.  I always meet interesting people and enjoy talking to shoppers about my work!

What’s in your closet?

So with my jewelry assembly and photography studio  (aka the guest room) out of commission due to guests in the house, I have been working on other business related tasks.  You know those pesky ones that keep getting pushed off like bookkeeping and work space clean up...ugh!

Well I had a very rare stretch of time when BOTH kiddos were actually taking a nap so I put it to good use.  A batch of my shipping and packaging supplies arrived and needed to find a home.  So I cleared out the closet by my desk and started to re-arrange.  Whoo Hoo!  It all found a nice home.  And before I put away all of those jewelry boxes, I actually took the time to put my logo sticker on each one!

I feel soo much better now that this task is done!

Sneak Peak

I know I promised I would show you photos of my last sneak peak but my house has been invaded by some of my husbands co-workers from the VA office.  Which means I have been cooking and cleaning up after all these extra boys.  And worse yet I had to give up my “play” room so it could be a guest room again.  So I have not had a spot to sit and assemble jewelry or worse yet to photograph what I have completed.
However, I did get some time out in the shop on Sunday, and boy did I make use of it!  I made a million zillion little component bits.  Here is a nice shot of them fresh out of the tumbler….boy was it fun to pick out all of those little bits from the shot!

PS…really I will show you some finished items soon…..I just need my space back!

Sneak Peak….

Look at these lovely bits of textured copper and silver.

I wonder what shall become of all you. 

 

Check back tomorrow and maybe I will show you!

An Untraditional Duo, Make a Traditional Looking Necklace

One day I was playing in my studio and I had some scrap copper sitting next to a Crazy Lace Agate stone. I loved how much they looked together that I decided to merge the two together. This lovely 2 sided necklace was the result.

The copper bezel and twist wire were all created by hand and the resulting item has a feel of an old, slightly worn Victorian locket. I pared it up with a 60" piece of organza ribbon to further accent the antique locket effect. The ribbon allows the wearer to change up the look just simply by how the the pendant is attached.

I have a feeling there will be more of these types of convertible items to come!  Keep an eye out!  This one is listed in My Etsy shop.

View Full Album

Search Term Tuesday

Well I am running a bit late on this Tuesdays installment of Search Term Tuesday.  I have been running all around and the kiddos have napped in the car but not at home, so I have not had my quiet write time today…
By now you probably know the drill.  Search term Tuesday is about me sharing with you some of the interesting keywords that were used to find my shop and then the items I find using those search terms myself.  The photos shared are not my own, but if you click on the image, it will take you to the actual listing on Etsy.  All seller have been notified that I used their item in my blog…maybe yours will be next!
popcorn bobble hat pattern:  WOW…this one brought 5 viewers to my shop!  I must admit, I had no clue as to what I would find when I typed this phrase into the Etsy search.  I was half expecting a pattern for making a hat for a bobble head figure.  Instead I was pleasantly surprised that it was for a a cute beret like hat.  Now, if only I could knit or crochet!  


art deco beaded hairpiece :  I was very excited to see where this search term took me…I was expecting a slew of vintage items to show up.  What I found was this sweet butterfly hair band.  It reminds me that although Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, Spring IS around the corner…really… 

  
chanel military blazer :  I love the thought that someone looking for a Chanel blazer ended up in my shop.  I hope they were not too disappointed with the lack of Coco items I had.  When I did this search I was actually surprised at how few items showed up.  This fun little number is very reminiscent of a toned down version of a coat Michael Jackson would have worn.

Fab Finds Friday: Silk Brocade Clutch by Puck513

Ever since my years of travel abroad to China and Taiwan for work, I have had an affinity towards items made with embroidered silk brocade.  The textures and vibrancy of the fabrics are enchanting.

One day on Etsy, I came across the lovely items by Puck513.  Her shop features wraps and clutches made with lovely fabrics.  It was hard to choose which one to get, because I wanted them all!  I finally ended up selecting the red and gold Chrysanthemum clutch.

When it arrived, I was so excited to just hold it and admire the wonderful craftsmanship.  When I placed it on my shelf to admire from afar, I realized the motif was closely related to a vintage painting I have as well as a necklace I was working on…no wonder I was particularly drawn to this bag. 

If you are in need of a lovely wrap or clutch for a special event or just because, I suggest you check out Puck513…you won’t regret it!  You can also find my floral necklace for sale in my Etsy shop Luster!  Many of the photos will feature the lovely clutch as a backdrop.

Search Term Tuesday!

Well Tuesdays seem like a good day to look at odd search terms that brought people to my site. Here are a few of them that I found very interesting. Based on the data in Google Analytics, each of these search terms brought one viewer to my online store and that person spent 5 mins or more viewing my items. Unfortunately, I can't tell if a sale resulted from that view, but I do enjoy looking at what brought people my way so I can better address the needs of my audience.

The first fascinating search term was:

“Handmade jewellery shops in Vancouver, bc”

Well, I am a handmade jewelry shop, but I am neither located in Vancouver, nor am I in British Columbia. I think that Illinois is geographically no where close to that location, but somehow via the cyberspace gods, it is.

The second term that stood out to me was:

“crochet market beach bag”

For sure I do not do any crochet work, nor do I have any bags. But I REALLY would love to go to the beach right about now with my own crochet market beach bag! Anytime I leave my house right now, I have to battle the snow drifts and bitter cold. Burrrrrr.

And the third fascinating search term was:

“ferret print”

Okay, well there are no animal prints of any kind in my shop. And to be honest with you I am not sure I am much of a ferret person. Don’t get me wrong, they are cute in a sneaky sorta way, but just not my thing. When I was growing up, we found a domesticated ferret in our trash can one day. I don’t know if he got lost or the owner was trying to “dispose” of him. We lived in a rural area next to a little General Store, so odd things were often appearing in our yard. All I remember about him was he was cute, curious, and stunk to high heaven. We found him a happy home and I haven’t really thought of him until this search term triggered the memory of that surprise find.

Fab Finds Friday: My Carol Hannah Dress

Okay, so I have found so many wonderful artists, many of them on Etsy, that I figured I start to share my finds with you each Friday.

My first find is a dress that I have very excited about. It is a custom order from the designer Carol Hannah Whitfield. Some of you may recognizer her name since she was one of the top 3 finalists on Season 6 of Project Runway. She has 2 shops on Etsy. The first, “Carol Hannah”, showcases her designs that are more daily staples for your closet. The second, “The Wedding Collection”, features dresses for special events.

My dress, called the Gadsden Street Dress, came from the the Wedding collection shop. At the time, I had no clue that the creator of the dress was someone with reality TV connections. I saw it on the front page of Etsy and fell in love with it. My intention was to wear the dress for a Sunday Brunch event I had to attend. Unfortunately due to the mail system being bogged down with holiday shipping, it arrived a day later than the event….boo hoo. And even more sad is that between the time I ordered the dress and when I received it, I actually lost about 10 or more pounds (post baby weight loss), so the dress is a bit big on me. I will need to get it tailored a bit in time for the next event.

Well here it is, my dress that has been handcrafted by the talented Carol Hannah.

It arrived, Yea!

Time to unpack the dress…

Awe, a nice handwritten note was included,

Thanks CH!

Here it is….on my Mannequin. Isn't it gorgeous!

I think I need to name my mannequin, any suggestions?

And a little sneak peak of a Crazy Lace Agate necklace that I will add to my Etsy store soon….I wanted to show both the front and the back since each one displays its own unique personality and color ways of salmon pink, grey and cream.

Funny Search Terms

So I decided to look at my Google Analytics again today for odd search terms that got people to either my Etsy site or my main Luster Metal Works Site.

The one that popped out as being significant and unusual was “Dirty Dancing Dress”. That on its own is not such a odd term to search, the strange thing about it was that the search brought a total of 8 visits to my Etsy shop! And better yet, the average time the viewers spent in my shop was almost 9 mins. So it makes me wonder…should I actually make an item and entitle it Dirty Dancing Dress? I did get married up at Mountain Lake in Pembroke, VA which was where the outside scenes from Dirty Dancing were filmed.

After I began to write this, I decided to take a moment and look for some photos to share of my wedding day at Mountain Lake. Here I am with my hubby on 8-8-98 in my own “Dirty Dancing Dress”. My mind is now cranking and I think I have a few ideas for some jewelry items inspired by my wedding day! I can’t wait to start sketching!

Holiday Orders OUT!

I have been a very busy little elf lately! That is both a good thing and a curse. I am thrilled to be having such success thru my personal website, Etsy, and 1000 Markets. I have filled about 100 orders between the 3 locations in the last 2 months. BUT, as a mom of 2 small kiddos, it is hard to balance it all sometimes, especially right now.

Lately I have been finding myself dreaming of all the order I need to get done and wake up feeling anxious about how long it has been taking me to get them out the door. Under normal circumstances I try my best to get all items made and shipped within about 4 days, lately it has been more like 8 days. The delay has been because of sick kids, lack of babysitter time available, and just the juggling of priorities. Sorry to all of my friends and family, I have not even begun to finish your presents yet…

It has made me realize that I need to figure out a better system in order to grow my business. One step I will be taking is to actually get a small inventory made up of some of my more popular items. I will also be increasing prices in January to allow me to “buy” more babysitting time. I hope to use that time to create more one of a kind statement pieces as well as develop a new line of jewelry to debut in the Spring.

I have so many ideas for my shop, and just not enough hours in the day to do it! I want to thank all of you who have been a part of Luster Metal Woks this year and helped me get to where I am now!

Yea! My 250th Order on Etsy!

It was about 2 months ago that I reported my 200 order on Etsy….and now I am happy to announce my 250th! This time it was one of my signature pieces…the Vertigo Necklace. It is a necklace that features 2 hammered silver circles and 2 hammered copper circles on a silver chain. I love how the mixed metals look together!

I have been open for business on Etsy for almost 22 months and I am thrilled to see how well everything is developing. My personal website, Luster Metal Works, is also taking off! There has been a nice steady stream of visits and sales in that shop as well. It always amazes me how people find my items.

I hope that this trend keeps up because I love what I do, and I love that you like it!

WOW! Featured on styleFlash

I did a random Google search of my name today and pleasantly I came across a blog article featuring my work! So I thought I would share it with you:

2009 Holiday Shopping Guide – Fanciful Storytelling From Luster Metalworks

Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 12:13 pm | Comments

Outshine the usual with storied jewelry pieces

You may not realize it, but you tell a story every day simply by getting dressed in the morning.

But if those distressed denims and strappy heels are starting to feel a little lackluster, let the divinely delicate baubles from Luster Metalworks do the storytelling for you.

The tree bark texture of this set of Stacking Copper Rings whispers of sipping iced tea under a shady maple at sunset, and they are a shining example of wonderfully tactile appeal of designer Susan Harbourt's collection.

But I think it is Susan's use of reclaimed copper wiring from her centuries-old Victorian house that adds the real spark of intrigue and romanticism to each piece.

What do you think? What outfit would this piece go great with? Get in on the discussion and share your ideas with other readers of styleFLASH by leaving your comments.

DISCOUNT ALERT! Want to save on your purchase at Luster? Use coupon code IC09 for FREE SHIPPING with your order! And don't forget – tell 'em you found 'em on styleFLASH!

Looking for more great indie goods? Check out our 2009 Holiday Shopping Guide!

Charity is good for the Joints!

Recently I was contacted about donating some Jewelry for an online auction to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation Massachusetts Chapter. I was in a charitable mood that day and figured “Why Not” even though I live in Illinois!

So here you go….2 necklaces for you to bid on to help out with their cause! The first is a Sterling Silver Hammered Heart Necklace and the second is a Hammered Sterling Silver Circle Necklace adorned with Tanzanite beads.

Biding goes from Monday, November 23, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. through Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 8 p.m. There are many items covering such a a wide area of interests. I am sure you will find something that would be a nice addition to your life. If so head on over there and put in a bid and help raise money for a great cause!

I wish everyone putting on the fundraiser the best of luck! If you or someone you know is in need of items for a fundraiser, please feel free to contact me! Be sure to visit my website for many other wonderful items!

Charity is good for the “Heart”

Recently my Hope Heart necklace was selected as an item to represent The Hope Clinic in Nashville as an item in its fundraiser “Shop for Hope at the Franklin Marketplace”.

It was a large order where I had to make 25 of the necklaces. I loved how the little hearts all looked so much the same yet so different. I guess that is the thing about handmade jewelry, no 2 items are the same! I took a quick photo of the charms all together before putting them on chains.

Unfortunately, I did not get a photo of the finished necklaces all together since as soon as the were made, I had to get them in a box and out the door…literally. By the time I got to the post office they were technically closed but I was fortunate that they were still loading the truck there to pick up the mail to take it to the sorting facility. So, I was able to get them into the mail on time.

I wish everyone putting on the fundraiser the best of luck! If you or someone you know is in need of items for a fundraiser, please feel free to contact me! Be sure to visit my website for many other wonderful items!

Booze for Boobs Fundraiser #1

My cousin in law, Amanda, hosted her first “Booze for Boobs” fundraiser a few weeks back. The proceeds from this fundraiser go towards the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

I donated one of my Hope Heart necklaces as a raffle prize. The lucky winner was Colleen Arnold (photo below)! If you would like to help by donating to her team, you can do so by clicking the link HERE.

Jewelry with a Cause

Cancer is a disease that is so prevalent in today's society that affects all of us somehow. I wish I had the ability to find a cure for this devastating disease, but unfortunately that is not something I can personally achieve. What I can do is make a line of Jewelry that I will donate 20% of its sale proceeds to The American Cancer Society.

I was inspired by my cousin-in-law, Amanda, who is doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. She has been hustling to raise donation money by hosting a series of fundraiser happy hours called “Booze for Boobs”. In order to help her cause I not only made a monetary donation, but I also sent her some of the “Hope Heart” necklaces as raffles prizes.

The next Booze for Boobs fundraiser hosted by Amanda will be:

When: Friday, September 25
Time: 6 pm - 9 pm
Where: Arctica Bar (downstairs)
384 3rd Ave NY, NY

Hearts on Fire

I have been busy hammering away at some hearts with a variety of textures. I will get them listed in my Etsy shop and soon on my website! I love how as I hammer the texture and form unfold.