Make What The Customers Want

I wear the necklaces I make all the time. I usually wear the ones I like the best. When I first started making necklaces from clay and I wore them, I really didn't get much feedback. Now when I wear them, I get lots of attention. People ask me about my necklaces. They comment that they like them. And I try to remember to take my business cards with me everywhere I go.

Today, I wore a different clay necklace that I have made. It is a fish. The clay fishies are really cute, but just not my style of jewelry. Anyway, I got more comments on that little pink fish than on any other necklace that I have worn over the past six months. What lesson can I learn from this? What should I be thinking about when I am creating my clay jewelry?

Just when I think I know what will be a great selling item. Things change. I think that's a good thing. It will keep me on my toes. But I need to remember to always think about what my customers will want. What I like, is not necessarily what my customers will like.

Making Clay Jewelry

The Process:
The process of making clay jewelry is much more complicated than one might imagine. I like using Sculpey III clay. It comes in a great variety of colors and I can usually get two or three items of jewelry from one small package of clay. I use a clear acrylic roller to roll out my clay because when I mix clay or add colors I like to see what is happening when I roll! I want my clay to be consistent in depth so I have made a board to roll my clay on with three different depth markers that make sure when I roll out my clay it is consistently the same depth.

The Inspiration:
The inspiration for my handmade clay jewelry comes from many places. I am fortunate enough to live on the north shore of Lake Superior where inspiration reigns. I also live in the woods where mother nature provides me with her never ending beauty day after day. I also find inspiration from life's experiences. Each one of my pieces is telling a story.

How it Came to Be:
My passion for clay and crafts in general comes from a place of healing. I have degenerative joint disease in multiple joints and working with clay is a way for me to step away from my pain. It is in fact, a therapy. Crafting has always been therapeutic for me, it gives me something else to think about, something else to focus on other than my pain. Doing something that you love, and something that helps at the same time? Does it get any better?

Hy Hope:
Having an online store has always been my dream. Making clay jewelry that can tell the stories of the life I live and the place that I love and sharing these little works of art with the public is my dream. My clay jewelry is not glitzy or glamorous. It's everyday jewelry that you can dress up on Sunday to wear to church or wear it with your jeans or shorts. It's jewelry that I wear. It's jewelry that you would wear.

Conclusion:
For me, making clay jewelry is not just putting out as many pieces as possible. Each piece takes time and thought and means something. It means something...

http://northshoreclay.etsy.com

Minnesota Etsy Street Team

I've joined the Minnesota Etsy Street Team! I've still to learn all the benefits of this great team, but just by reading the digest for the past few days they have a lot to teach me. It appears that this group is a way to connect with other artisans from Minnesota or even more local and promote our Etsy stores. They are a source of support, inspiration and that dose of encouragement that we all need once in awhile.

Let me hear your Minnesota Etsy Street Team stories!

My hubby wants to know how I can belong to a street team when I live on a dirt road...sheesh

Funny Craft Fair Stories

Craft fairs are a great way to spend a summer afternoon, unless you live in Minnesota where the wind can howl at 40 mph off the big lake. No kidding! I went to a craft fair today and learned a vital lesson regarding displays. All of the crafters (poor things) had outside displays and the temp was about 58 degrees with a serious wind blowing off the lake. They were spending more time holding onto the canopy to keep it from blowing away than talking to potential customers. So the lesson here is, be prepared for anything, especially when you live in Minnesota. If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute. Sheesh...

Do you have a funny craft fair story to share? Tell me about it here. Thanks and I will look forward to hearing your funny tale.

Shameless Promotion North Shore Clay

At age 50 most of us are starting to think about retirement, settling down or at least slowing down, maybe just a little.

But at age 50, I feel like I'm just getting started. And it feels pretty good. What started as a therapy for arthritis has become a passion, and a passion has turned into a small business!

Those of us who make handmade items can get lost when we try to sell on eBay. I've found a smaller venue that serves my purpose well and WOW, there are so many talented people at this place! My website is http://www.northshoreclay.etsy.com/

I make handmade clay jewelry and as I said, what started as a therapy for arthritis has become a passion to make beautiful things. I like to think of my pieces as "tribal" jewelry. They are not glitzy or glamorous. They are everyday jewelry. You can wear them with your jeans or to church on Sunday!

Etsy is a great place to sell all things handmade! They only charge 20 cents to list an item for 4 months and only charge a small percentage if your item sells. They even set you up with a store front...The only charge is for the items you list!

So all you fellow crafters, get busy and get crafting! I would love to hear about your adventures and marketing ideas...Craft on my friends, craft on!