Let's face it: selling beadwork and beaded jewelry can be a
tough business. Go to any craft show and look at just how many vendors are
selling jewelry. You'll find that there are more and more jewelry vendors
selling all kinds of handmade jewelry - beaded jewelry, silver jewelry,
gemstone bead jewelry and mixed media jewelry. If you're one of the artists
trying to earn your living selling your handmade jewelry, how are you going to make
your work stand out and get the customers' attention?
Know your style and embrace it. Do you prefer big and bold
jewelry? Or are you more of a subtle, classic type when it comes to jewelry?
The lesson here is that you shouldn't try to be all things to all customers.
You can't please everybody, so make sure that you stay true to the style you
love.
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| Brand your handmade jewelry with a tiny custom-stamped tag. |
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Brand yourself. Even if you don't have a line of jewelry
endorsed by Oprah, Sarah Jessica Parker or some other mega-star, make sure that
your customers know your brand. When I started selling my original designs at
craft shows and on Etsy, I invested in a set of sterling silver and gold filled
stamped tags with my initials on them. I attach one to each of my original
creations to let my customers know that they have just purchased a
one-of-a-kind piece of beaded jewelry!
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Don't be afraid to incorporate new materials and components into your favorite jewelry-making techniques. |
Don't be afraid to experiment. I had never used silk ribbon
in any of my designs before I was sent this sample from an online bead supply
company. I loved the deep colors of the ribbon and found a way to combine it
with my favorite beaded fringe and embellishment techniques. The result was a
series of truly spectacular necklaces that I probably would never have created
had I not been brave enough to experiment with that piece of silk ribbon.
Playing with new jewelry-making techniques is a great way to
infuse your handmade jewelry designs with new life. My latest obsession, making
resin pendants and earrings with handmade papers, is giving my beaded jewelry designs
a whole new dimension. I'm finding that I love mixing handmade papers with
crystals and other components to bring my personal artistic vision to my
handmade jewelry, and my customers have been enjoying my new pieces, too.
Give yourself permission to play and
check out the new
special issue of Handcrafted Jewelry.
You'll find 22 beautiful jewelry-making projects that use mixed-media
techniques to create unique wearable art. Find out how to use the latest trends
in mixed media jewelry-making to create timeless pieces that you'll wear again
and again. And if you hate to wait for the mail,
check out the digital edition
of Handcrafted Jewelry and get your
digital download delivered instantly to your laptop or desktop computer!
Has a new mixed media jewelry-making technique inspired your
handmade jewelry projects? Tell us about it here on the blog, or better yet,
post a picture of your latest mixed-media jewelry project in the Reader Photo
Gallery!
Bead Happy,
Jennifer
Filed under: Gemstones, Crystals, Beaded Beads, Bead Making, How To Bead, Bead-weaving, Beading Tools, Mixed Media Jewelry, Jewelry Business, Bead Crafts, Beaded Jewelry Design, Beads, Jewelry Making, Beading Daily