Wednesday, January 26, 2011

New Line of Jewelry! Crystal Pendant Necklaces

So part of my 2011 goals is be able to offer full lines of jewelry in my shop.  I have had swarovski crystal rings in my shop for quite some time now.  I recently added crystal earrings to match the rings.

Crystal Dangle Earrings Avante-Garde Burgundy


And now I have Swarovski Crystal Pendant Necklaces to match!!!  I use all sterling silver accents, so the bail and the chains are sterling silver.

Check these out:

Silver Night Twist Pendant Crystal Necklace                                  Oval Champagne Swarovski Pendant Necklace                                Tanzanite Pendant Crystal Necklace


Tabac Twist Pendant Crystal Necklace

There are a lot more of these necklaces to come.  In many colors and shapes, plus more earrings too!

And in a few months I hope to be listing button bracelets that will match my button necklaces:

So another new line of jewelry coming soon!  Please keep a close on my shop :)

Thanks so much for looking.
Would love to hear your feedback on this new line of necklaces, so please leave your comments.

Janet

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Kater's Acres - Toy Story Nutty Featured Shop

Today I want to take the time to introduce you to an amazing Polymer Clay artist.

Katie the designer said, "My designs are generally whimsical and "geeky" in nature. I have several "series" of items in my store in addition to our animals, robots, and geekery. Monster Series 1 (find info on my blog), Pet Rock Series 1 (Series 2 coming soon), and Monster Series 2 (in progress, 5 of 12 pieces listed)"

How exciting is that, to keep an eye out for her latest you can find her shop, blog, facebook page etc. as follows:






Look at this  Heart Monster!!  Hardly looks like a monster it is so cute!!


From her more whimsical side is this amazing Sheep!!  I think this is adorable!


It is hard to choose which items to feature because they are all amazing!!  But I wanted to include at least one pet rock and couldn't resist this one! 

Please take the time to check out Katies shop.  It is amazing.  Her quality of work is wonderful and the prices unbelievable!!!

Janet

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Solo Frenzy on Etsy

Yesterday I had my 1st solo frenzy on Etsy.  If you aren't familiar with what a solo frenzy is you should definitely check out this thread in the Etsy promotions Forum:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6740094&page=1

I also did a very detailed blog post with all the details of each activity the thread has;
http://galla15.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-promotional-frenzy-thread-huge.html

So, all the shops in the thread spent 30 minutes on Saturday promoting my shop as much as they could throughout the internet.  EVERYONE in the thread was incredibly supportive but several really went above and beyond.

First, I tried to highlight as many of the thread mates in this beautiful treasury.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d32710b82516d91442ad3ad/on-fire-over-1500-views?index=0

AMAZING shops in that treasury!!  And now I want to try to highlight a few of the shops that

One shop actually started promoted me a few days before the solo frenzy, in order to help get items onto Stumbleupon so others could rate those listings!  Incredibly generous and nice.
Her shop is really amazing.  She is a paper artist...

Look at these beautiful keepsake boxes with roses on top!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65850062/small-blooming-heart-keepsake-box

And one other item that I think are really nice are her paper beads!  They are lightweight, unique and very affordable!


She likes to work with, high-quality glass beads, Swarovski crystals, gemstones, freshwater pearls, and wood.  She partnered up with another shop (the 3rd one I am going to feature here) and help promote and organize the promotions the entired day!

Look at these amazing earrings!



She has a matching necklace to go with it too;

Last but certainly not least... http://www.etsy.com/shop/jQjewelrydesigns
She specializes in an eclectic variety of high quality gemstones. 

Check out this amazing bracelet!


jQ is a really organized, detail oriented person.  She created list after list yesterday to organize what had been promoted and what still needed promoted!  I mean not a single inch of my shop was left out!

THE RESULTS
Well the results are absolutely phenomenal!  I had over 1500 new views on the very 1st page of my shop.  Over 30 item hearts on those items on the first page and since yesterday 10 new shop hearts!!!
The 2nd page had over 700 views!
3rd page over 300 views!
The rest of the pages had 300 views except the last 2 had about 100.

There were around 5-10 hearts on each page!!!
The question asked the most is how many sales... well I had one from a friend in the thread that was very kind to buy a pair of earrings but no others directly related YET.
But I can't emphasize enough, that there is NEVER an instant thing you can do to bring in a boatload of sales.
The amount of promoting done through so many sites on the internet such as blogs or stumbleupon.com provides very valuable backlinks to my shop that will help in the long term with visibility and search engine rankings.  So over time this will help a lot.  I am positive sales are coming LOL

I can't thank you all enough.  I am sorry there is no way to feature over 20 shops in this blog at one time.  But the treasury really represents many that aren't featured here.  And to the left of this post is a list of all of our participating shops!

THANK YOU EVERYONE!
Janet


Friday, January 14, 2011

Treasure Hunt Contest - Win a Swarovski Ring!

Trinkets N Whatnots - http://www.galla15.etsy.com/ is holding a contest NOW through February 14th!

One month to enter and spread the word for a chance to win a Swarovski crystal ring from my shop.



There are 2 prizes, and 2 ways to win!

1.  The 1st place prize is a Swarovski ring of your choice from the shop above. 

In order to enter you have to go to the Etsy shop: http://www.galla15.etsy.com/ and search through the Swarovski Ring listings.  Find the one listing that has this in its description:

*********** TREASURE  HUNT ************************


Once you have found the listing, please e-mail or convo me through the Etsy system with a link to that listing.    PLEASE title the e-mail or convo CONTEST so that I will get all entries. 

DO NOT POST the answer in the comments of this blog. 
You can e-mail your answers too:  galla15@verizon.net

I will keep a list of each response, in the order that I receive them.  Then use http://www.random.org/ to pick a # from my list and that will be the winner.  The winner will be announced here on my blog.

2.  A 2nd Mystery prize will be given out through the same system with http://www.random.org/ but it will be from a list of people who have promoted this contest.  If you blog about the contest, post it on your facebook, or tweet it etc.  please leave a comment here to a link of your promotion.  Your comment in this blog with your promotion will be your entry to the 2nd place mystery prize! 

Have fun on your treasury hunt!

Follow me on Facebook if you like:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trinkets-N-Whatnots/41217190843

Janet
http://www.trinketsnwhatnots.com/
http://www.galla15.etsy.com/

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Etsy Recyclers Guild Link Building Contest (Retro Chalet)

     First, I want to tell you a little about the Etsy Recyclers Guild.  I have been having some very pleasant conversations with Retro Chalet:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/RetroChalet 
Her shop has the  "The Best Vintage Kitchen, Melmac, Print Blocks, Letterpress, Porcelain Glove Molds Galore"



She has a 2nd shop too!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/RetroChaletStudio

    Below is what she told me about this team:

Etsy Recyclers Guild is a global team comprised of Etsians who have united in the name of "green." Our group focuses on the below issues:
    a) Artisans creating handmade wares from recycled, upcycled, discarded, or vintage items in lieu of buying new materials.
    b) Vintage sellers re-purposing or offering retro or antique items to keep these items from the landfill whether it be for use or decor, again, to alleviate need for new mass produced goods.
    c) Greenies who have thought up eco-friendly green alternatives to modern day mass produced wares, or developed their wares using green processes.

     There are several different teams on etsy that focus on green, upcycling, or recycling, and some with no requirements for joining. We have found over time that our team benefits most by members who will be active and are on Etsy to stay. We expect our members to participate and promote our team's shops, and our love of recycling.

We do this by making treasuries, cross promoting each other on the world wide web outside of Etsy, and in our own shop banners. We have a team shop, and sell advertising on all blog wherein all monies go back into the team's ad campaign. Currently we're on Everything Etsy !

For us, this method of promote-on-promote has earned us several hundred backlinks between Bing and Yahoo alone and page rank on Alexa in just a short time. Some members have in turn had their sales increased with added exposure.

How to Join Etsy Recyclers:
We limit our membership to around 200 members, when some leave or close up shop, we have open enrollment periods. To see if we are accepting members, visit www.etsy.com/teams/6474/recyclers-guild-team.
Read more in this Storque article : www.etsy.com/storque/craftivism/etsy-teams-go-green-7798/

*********************************************************************************
THE CONTEST
The important part...  I think cross-promoting has huge benefits.  That is why a thread that I run in the Etsy Promotions is based upon us cross promoting our other thread mates. 
 
The very same concept of building back links that I try to promote in this thread, is exactly what the Etsy Recyclers Guild is doing with their contest!  So I would like to team up if you will and help with their contest.
 
Here is a link to the blog post with all of the details:
 
Please blog about this contest, tweet it, retweet it, facebook it, and ENTER into the contest.
 
The prizes are amazing!
 
$200+ Value Prize Pack:

Special mystery prize pack includes:
$75 value of products donated from Etsy Recyclers Guild Members shipped to you!
$125 value of a sidebar avatar/link to your hop, website, or siteon this site for 9months!
+Bonus: Feature Story written about you or your shop/site, to increase YOUR credibility!



Wednesday, January 5, 2011

The History and Value of Buttons

     I love buttons, and love learning about all the different options, designs and uses. Most buttons are collectibles and I strive to retain the value in all the buttons used in my designs!! I never cut off a shank and put glue on the buttons. All of the ones used in my designs are wire wrapped preserving all the parts of a button. 
    So here is a little history of how buttons have evolved and who used them.  I hope you enjoy reading the history of buttons and can appreciate them.


2000 BC- Buttons first appeared as decorations. If something needed fastened pins and belts were used then.  The buttons seen then were bone, horn, and wood or even sea shells.

1200 AD- As clothing and fabric evolved pins were no longer the best option, and buttons were used as fasteners.  The word "Button" first appears in the French language as bouton, for bud or bouten to push.

1250 AD- The Button Makers Guild is formed. The Guild developed elaborate, expensive buttons that only the wealthy could buy.  There were actually laws passed to prevent the common person from owning any button! 

1300's thru 1400's-  Buttons continue to grow in popularity as they are used more and more.  Many of the clothing worn during this time were covered in buttons.  It is during this time that a new profession developed...the professional dresser!

1500's-A French king in this century ordered 13,400 Gold buttons made for a special outfit for his meeting with an English king. To his surprise the English king was equally heavy with buttons! Also the Elizabethan era brought cloth covered buttons.

1600's-We actually find diamond buttons on a suit designed for the First Duke of Buckingham! Silk, ceramic and silver buttons were seen during this time.  In the 17th century, French tailors began making thread buttons for military uniforms. These were simple little balls of thread that.  In fact, these thread buttons were considered an insult to all buttons and many tried to get laws passed to prevent them from being used again. Anyone caught using or making these were fined penalties!

1700's- Embroidered buttons developed.  Wooden molds were carved and the embroidered material was stretched and crisscross stitched in the back to secure it. Towards the end of this century buttons got bigger and bigger. In addition, steel buttons began their use for men's clothing.

1800's-1900's In the year 1802 Abel Porter established a company in the Northeastern United States that began making metal buttons. He saw an opportunity for big business as the imported ones were scarce and expensive. There were also challenges with the types of metals used but when Porter created them he used brass loops cast in the back of the button, and solved those previous problems. This company became the famous Scovill Manufacturing Co. whose name we still see on the backs of many old buttons today.

The most popular button of the 19th Century was the black glass button. These were made for the masses in replication of Queen Victoria's fashioning of black jet buttons. These were also referred to as mourning buttons, following the death of Prince Albert.


These Victorian Glass Buttons are a favorite of many Button Collectors today. Beautiful ocean mother of pearl buttons were also made in the 18th and 19th century. They were dyed, engraved and embellished with metals and sometimes even jewels. These buttons were made in Germany, France and Great Britain but the shells they were made from came from Japan, Austria, Central America and even Egypt. The most expensive shell is the white massacar from the East Indies.

Modern Day Button Making - By the turn of the 20th Century, picture and novelty buttons were very much the fashion. Picturesque buttons for men's waistcoats were very popular. Animals and hunting scenes were vastly produced for this purpose. Many collectors adore them. With the introduction of plastics, buttons weren't quite so precious. However, since the arrival of the sewing machine and patterns for the thrifty dressmaker, they provided the finishing touches while dressing on a budget. Magnificent artisan glass buttons can be found at fine craft shops and craft shows today. Torch work or lamp work is used to create unique and often, one of a kind, paperweight buttons. My favorites to work with, as you can see by the jewelry I make, are carved Mother of Pearl Buttons. I find the most colorful shells to be abalone with their magnificent striking colors. Pearl buttons, both carved and etched, come from black Tahitian shells, cowries, helmet shells, pinna shells and conches.

Some Resources:  National Button Society
http://www.nationalbuttonsociety.org/Home.html

The HISTORY OF Czech Glass buttons!!
http://www.beadandbutton.com/en/sitecore/content/Home/Community/Button%20Corner/NBS%20Articles/2009/07/A%20History%20of%20Bohemian%20glass%20buttons.aspx

The Czech Glass and Mother of pearl buttons are some of my favorites.

To find my designs go here:
http://www.galla15.etsy.com/
http://www.trinketsnwhatnots.com/

New Button Designs coming soon!!!!