Dreaming of Spring

I've put together my first Collection on ArtFire, "Dreaming of Spring".  It's a grouping of other peoples' artworks that made me think of the season yet to come, Spring.  Crocuses, color, buds, all those things I haven't seen outside in a good long while.  Here's what I wrote about it:

"Winters are long here in Montana. With those dark nights come dreams of Spring - fresh sprouts of grass, crocuses poking through the snow, color! at last! Welcome to my collection. While it is still snowy out we can enjoy these wonderful creations and dream of the longer days ahead."

Check it out here.

  

And now something of my own that reminds me of spring:

Tweet, tweet!

My online education continues.  I just joined Twitter and my handle is @SerendipDesigns.   I'm not sure where this will lead, but it seems to be another way to connect, to let people know what I've got and where to find it.  Let the fun begin!

More on Etsy

Etsy is an amazing website for sellers and buyers alike.  Millions of people search the site each day, looking for treasures and surprises.  There are many millions of items for sale on the site at any one time.  One would think that with so much to choose from, any one artist’s sales would be pretty slim, but that is not the case at.  Many artists and craftspeople have surprisingly successful Etsy-based businesses.  Like any job it takes work and a bit of time to learn the ropes.  But there is lots of help available from the Etsy community.


I started listing my jewelry just after Thanksgiving.  I was thrilled with the immediate response to my work.  The sales I had in December really helped to brighten my holidays!   Now it is the new year.  I have dabbled in Etsy, but now it’s time to get to work. Today, photography.


Many craftspeople seem to be ditching their own sites for a presence on Etsy.  Some keep their domain names solely as redirects, pointing to their Etsy page.  Some of those who also wholesale keep their own domain name for that purpose, and to direct people to the galleries that carry their work.  I own SerendipDesignsJewelry.com but have not done anything with it.  So many possibilities.  Stay tuned.

 

Oxidized Sterling Penguin Pendant with Amethyst

Etsy up and running

It's working!  I posted some of my one-of-a-kind pieces and some of my Silver Swirls™ on Etsy and already have had some sales!  There is so much to learn from other artisans on that site.  So much cool stuff and inspiration.  I think I may have found a new home.

See what I've got so far:

Serendip Designs Jewelry on Etsy

Today is for Etsy

It's been a year.  I did re-do the photos on WholesaleCrafts.com and still had a fairly slow year.  Orders are definitely picking up now as stores realize that people are still shopping.  I like wholesale, having a line of dependable designs, but I must admit that I am not being as creative as I would like, not coming up with new ideas and new work.

I have resisted the idea of a retail website.  But in exploring Etsy, I find that it could not only be good for sales, but good for my creativity.  I see inspiration to create one-of-a-kind pieces, exploring what people like, what I like to make without venturing back into the world of craft fairs.

So today is about taking photos and figuring out how I go about listing on Etsy.  I'll be back to tell you how it went.