New Class: Introduction to Metal Clay: Layered Copper Pendants

Introduction to Metal Clay:

Layered Copper Pendants

Beginner level

This class is great for all levels, but geared towards those who have never worked

with metal clays before, and those who have never worked with copper clay before.

In this class students will make a layered pendant using texture stamos and molds.

Students will learn basic composition planning by sketching and making molding clay

mock ups of their ideas. Using dry assembly techniques students will create a

layered pendant featuring a swing bail.

Historical Monthaven Mansion

Saturday September 8

12:30 to 3:30

Class fee $75

includes:

30 grams of Metal Adventures CopprClay

class use tools:

kiln ring

tumble polishing of pieces

additional clay will be available to purchase from instructor

Class size is limited,

please contact Hendersonville Arts Council to reserve:

Hendersonville Art Council

PO Box 64

Hendersonville, TN 37077-0064

615 822-0789

email: ArtsCouncil@Monthaven.org

Web: www.hendersonvilleatrs.org

What's on the bench?

This week I'm finishing up a few steampunky pieces, and reworking earrings.
And I finished a pair of copper clay and gear earrings.

Making Etsy work for you

How to Make Money using Etsy by Timothy Adam

So apparently this is the guy that also started Handmadeology.com. Since I have only poked around at Handmadeology.com this will not be a compare and contrast.

This is a good overview book.
If you have never used Etsy before and are thinking about it, or you are just getting started and the process of setting Etsy up is intimidating this is a good book.

There are chapters that walk you through setting up your site, how to place items for sale, and explains the bill.

This book has some good overviews on how the SEO process works. And setting up key words, and how to make use of strong key words.

I have been on Etsy since it was in beta--yes I was a beta user. My sales are pitifully low and pretty much always have been.  Im specifically looking for those tips that will increase traffic to my Etsy site.

This book has those.
Yes I said it, this book has those. But only a few of them. It really walks you through the process of creating backlinks, and promoting yourself via social media.

This book also has a lot of interviews with successful Etsians. There is actually some useful info hidden in those interviews.

Key take aways from this book:
Leverage social media to drive traffic to your Etsy site and increase views
Use Paypal shipping

This book is available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Money-Using-Etsy/dp/0470944560/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343079231&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+make+money+using+etsy

I got my copy from the library.

Facebook give away

Hi my name is Laura, I'm an artist and this is my pitiful plea to increase my fans on my Facebook page. On my Laura Medeiros-Art stuff fb page you will witness my trials and tribulations, and experimentations, and successes with my jewelry art. I use art clays: polymer clay and metal clays to make sculptural art jewelry.  I am not above transparent ploys such as bribery to increase my views. As a matter of fact I embrace bribery, but instead we will call it a "promotional give away".

So go over to my Facebook page (pleeeezzz): http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Medeiros-Art-stuff/147377941945717 and like it.

On August 1, 2012 I will throw all the names of my "fans" into a hat and pull two winners.

I have two wonderful promotional giveaways:



The steampunk give away: a copper metal clay heart and gear pendant, and a tentacle pendant from polymerclay in pink and green with peachy colored suckers



Under the Sea give away: A copper pendant featuring a sea horse and an olivine cubic zirconia, and an acorn fairy house for a beach loving fairy.

Starting some great promotions (I hope)

Im working on new stuff. Some of its jewelry and some of its marketing!

Coming soon:
Blog promotion give away
More vending ops
More blog posts
twitter and instagram

On right now:
10% sale at my Etsy store:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/zoeowyn
use coupon code: birthday

Pricing, and learning this business

I am moving forward on learning the business aspects of my business. I am slowly--too slowly in my opinion--working my way through a stack of small business and art business books.
I had this one in my stack from the library for a while. Its due back soon so I figured its time to read it.

Originally published in 1997 some of the price structures may be a bit dated. One thing I did not like is it spent too many pages on this type of craft= this type of pricing structure. Especially since they all sort of equalled the same amount. I think a nice generic list and description would have worked nicely. I didn't like this because I had to read through a lot of redundancy before getting to those little gems of information. Like which crafts actually need to be priced differently, and why.

And this book has gems of information! The biggest and shiniest being establishing a studio rate versus just paying yourself an hourly wage. The second biggest gem is value vs. price.

There are lots of great and useful forms in the back of the book, there are at least two I will be making copies of to use.

Yes this book is worth reading.

I borrowed this one from my library--love the library!

Friday was full of win!

First of all Friday was my 21st anniversary, that was great.

then I found out that  my Chicken Hutch, or "shack" as they called it won first place in the CoolTools Antiques Mold contest!

They gave me a lovely write up on their blog:

Blog on CoolTools about the antiques mold contest

By calling it a shack I have started spinning up some other ideas of little houses along a theme.
They took some lovely pictures of my chicken shack also!