Seems like a time saver and something you could learn from and at some point begin to write them yourself.

Here’s the listing:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/151887015/product-description-title-tags-seo

Anne Fiala in her basement studio.

I’m so excited to bring you this interview with Anne M. Fiala! We’ll be talking creativity, business and there pictures!

Introducing Anne M. Fiala, a long time metalsmith, recent MFA grad, former board member of the Chicago Metal Arts Guild and was also a key organizer for the fabulous Zoom Symposium at the University of Indiana in Blommington.

She recently uprooted herself from snowy Chicago and moved to sunny North Carolina. Q: So what are you up to these days?

Hmmm. Yes, uprooted and moved to sunny NC where I am a jewelry maker and teach art and metals. I teach arts and crafts to kids at UrbanPromise – which is an inner city program that aims to develop children and youth into leaders determined to restore their communities.

Whosiewhatsit Earrings by Anne Fiala, Copyright 2014, reprinted with permission

Q: You have this amazing background in metal and yet you’re working in wood now!  How did that happen?

Haha, I know! Well, it kind of happened in a roundabout way. After my first year of graduate school I was really frustrated in the studio. I had been spending a lot of time making super detailed and technical pieces, but wasn’t really satisfied with the outcomes. So, I started to study my creative habit.

In doing this I did 3 things; I began to question, I made one piece every day for a month, and I traveled to Netherlands to take a conceptual workshop.

During the month of “a piece a day” there was a huge storm in Bloomington and I started picking up fallen branches. The branches made their way onto my bench and into my jewelry. I found that I really enjoyed working with the branches for a variety of reasons; they took away some of my control over the outcome, they reminded me of my family who have been woodworkers through the ages, and they offered a nice contrast to my often meticulous metal work (both visually and physically).

The branches evolved into scrap wood, which evolved into high quality plywood. I have now become so interested in small scale woodworking that last summer I traveled to Haystack in Maine to take a workshop with Katie Hudnall, who makes all sorts of amazing small scale wood pieces.

Whosiewhatsit Necklace by Anne Fiala, Copyright 2014, reprinted with permission

Q: Your wood jewelry looks so light and easy to wear is it?  The pieces are all so fun and colorful and fashionable, what was your inspiration for this line?  

It is light and easy to wear! Though I love jewelry, I have weak ears and am awfully clumsy. I want to make things that I would and could wear!

My inspiration stems from a few sources, but mostly my family and my travels. I spent a lot of the last four years driving through the Midwest and admiring the weathered farmhouses and empty billboards. I see a lot of that inspiration in my necklaces.

My wooden dangles evolved from my love of the lobster buoys in Deer Isle, Maine, which are bright, colorful, and timeworn.

Elaine interjects – I’m attracted to those kinds of things too, and what I love is how you’ve taken that and make it so fresh and bright and timeworn at the same time!

I have a variety of flowered designs which stem from memories of my grandmother. My grandmother kept a beautiful garden full of every kind of flower – from irises to poppies, I think it’s where I got my love of flowers. Her daisies had actually been moved from house to house for generations.

The Fine Arts Building at U of Indiana

Q: What was the most useful class that you took in undergrad or grad school that you’re really using now, in your business?

I would have to say the overall experience of grad school is what I am really using now.

During grad school I was involved with a few nonprofit organizations on top of teaching and my coursework. Pair that with a mostly independent curriculum I really learned how to balance working and making.

Grad school also gave me the opportunity to just make and study my creative habit. In doing so, I learned a lot about what makes me tick. Now I know how to get out of ruts, use inspiration, and where to start.

Q: What’s your “desert island” metalsmithing book?  A favorite that you couldn’t live without?

It’s probably The Complete Metalsmith by Tim McCreight. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a chapter hidden in there somewhere called “Making Tools and Jewelry on a Desert Island”.

I also really like Silversmithing by Rupert Finegold. But more often than not, if I’m looking for a solution these days I’m searching the web on my phone. Outside of metalsmithing I really enjoyed The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp and Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. Great reads that are not strictly jewelry or business related but really relate to our practice.

Whoosiewhatsit Hoops in wood and steel, copyright 2014, reprinted with permission

Q: I see that you’re selling on Etsy, another online platform and to some retail stores.  How did you choose that other platform?  Since this is a jewelry – business blog, we’d love to hear about your business goals, what’s your ideal that you’re going for?  Mostly wholesale?  Mostly retail?  Do you do in person shows?

I chose the other platform, Square Market, out of convenience for my shoppers. Because I do in person shows, I wanted a card reader that allowed checkout to be quick, easy, and trusted. I chose Square because so many retailers are using it – from food trucks to retail stores – that most people have Square accounts and are familiar with the transaction process.

I was surprised to learn one of the perks of Square is Square Market – a free online marketplace similar to Etsy. Creating an online store was as simple as creating an inventory – you just have to take the extra step of adding descriptions and pictures!

An Anne Fiala necklace in process, on the soldering surface.

The ideal that I am going for is simple – I want to be an artist.

To me that means earning a living from the combination of creating and selling my work and teaching my craft.

In selling my work I wouldn’t mind a bit of everything! It’s nice having my work in shops and galleries, it allows people to “discover” my work and experience it in person.

Having an online store has allowed me to reach new audiences, too, and has given me the opportunity to make some custom work. At the end of the day I don’t have dreams of being a multimillionaire and I don’t want my business to get so big that I am removed from the making process.

I think a lot of jewelry makers like Megan Auman and Amy Tavern have been successful in that. They create really beautiful jewelry that jewelry makers and everyday people alike love.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to others just starting out in the jewelry business?

“Action is best; start anywhere” and “Be rooted”.

There is so much information out there of how to run your business and what to do to be successful – it seems like the best advice is to know your brand (i.e. YOU) and take action.

The things that work really well for other people, may not work for you or not seem genuine coming from you. The same goes for your work.

Staying true to yourself and your roots will help keep your work authentic, help you naturally progress to the next step, and help you find answers to your questions.

Such great advice, thanks Anne!

Follow Anne Fiala Jewelry Objects on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annefialajewelry where she shares her process and show announcements.

Visit her etsy shop here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnneFialaJewelry

Visit her Square Market shop here: https://squareup.com/market/anne-fiala

I love the look of the Square Market shop!

I met Catherine Borzym of Kiwi Avenue at a conference recently, where we both spoke on “My Life in Jewelry.” Catherine does a great job of branding, she’s got very consistent imagery and colors throughout every aspect of her business, right down to the jacket she wore at the conference – it was in her company color!

I’m not the only one who noticed, one of her customers did this write up on how her branding will turn them into a repeat customer. Read it here.

Shop Kiwi Avenue here.

Elaine Luther Art Stickers on RedBubble all artwork copyright 2011-2014 Elaine Luther

This idea of multiple income streams is something that keeps coming up for me as a smart biz strategy. I talked about it at the SEA at the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization Conference last October, in a roundtable, and at the Self-Employment in the Arts Conference (SEA) just last month, in a panel.

The obvious income stream for jewelers is to sell jewelry, but how can we add more income streams? Writing books, selling tutorials, teaching live classes or online classes are all examples of types of extras a jewelry artist can sell.

My friends who sew or quilt all sell patterns and/or kits.

Why add more income streams?

To reach more and different customers. Not everyone is in the market for jewelry, but that same person might be in the market for lessons in jewelry making.

I’m a big advocate of digital information products: a download for sale that you create once, and sell again and again. Patterns, tutorials and ebooks all fall into this category. The even more exciting thing about digital products is that you can set them up to sell on automatic pilot. My kindle book is completely taken care of by amazon. I wrote up, uploaded it to amazon and they take care of the rest. My only job is marketing. Isn’t that awesome? What could you create that you could sell as a digital download?

Quilter Ebony Love came and talked to our group, Berwyn Makers, about her business model. She talked about making each quilt “work as hard as possible.” Where she used to make one quilt and sell it, now she’ll design and make a quilt for a fabric manufacturer, then that quilt might get pick up for a magazine cover (check, that happened), then she might be invited to write a how-to article inside the magazine (check!) and then she can sell kits of the pre-cut fabric on her website to go with that magazine article (check!).

Of all the artists I know, Ebony is making her artwork work the hardest!

The picture above is my newest foray into the digital/automated sales world. My body of work, “Our Ladies of Perpetual Housework,” is currently on exhibit at the West Englewood Branch of the Chicago Public Library. People love these works and always smile when they see them. While most people wouldn’t have a place to display one of the original sculptures, they might like to own a postcard or sticker, or mail a card to a friend, or wear it on a T-shirt.

After much searching of options for offering these products, I chose Red Bubble. You can see my collection here.

What about you? What are your income streams? What’s an area you’d like to move into?

By the time you read this, I will have already deleted my shop. I thought the least I could do was tell you why.

There are always so many reasons, when there’s a break up. There are a number of small annoyances I could mention, but let’s talk about the big one.

Your new demand that I share my sources with you, tell you who my caster is, and apply to be approved by you – that pushed me over the edge. I didn’t go into business for myself in order to have to apply to have my methods approved by someone else.

You’ll think that it was my friends who talked me into this, and you might have something there. Meredith Keller, you know her from her blog, Smaller Box, she talked me into it with this post.

I’ve always talked about how with blogs you should “own your own real estate” and have your blog on your own domain name. It was time for me to be consistent and do the same thing with my online shop. I have to be true to my heart, Etsy, and that’s why I’m leaving you.

Your friends have changed too – lots of your shops are new, they’re based in far away lands and well, some of them sure look like factories to me. And even if they’re not, their prices are crazy low. That’s not the right place for me to compete.

So good luck, I’m sure you’ll find lots of other shops to replace me. I bet you won’t even miss me.

Good bye,

Elaine

Here’s a terrific post from a jeweler on Etsy vs. Big Cartel:

http://janefont.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/etsy-vs-big-cartel-which-one-is-best-for-you

________________________________________

affiliate partner

If you’re just getting started in selling jewelry, what are your choices?

Etsy is in some ways the easiest — the barrier to entry is low — you just have to be able to take pictures and do some simple uploading and typing.  On the other hand, you do have to be able to ship your orders one by one.

How to Make Money Using Etsy: A Guide to the Online Marketplace for Crafts and Handmade Products by the blogger at Handmadeology is a terrific book on the subject of Etsy selling.

Local craft shows are another popular option.  The barriers to entry there are that booth rental can be expensive, and you’ll need a tent, a booth and to jury into the show.  It’s helpful to have a friend or partner to help you work the show and helpful if you’re friendly and outgoing.

Home shows are indoors and don’t require a tent!  I wrote about those here and here.

Consignment sales, where you consign, or lend your work to a shop, and they pay you only when they sell a piece, or pieces.  While some argue that it’s not a good deal for craftspeople, and there are risks that are greater than with wholesaling and retailing, many artists and craftspeople include consignment as part of their mix.  Low barrier to entry here – you just need good product and to find a shop that’s a good match for what you have.

The downside to consignment is that you put in a lot of investment into your product and then you “carry” that inventory for however long it takes to sell.  Some argue that the retailer has less incentive to push your product if it’s consignment, because they don’t have cash in it.

There have been cases when artists have lost their work when a gallery went out of business while holding their goods on consignment.  Recommendations are to visit the stores or gallery and see how things are going, as well as excellent documentation and contracts.  See The Law (In Plain English for Craftspeople) for help.  And your local law school may be able to help you as well.  Or the Volunteer Lawyers for the Creative Arts, see if they have an office near you.

Trade shows are an option if your goal is to sell wholesale to galleries and shops.  The barriers to entry are even higher with trade shows than with local craft shows.  The booth rental will be more expensive and your booth design may also be expensive.  But, if you meet lots of retailers and take lots of orders, it could definitely pay off.  Then you only make what’s already been ordered — no guessing!  There’s the possibility of doing fewer shows by doing trade shows than doing retail shows.  Read more about booth design at the blog of Luann Udell.

In addition to Etsy, there are lots of other ways to sell online, including your own e-commerce website.  This is the way to go, because then you control the entire experience for the customer, you build your own traffic, and the whole thing is branded to your company.  Read more about that on the blog Smallerbox.net.  Is it okay to do both?  Sell on your own site and Etsy?  I say sure, why not?  But be clear, have clear goals and possibly sell a slightly different mix on Etsy vs. your own site.  E-commerce sites are just not that hard any more.  Square Space and Big Cartel are just two easy to use, attractive looking options.  Big Cartel can integrate easily into your already existing website.  Square Space is more of a total solution, if you’re starting from scratch.  And you can even sell using WordPress.

Okay, so which one do I choose?

The bad news is you probably can’t pick just one.  A successful crafts business most likely needs to have multiple approaches to sales.  Some combination of selling wholesale, selling retail online, selling via in-person shows, either wholesale or retail and possibly some consignment.  And shipping internationally is also a smart idea.  It’s a big world out there, why not sell to everyone?  Start with one or two and focus on those, especially in your first year.

What’s my mix?  Right now, I’m selling jewelry and supplies on Etsy, and selling my Kindle book, Jewelry Photography, You Can Do it! on amazon.  I also have jewelry on consignment at the Illinois Artisans Shop in downtown Chicago.  Next up: approaching stores with a pitch to buy my jewelry wholesale.  (Plus some other exciting projects I can’t talk about just yet!)

Speaking of my my ebook, having a digital information product or two is a very smart addition to your product line up.  Digital products — it could be a book, could be a downloadable pattern or color printable transfer sheet — are wonderful because you create them just once, but you sell them again and again.

See if there’s a complementary digital information product that you could sell.  Having a diverse range of products and price points is smart in any business.

The other terrific thing about digital information product is that you don’t have to go to the post office to mail them!  Whatever service you use to sell your digital product — whether it’s amazon or Etsy or a solution hosted on your own site — the service generally handles the money and the hosting and handing over to the customer, the file.

Many of the smartest and most successful craftspeople I know have at least one digital information product in their line up.

 
___________________________________

affiliate partner

Some terrific tips from full time etsy sellers, over on the etsy blog:

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2013/top-10-marketing-tips-from-top-sellers

___________________________________

affiliate partner

The other night I got to go to a talk by one of the Etsy Seller Team programmers. One of the hottest tips of the night was that they’ve added Market Research to Etsy. You’ll only see it if you’re logged in as a seller and it’s a little hard to find right now, but they’re working on that.

It allows you to put in a keyword or description and then see what percentage of items like that sold in various price points.

Isn’t that cool? It’s one thing to see what other sellers are offering for sale, but seeing what kinds of price points actually resulted in sales, that’s really useful.

Another tip I took note of was the side by side comparison of a shop before and after. In the before shot, the jewelry had been shot on a variety of backgrounds. In the after shot, every single piece was shot on the same (white) background. The overall effect of that on the shop was that the shop looked so cohesive and it was so much easier to focus on the product.

While I knew that, it was neat to see the side by side. It makes the case really clear.

Photos by Jess Pierotti

Artists often seem to fall into two categories: complete fear about image theft and idea theft and complete “you can’t let it worry you, just put the images online.”

At a recent event with the Chicago Artist Coalition lawyer Patrice Perkins of Lifestyle Zen (how’s that for a different kind of name for a law firm?) spoke to us about many issues that are important to creative entrepreneurs, as she calls us: copyright, trademark and more. But the topic that got the most interest from the audience was the issue of protecting images of your artwork online.

Ms. Perkins explained about the importance of “putting the public on notice” that you’re claiming the copyright on your work. So it’s important to always put that copyright notice in the caption of your images when you post online.

As she was speaking, I had the greatest idea! You know how when you download a picture, such as something from flickr that has a Creative Commons license, or you have permission from a friend, and the title of the photo/the file name, comes with the picture?

Well, why not embed that copyright information right in the file name? That way anyone who downloads the file (with or without permission), by definition has the copyright notification, by definition, because it’s part of the file.

The audience was extremely interested in seeing what Ms. Perkins had to say about the user agreements/terms of service of Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.

There’s something quite different about seeing those Terms of Service when they’re enlarged on a slide screen and a lawyer is explaining them to you!

Most of us were pretty shocked about one or more of the policies of these popular social media sites.

A fellow artist was very excited when I told her about “No Pin,” a short bit of code you can use to prevent people from pinning your images to Pinterest. Why would you want to do that? Because of their terms of service, which say that they retain rights to your photos, even modified versions of your photos, even after you delete them, basically FOREVER. Forever. That’s a long time. (This is something Ms. Perkins explained to us.)

I know it’s hard to resist the pull of Pinterest, especially since there are reports, anecdotal and otherwise, that Pinterest really results in sales. However, it can also result in other things, like your work being posted without attribution, or with the wrong attribution.

This article: “6 Reasons Why you should use the Pinterest ‘No Pin’ Code” makes a terrific case for a middle way: using the “No Pin” Code, provided by Pinterest, which prevents people from pinning from your site, and at the same time allowing very specific images, that you choose, to be pinned (by adding in a pin button for those). This seems to me like an excellent compromise.

Here’s a link to the No Pin Code: https://help.pinterest.com/entries/21063792-Prevent-pinning-from-your-site

What about blogging? What steps can you take to protect your images online and on your own blog?

Ms. Perkins explained that you should publish any artworks first on your own blog, and then link from social media back to your blog.

I was thrilled to hear that, since I have for years said that your blog should be the center of your social media universe (I heard that at WordCamp, I apologize that I can’t remember the name of the speaker), and social media your outposts.

Here’s a mind map on that:

Hand drawn mind map by Elaine Luther showing how your blog should be the center of your social media universe.

You know who else says you should make your blog your online headquarters and that you shouldn’t create user generated content? Seth Godin, that’s who.

Of course, there’s this constant struggle, isn’t there? Some of us seem to struggle more than others about what to share, when to share and how to share. (A history of this, to put it all in context, can be found in the book, Say Everything, which I reviewed here.) Usually, those of us who struggle more seem to be the non-digital natives.

At the CAC event, the event photographer, Jess Pierotti shared during the Q & A portion, that she knows artists who are posting images of their artwork online less and less, and choosing to share process photos and insights instead.