End of the Year Roundup

Well, well. In just two short holiday-filled weeks we’ll have dropped the ball on 2018 and be rewarded with yet another fresh start. Every new year gives us the opportunity to begin anew, but a brand new start feels especially urgent this year doesn’t it?

While it’s easy to laugh along with the memes detailing all of the garbage fires in the news, I’d rather reflect on all the good or wondrous things that have happened this year, wouldn’t you? After this Saturday’s Roundup I’ll be taking the next week off to enjoy the Christmas holiday, and then I will be back on January 1 to go over my 2019 goals for myself and my business – but until then, come with me as we journey back through 2018!

This is the year I began taking things a little more seriously. I separated my jewelry from my personal Instagram and started a business account, which now has 127 followers since it started in April. We’re not going viral here, people, but it’s something!

A month later, I started this blog! I wanted to be able to write about the aspects of my business that interested me – the history, the techniques, the trends. It was a bit of a rocky start in terms of regular posting, but I finally managed to buckle down this fall and get myself organized and on a schedule (Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Saturdays). There aren’t a whole lot of jewelry blogs out there, despite the fact that jewelry is a saturated market in the arts and crafts world. Now there are about 25 of you following this blog, which again – we’re not going viral but I’m still building a little community of people who enjoy jewelry as much as I do. And I think that’s pretty cool, honestly.

I made a few sales this year, and got a couple lovely 5 star reviews! Again, jewelry is a super saturated market on Etsy, and I have not gone as full tilt with marketing as I could be – so the fact that I’ve made a handful of sales despite pacing myself and building my business slowly is something I’m proud of. I’m still particularly tickled that I sold the piece that makes my banner on Etsy – it’s a choker based on Elizabeth’s Choker in the video game Bioshock Infinity. It turned out beautifully but was a beast to make (and therefore not cheap due to a higher labor cost), and I honestly thought it might never sell. It belongs to someone in England now, and I hope they’re loving it!

I participated in my first craft show! Well – my first on my own. I had sold my jewelry at a friend’s booth at 2D Con a couple of years ago, but I used their space and Square reader and such. This time I did all of the prep and setup on my own – and my friend Kiki made me that awesome table sign! It was a small show and kind of last minute, so it didn’t get a lot of traffic. I didn’t make any sales, but the experience it gave me – prepping and inventorying my stock, figuring out displays and methods, getting set up with Square – is invaluable. I got a lot of compliments on my work and my setup also, which has given me the confidence to sign up for other craft shows. Wish me luck on those in 2019!

I had a few cosplay opportunities this year – 2D Con, Spring and Fall Con (otherwise known as MCBA Comic Con), and 13 Gears. I really enjoy the cosplay scene in MN – it’s smaller than say, San Diego Comic Con, but it’s tight knit and welcoming. Plus it’s just fun to create the costumes, and it gives me a chance to show off my jewelry and makeup skills! I reused the “Hey Listen” collar for Navi (from The Legend of Zelda) this year, and I made the pearl necklace for Bombshell Catwoman and the steampunk bowtie necklace for Steampunk Joker – I also made a punk Joker this year for Fall Con!

2018 Favorites

• Favorite Blog Posts: Basics of Color Theory, Fall Trends, How to Style Statement Jewelry, Jewelry Ideas for Halloween, Skull Jewelry, Ancient Jewelry, The Tale of the Cursed Jewels, Gratitude, Jewelry Gifting, Looking Ahead: 2019 Jewelry Trends, Trend How To: Pairing Jewelry with Leopard Print.
• Favorite Piece I’ve Created: I’m super partial to my Citrine and Antique Bee Necklace!
• Favorite Album: Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe; Alison Sudol’s EP Moon was super enchanting also.
• Favorite Book: The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher.
• Favorite TV Show: The Expanse was outstanding. I also really liked Lost in Space.
• Favorite Movie: Ugh, we haven’t really seen any movies this year. It’s expensive and it’s time consuming, and this year just wasn’t our year to make it work. We did finally watch Ant-Man (I know, I know, I know) on Mark’s birthday, though.
• Favorite YouTube channel: EmilyNoel83, always and forever.
• Favorite Blogs: GoFugYourself, Cup of Jo, The Everygirl, A Model Recommends, The Adventurine.

 

I hope you all had a wonderful 2018 and are having a wonderful holiday season! Come back on Saturday for the final Roundup of the year, and I hope to see you in 2019.

Jewelry Gift Sets

A blog post on a Saturday that isn’t a Roundup? YES! The roundup is coming – but I really wanted to do two things with this post: one, THANK YOU for either silently or not so silently cheering me on in November while I undertook my fourth NaNoWriMo – I ‘won’! It wasn’t an easy road – November is such a chaotic month anyway with Black Friday et al, plus I got a chest cold which didn’t help. However, I persevered, wrote over 50k words in 30 days, and (mostly) kept up on this blog in the meantime. So thank you, for sticking with me.

SECONDLY, I have two new Etsy listings that just went live that I’m SUPER excited about! I made two jewelry gift sets – ta da!

On the left, you will find the Finer Things Jewelry Demi Parure Gift Set. It starts with the demi parure, a silver necklace, bracelet, and earrings set that features genuine natural citrine, bright yellow faceted glass beads, teal jasper seed beads, and silver music note charms on the earrings and necklace.

Music and wine go hand in hand, which is why I also included four wine glass markers, featuring silver chain, silver toggles for easy securing, and different colored sparkly crackled glass beads!

Lastly, it includes a luxe bookmark, for those days you want to put on some music, pour a glass of wine, and snuggle inside a blanket with a really good old fashioned book you can hold in your hands. Preferably by a fire! This velvet ribbon bookmark features a glass pearl drop with gold and rhinestones, and a chunky yellow rhinestone bead to continue the blue and yellow theme.

On the right up thread is the Rustic Charm Jewelry Demi Parure Gift Set! It starts with a golden demi parure, featuring a mix of aqua ceramic flower beads, iridescent orange glass beads, and earthy lace agate beads. The necklace and earrings also feature antler charms, and the bracelet has a gold and rhinestone connector. It’s perfect for anyone who loves the outdoors!

It continues with a hand stamped and painted keychain, bearing the first line of the chorus of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. It also features a green agate bead, earthen ceramic bead, another iridescent orange glass bead and antler charm, and an antiqued blue faceted glass bead. The silver snake keychain is lever style rather than split ring, which is easier to attach!

Finally, a hand painted art square! I stained the wood with coffee, burnt the edges, and painted the simple scene using acrylic paint, glitter paint, and mod podge to seal it. I also added a textural element with the silk leaves and artificial berries! It doesn’t include hanging hardware, however – there is a lip on the back which could be hung on pins or nails, or it could be leaned up against a wall on a shelf.

Both sets come packaged in gift wrapped boxes – the Finer Things set comes dressed in shiny red plaid, the Rustic Charm set in matte black with holiday phrases – and the jewelry will be packaged in black jewelry boxes. The bookmark and wine markers, and the keychain, will come packaged in DIY clear ornament shells, which you can then use to decorate however you’d like for your tree!

Both sets have an overall value of $125 – I’m selling them on my Etsy Shop for $100 each with FREE U.S. shipping and FREE gift wrap (I can add whatever bows/ribbon/gift tags you’d like)!

I’m really excited about these, and I hope you are too! They’re really special, and will make a great gift for your loved ones this holiday season!

Five Favorite Etsy Shops

Allow me today to show some love to fellow Etsy sellers! Etsy can be a hard business – there’s a new CEO, there’s been lots of changes (some good, some bad – that’s business), and the market can be saturated and confusing. I am definitely a small fry in a great big ocean – especially with a jewelry business, which is one of THE most saturated markets – but I keep going because I enjoy the creative outlet. Perhaps one day it’ll be a proper business and my only job rather than a side hobby – but that isn’t why I do this. And I guarantee that isn’t why any other seller here joined the platform – success is just a bonus.

Stellarium Jewelry

I’m starting things off with a fellow one-of-a-kind jewelry designer in Baltimore. Her metal and crystal/gemstone pieces are outstanding, true works of art. She uses a lot of raw stones or crystals chosen specifically for their healing or energetic nature, surrounding them with hammered and oxidized metals to create almost a kind of armor. In fact, she just opened a gallery exhibit in Baltimore called Social Armor at The Alchemy of Art – so if you’re in the area, go see it! Definitely a must-follow.

Costurero Real

Keeping on that witchy vibe – I adore this shop out of Spain. They make the dreamiest capes, kimonos, scarves, and any other accessories you might need to live out your forest witch/nymph/fairy/demon fantasies. This is one of those shops that should I become rich you may find me purchasing one of every listing! They also make really pretty resin jewelry filled with real flowers, several different horns and other cosplay/costume pieces, and felted witch hats.

Kambriel

Taking a slight left turn from witch to the darker corners, this shop is filled with amazing clothing, jewelry and other accessories with a goth/Victorian/steampunk vibe. Oh and she also happens to be friends with Neil Gaiman, who modeled some of her pieces for her shop photos, you know, NBD. Her lace collars are outstanding, and she has a good selection of antique art nouveau silver pieces.

BoswellVintage

And now for something completely different – sort of. If you love vintage clothing, this is definitely a shop you need to follow. She sources just the most outstanding vintage pieces from the 30’s – 70’s (like, actually vintage, none of this “it’s from the 90’s it’s vintage!” nonsense [says the cranky old lady who was a teenager in the 90’s]). I also love that she has each decade separated into different categories, so you can just shop whichever decade you prefer. If you need to get me a birthday present, I would accept LITERALLY ANYTHING from this shop. Also my birthday is in October. Just saying.

Frostbeard

Last but not least, a fellow Minnesotan who makes the most amazing book-inspired soy candles! My best friend got me one called New Paperback for Christmas, and I immediately followed her shop because it’s so good. That particular one is sold out on her shop so I can’t tell you the exact scents used, but just trust me – it smells exactly like a new paperback book. However you can choose from things like Don’t Panic, which smells like fresh towels and green tea, or Halfling Hills, which smells like clover, moss, and pipe tobacco. They’re so clever and so well made!

What are some of your favorite Etsy sellers? (You don’t have to say me. I won’t judge you. Even though I am a Libra so my right to judge was literally given to me by the stars themselves.) Whoever they might be – we’re beginning to really see how big corporations don’t care about their customer’s as much as they care about their customer’s money. So #shopsmall, #shophandmade!

Saturday Afternoon Roundup!

Hello and good afternoon to you! That bathroom selfie up there is a very tired me at the end of the first day of 2D Con (if you’re not familiar, I went as Navi, the fairy helper to Link in The Legend of Zelda). It was a super fun time, as always, and quite a few people commented on that necklace which felt fantastic. It’s always nice when your creative choices are validated!

Because after-con fatigue is real, I have no new listings this week BUT I am working on a couple pieces so keep your eyes on my Instagram! In the meantime, have a gander at some good things:

At Vogue: A French Stylist to Supermodels Turns His Hand to Jewelry Design. His statement pieces are striking, and this line resonated with me: “I love styling, but we live at a frenetic pace. I didn’t want to miss a chance to do something more personal and whimsical.”

Speaking of statement pieces – while perusing several fall/winter trend articles, it seems like statement earrings and necklaces are going to have a major moment! If you’ve looked at my Etsy shop (I hope you have, if you’re here), you know I LOVE a good statement piece! Two good articles are here at French Vogue and here at Harper’s Bazaar.

Finally, two great behind-the-piece posts at The Adventurine: The Story Behind Jackie Kennedy’s Moon Earrings (these are so deliciously kitschy), and Joan Fontaine’s Jewelry in ‘Suspicion’. Girl knew how to buy a statement piece.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

❤ Jill

Sale Alert!!

If you follow my Instagram, you already know – my shop is participating in Etsy’s 13th birthday sale! In honor of Etsy finally becoming a teenager, and 13 years of handmade goods, my shop is 20% off all week! Now’s the time to pick up your favorite handmade, one of a kind piece of jewelry. Thank you for shopping small business!