I've gotten a new tutorial for "Art Jewelry" magazine approved. Just waiting for the letter to start work on it. It's absolutely beautiful up here in Boston. The Cherry trees are in bloom, skies are blue and everything is turning green. We started sprucing up the yard this weekend. Hopefully it will stay nice and not snow!!!!!

Up in Boston we're buried under over a foot of snow. For now it looks beautiful. Etsy is doing well. Slow but steady. I've already sold off a bunch of supplies. I've put several pieces of jewelry on, to see how they do. Etsy is tough for jewelry, like everywhere else it's a saturated market. I've submitted another tutorial for Art Jewelry Magazine. Fingers crossed that they accept it. I love the magazine and the staff is absolutely wonderful. If you don't subscribe to it I would ~ http://www.artjewelrymag.com/art/default.aspx





I've been working on some new items. Definitely going more organic. I'm going to try to mix in some chain maille and viking knitting with some organic elements. Here are a couple of pieces.






These are just a few of the new studs that I'm working on. I've got so many ideas brewing in my head. Now I just need to find the time to make them!!!

I have an etsy page now! I'm going to be selling off supplies I don't need and OOAK pieces that I'm not going to be producing for wholesale.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=40776

Leanne

Here is a link to the first 2 pages of the tutorial in Art Jewelry Magazine.

http://www.piecesofclass.net/Coils_Incognito.pdf

Leanne
http://www.piecesofclass.net

Wooof! What a busy year!! I've picked up almost 30 new wholesale accounts and have a tutorial in Art Jewelry Magazine (Jan 2008) and the new Make it Mine Magazine (Nov 2007).

I'm taking this week off to regroup, order new materials and sketch some new designs that have been floating around in my head. I'm going to start selling off excess supplies on etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=40776

Last year was a great year for me, I wonder what this new year will bring. I've been doing email marketing campaigns, not sure how successful they are. I mailed out a postcard campaign in November, we'll see if it brings in new business for this year.

Leanne

Just got back from skiing with the kids. It was a lot of fun. We are 2 for skiing and 2 against. Oh well. Could have been worse.

I've got a tutorial coming out in Art Jewelry Magazine and another one or two in Step by Step Wire. I'm going to next try to get some of my photos published in a book or two. I'm teaching chain maille and basic wire wrapping classes at a local gallery. I think I'm going to like this. I was hesitant to teach or write, feeling that it would take away from my jewelry making, but I like it. Perhaps the articles and classes will earn me more money than selling? We'll see. If anything it's great for the slow times of the year.

Geez, I'm really not good at correspondance I guess. Things are going well *knock on wood*. My designs are in over 30 galleries now. I'm now going to set my sights on getting published in several magazines to increase my credibility in the metals community. Keep your eyes open for tutorials in the art jewelry magazines. LOL

I had thought I wsa going to keep the one-of-a kinds on my retail website with a cart. Changed my mind. I'm not going to be posting any more pictures or updating my website with new designs. There will be no more retail on my website. I have a wholesale website that is password protected for retailers only. That's the only site I'll be updating. I'm tired of people coming to my site and trying to lift pictures and my designs. I get 50+ hits a month on my copyright page. It's getting ridiculous. Copying is so rampant in the jewelry design area it's sickening. Everyone wants to make jewelry, but they obviously can't come up with their own ideas, so they just copy what's out there.

Enough ranting, off the design some more jewelry.

June 12th~ Things are going slow but steady. I've revamped my website in order to concentrate more on wholesale accounts. I enjoy wholesaling more than retail. I'm having an internal struggle re: wholesale only or wholesale/retail. I've heard many retailers will not do business with you if you have a shopping cart site. They don't want the competition. I'm not ready to take the plunge so I've taken all items available wholesale off my retail website. I have an entirely separate wholesale website now. We'll see how this goes. All one-of-a-kinds will still be put on the retail website.

It's now May and so much has happened. I've been mentioned in the April issue of The Crafts Report, I hit my goal of over 20 galleries and after a period of not feeling creative, I've hit a stride.
I'm really enjoying creating all the new chain work and feel that I've found my niche.

The breast cancer jewelry has allowed me to contribute $1038 dollars so far to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research. I'm hoping to hit $1500 for this year.

Fingers crossed "X" that the remainder of the year will be as good as the beginning. ^^
U


Leanne