Copper Wire Earrings

Actually it's not quite true that I haven't been making anything lately as mentioned in my last post, as I have been playing around with some simple wire earrings. I need to stock up on some supplies before doing anything more complex, but I must say I'm quite into the contemporary and minimalist as far as earrings go at the moment, as long as they are made of copper.

Which reminds me of a scarey article I read online recently about the need to source metals, wires and jewellery components that are nickel free as your jewellery could be illegal to sell in Europe. Fortunately I source most of my supplies in the UK and Europe, as most of the metal findings and beads that would be illegal to sell here because of the nickel content, come from outside Europe such as the Far East and even USA. As I'm allergic to nickel myself it would be easy to test any metals on me although I'm wondering if there is a more scientific test one can do apart from taking the supplier's word for it? I did once buy a pendant from the USA which brought me out in a severe rash one summer because of my nickel allergy so I can sympathise with the need to find nickel free components as well as staying with EU law. Stuff gets moved around though and there are probably many shops in the UK whose suppliers are from countries where these laws don't exist. Anyway, I digress.

I haven't listed any of these in my online shops yet, and I'm quite excited that I've now opened an online shop at DaWanda although I'm mainly just duplicating my Etsy listings there for now.

I loved these metal beads that reflect a pink or green colour and intend to do some wire-wrapped hanging ones, once I've bought some finer copper wire. The earwires will also be copper plated (and nickel free) once I've ordered them as it looks too awful putting silver hooks with copper earrings. These beads were crying out for a contemporary unfussy approach, so I just threaded them on the thickest wire that would take them.

I had some crackle glass beads to use up and some ready-made copper chain. I made the hammered hoop and spiral myself out of thick copper wire. These earrings may look huge but they are so light to wear. I put a small crystal bead on either side of the centre bead, and just need to photograph it all with a black background so it shows up better. I'm giving a preview here of what's going to be added to my shop soon once I've re-done the photos, replaced the earhooks and made a few more of them.

Window Shopping 1 - London

I've started getting into the habit of carrying my camera with me everywhere I go, so thought I'd have a monthly (at least) window shopping photo share on my blog. Preferably of jewellery but can be of anything, and not necessarily of stuff that I like or would buy. Could be useful to inspire other design ideas, or just to see what is selling at what price and where. But mainly as I don't have anything new of my own jewellery to share here yet, I may as well show other peoples' stuff.

These were taken on the way to the supermarket today:

Where to sell handmade products online

Even though I only have a handful of jewellery items recently listed on Etsy.com so far, I was a bit concerned about something I read in the etsy forums regarding their search engine not working properly. Whether it is still a problem I'm not sure, but I have no intention of re-listing the same items on a daily basis just to ensure they can be visible on the site to potential buyers. I shall continue listing there as well as elsewhere so I can monitor the results, although haven't got around to doing any more to my Etsy shop lately. Am going to upgrade my camera, undo some of my existing jewellery work that hasn't yet been listed, and re-do the photos, upload listings on multiple sites including my own website which is under construction, and just delete any duplicate listings when something sells.

Today I'm seeking out other online selling websites for handmade jewellery and compiling a list of possibilities - so if you are successfully selling at any sites (apart from eBay or Etsy) please let me know so I can add them to the list, especially if they are based in the UK or Europe and therefore not priced in dollars. A few of the sites listed below are still fairly new so are not widely known to buyers yet. But if we advertise them on our blogs or websites we can soon spread the word, not just for the artisans and creators of handmade goods and art but for those seeking original or unusual gifts as many of these quality handcrafted goods are very good value and even underpriced compared with some of the lesser quality mass produced goods found in the high street stores. All the websites below allow you to open your own shop on the site.

UK

FOLKSY - Folksy champions cool crafts and design talent. We marry up designers and crafters with buyers who want individual, quality stuff that's made with love. Plus, we run design competitions and other fun stuff. Small scale production and handmade goods offer ways to manage resources effectively and support local economies. We're not anti-globalisation but we just like a thriving cottage industry too.

PINKDOODLE - Pinkdoodle is an online marketplace for buying and selling creative goods and services. Based in London, UK Pinkdoodle enables creative professionals from all over the world - ranging from artists and designers to craft specialists - to reveal their talent and market their products and services internationally, as well as offering buyers products and services that are rarely found on the high street.


EUROPE


DAWANDA - DaWanda is the place for unique and individual products and people.
Everybody who makes handmade products or offers customised and tailor made items can become a seller on DaWanda. Creating your shop is free. When you sell a product we take 5% commission from the sales value. Listing your items is currently free as well but we are planning to introduce a small listing fee per item in the future. Currently the listing period is not limited, so that every item stays listed until it is either sold or you unlist it. When you list a new item you can create your item in additional languages. Payment is by bank transfer for UK/European sellers.

(Note - Some sellers have said they found it hard to contact customers directly and needed to go through admin for this. Orders also need to be confirmed by seller via a link before buyer can pay).


USA


SILKFAIR - At Silkfair we aim to be the premier e-commerce site for users to buy and sell their handmade goods online. As long as you've got a valid credit card you can sign up. We're working on making Silkfair an international marketplace loaded with diversity of product from all around the globe. Sellers with existing eBay feedback scores can have their rating integrated into Silkfair profile. How much does it cost to sell items on Silkfair? Final Sales Fee : 3% of per item price sold. Listing your items to build your store at Silkfair is FREE, so upload as many items you want to sell as you want! However, although we would like to keep the system free from listing fees in the future as a long term permanent policy, we reserve the right to raise the possiblity of applying listing fees if abuse to the system occurs.


ARTFIRE - The premier online marketplace for handmade products designed by artisans around the globe. Our free community is designed for artisans to buy and sell their works, while celebrating unique handmade items and designs.

It is always free for buyers of handmade products to search through our listed artisans, buy, or request for items to be specially made. No matter if you are looking for local handmade crafts, or handmade products from artisans around the world Artfire is the marketplace for you.


RAMBLES - (To sell wholesale) Rambles is a retailer. If you are an artist, crafter or designer who wholesales and are interested in doing business with Rambles, please contact us by email with the info listed on the website.

We prefer to purchase items at a wholesale price. We also prefer to carry items that retail for less than $100. However, in special cases, we will carry more expensive items. We also carry items on a commission sale basis occasionally. Please indicate your preference (wholesale or commission) in your note.
Rambles is also your great gift hub. Know someone who’s stylish, different, eclectic, adventurous, unique, a true original? Rambles has the perfect gift for him or her.


MADEITMYSELF - Madeitmyself is a new online marketplace where users can buy and sell handmade goods. It’s the perfect way for vendors to display their unique wares while buyers search for and purchase one of a kind, hard to find items. Painters, sculptors, woodworkers and other artisans now have a way to turn their hobbies into profitable businesses. Registration is 100 percent free for buyers and sellers.
Along with the online marketplace, madeitmyself.com also provides a community feature where buyers and sellers can make special requests, share new ideas, collaborate on projects and much more.


Artisan Jewelry at RUBY LANE - As a seller on Ruby Lane, both you and your customers will be able to enjoy the pleasure of only Antiques & Art, Vintage Collectibles and Jewelry offerings on the site. There are no pop-up ads, no computers, cars, music CDs or other unrelated distractions. Ruby Lane's pricing is affordable even for small sellers. No commissions! There is a one time 30 cent Listing Fee to add each item; a once a month Maintenance Fee where the first 150 items is 30 cents for each item, and then each item over 150 is 20 cents (minimum $15 per month); an Advertising Fee of $20 per month per shop. Plus a one-time set-up fee of $75 which is refunded if your shop is not approved.

(Note - Well established and well advertised site, with more quality upmarket goods).


SMASHING DARLING - SmashingDarling is a place for EVERYONE who loves fashion that thinks beyond the mall. Whether you want to shop, sell your own designs, meet others, or just see what's new and hot in independent fashion...Smashing Darling is the place that brings all of these elements together and is a community like no other.

Who can sell? We accept most fashion items in clothing, jewelry, vintage, and accessories categories. If you’re not sure whether your items are suitable for our site, please feel free to drop us an email. Unlike just about every other site out there, SmashingDarling.com is absolutely FREE to designers until you actually make a sale. We do not charge for image uploads, listing fees, or anything of the sort. You’re welcome to have as many boutiques as you wish, with as many images and items as you want. When an item sells there is an 18% fee, otherwise, it is free to be there with as many stores and items as you would like.

( To sell if not in the US , contact us at info@smashingdarling.com)

YESSY ART GALLERY - Yessy promotes artists around the world. You can view artists in your country by using the Advanced Search to search by "Region". The annual fee is only $59. When a buyer pays through the Yessy ordering system, then a low 10% escrow/payment processing fee applies. This covers credit card transaction fees, escrow service, and related payment processing costs. There are no other fees. Funds are transferred to you directly into your bank account, or into your PayPal account, or by mailing you a check. You choose these options through your Commerce form after you have created your gallery.

What items can't I display on Yessy? Do not post anything that is not art. If it wouldn't be on display in an art gallery, don't display it on Yessy. Categories include jewellery, textiles, glass, drawings/paintings, ceramics, photography etc.
To avoid being charged the annual membership fee, you are fully responsible for canceling your account before, or on the exact date/time your 14 day free trial expires.

Related posts:

Selling on Artfire for free

Buying and Selling on DaWanda

Recycled Packaging for Jewellery

Before going to bed I thought I'd better order some gift boxes for posting my jewellery in as I was originally going to use gold or black tissue paper inside bubblewrap and then a jiffy bag. As most people would probably be ordering for themselves anyway it seemed a waste to use boxes that would probably just be thrown away afterwards. But then again some of my jewellery items seemed to need a box, like the wire chokers, and gift wrapping was something that I was always happy to provide free of charge if anyone requested it.

I was therefore delighted to find a company that specialised in recycled cardboard boxes for jewellery, as well as recycled tissue paper and paper carrier bags.
They can even print your company logo or name on the boxes or carrier bags at a reasonable cost. The Tiny Box Company only offers recycled packaging and eco-friendly packaging, so if you care about the environment and the felling of trees - and remember we need trees for putting out oxygen in the air we breathe - then using recycled paper products can not only help reduce the wastage of our natural environment, it also degrades better than plastic when it does eventually end up in a landfill site.


They don't just sell them in plain brown either but provide a fair choice of colours, and I've just ordered a few in different sizes and colours before ordering in bulk, including some in leopardskin print boxes! They also include either cotton or foam inside.

Natural copper chain bracelet

This afternoon I made a copper chain bracelet using thick solid copper wire of 2mm, with slightly thinner wire of 1.6mm for the side panel links. It was the first time I'd used this thickness of wire before, but I wanted a more solid look rather than a delicate item of jewellery.


I have now listed it in my etsy shop Artefact Creations for US$38.00 (£25.00 pounds).

I was pleased with the result and intend to make some other designs as well, also using thinner wire to add some beads. A few minutes after listing it I received a request for a custom order to make a belt like this. I was very pleased that my bracelet generated some interest.......was described as beautiful in fact, and that I received my first custom order request, but have decided to postpone any custom orders for now as it would take me quite a long time given how long it took me for the bracelet. At the moment I feel happy making bracelets to stock another website with items that are a bit faster to make, so I may attempt the belt later on when I have a bit more time to devote to a single item and when I'm more in the mood to do it.


I am happy to say that I'm back in the flow of jewellery making again, have regained my previously lost momentum and enthusiasm, and have easily returned to my usual hours of going to bed at around 4.00am.

Books on Bead & Metal Jewellery Making

Thought I would compile a recommended reading list for the best jewellery making books in the areas, materials and techniques that are of interest to me and this blog - mainly books recommended by others (on my wish list) and some I own. So this list is rather biased towards bead and wire jewellery, and metal jewellery (which I will be exploring more fully later on) and ignores any books that have been given bad reviews or ratings.

It also gives me (as well as others) somewhere I can easily find the next titles to buy, after having lost my reading list from my computer desktop. And like the last post which gives me the UK beading events in one place, I should be more organised unless I lose my blog as well. So if I've missed out any recommended books or events please let me know!

BEAD AND WIRE JEWELLERY BOOKS

Bead on a Wire: Making Handcrafted Wire and Beaded Jewelry

by Sharilyn Miller.

I have this book, which is good for covering the basic techniques and has some interesting projects which I am still working on. Am about to try the Linked Hearts bracelet as I have some heavier gauge copper wire to use up, and will post the results on this blog - I love the heavy duty bracelets in metal wire. Quality and range of projects seems good from beaded bangles to party watches.



Creating Wire & Beaded Jewellery: Over 35 Beautiful Projects Using Wire and Beads

by Linda Jones

The first book I ever bought on bead and wire jewellery, and covers all the basic techniques which are clearly described and illustrated. A good range of projects including chain and wrapped jewellery, Valentines and wedding jewellery. For me personally I found less projects in this book that I liked compared with the book above, as I'm more interested in bold or chunky designs than anything delicate, but all designs can be adapted once you know the basic techniques.


GENERAL BEADED JEWELLERY BOOKS (including other techniques)

Although these books may include bead and wire jewellery projects, they also cover other beaded jewellery techniques.

All About Beads: Over 100 Jewellery Designs to Make and Wear

by Barbara Case

This seems to be a popular beading book according to reviews on Amazon and beading forums. Haven't bought this one yet but it is added to my wish list of titles to buy soon, once I've finished the projects I like in the Sharilyn Miller book and read the two I recently ordered.

Bead Fantasies: Beautiful Easy-to-make Jewellery

by Takako Samejima

Another popular book, which includes bead stringing and weaving. Books 1 to 4 by same author are all meant to be good.






The Encyclopedia of Beading Techniques

by Sara Withers

An encyclopedia to use as reference overview to the various techniques - useful if you haven’t yet found your favourite niche in beading.
Also includes how you can add detail, texture, colour and originality to garments and accessories by incorporating beads into your knitting, crochet and needlework. Learn traditional and contemporary techniques such as bead weaving, stringing, wirework and strand-knotting, and even find out how to make your own beads.


WIRE AND METAL JEWELLERY BOOKS (without the beads)

Making Wire Jewelry (Jewelry Crafts)
by Helen Clegg and Mary Larom

This book is easy enough for beginners to follow, but still packed with enough interesting ideas for an experienced jewelry designer to learn from. The projects in the book could be easily adapted for your own designs, adding stones, beads, etc. A good basic teaching manual.

Contemporary Copper Jewelry: Step-By-Step Techniques and Projects

by Sharilyn Miller

This title has not yet been released.
You may pre-order it now and Amazon will deliver it to you when it arrives.
I’m so excited about this book as I love working with copper.

Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Pre-order Price Guarantee: order now and if the Amazon.co.uk price decreases between the time you place your order and the release date, you'll be charged the lowest price.

Mixed Metals:Creating Contemporary Jewelry with Silver, Gold, Copper, Brass and More

by Danielle Fox and Melinda Barta

Contains 30 unique projects, ranging from necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that incorporate various kinds of metals such as silver, gold, copper, brass, PMC, and more. Projects are constructed using basic stringing and wireworking techniques that are accessible to beginners, while the boutique-style designs will captivate the more experienced beader. Most metal jewelry books focus on making the metal components either with PMC, wireworking, or metalsmithing. "Mixed Metals" is so much easier, focusing on making jewelry with pre-made metal beads, charms, chain, and components combined with accent beads using simple stringing and wireworking techniques. No metalworking required!

Hot and Cold Connections for Jewellers
by Tim McCreight

This is a bench reference book for all jewellers. In it the author discusses various ways of joining parts. These methods include: cold connections (staples, rivets etc.), hot connections (soldering, brazing and welding), and adhesives. In a no-nonsense manner, the author provides useful information through drawings and text, explaining the techniques in a simple fashion. He carefully discusses when to use the various methods, the pros and cons of each and the pitfalls to be wary of. In short, it contains all one needs to know about practical joining.

Beaded Chain Mail Jewelry: Timeless Techniques with a Twist (A Lark Jewelry Book)
by Dylon Whyte

A thorough introduction, illustrated with computer-generated pictures, covers the basics of chain mail techniques. Then Whyte reveals his patented, perfected beading method: rather than using difficult wire-wrapping, he threads the beads directly onto the rings before they're fashioned into chain mail. This exciting collection of 30 projects includes a delicate Persian patterned anklet, embellished with tiny silver bells; an amethyst opera-length necklace; and silver earrings shaped like inverted peacock features, edged with rings and turquoise beads. He also shows you how to chain around a cabochon which is something I've never seen explained in clear terms. The photography is stunning and the designs are simple yet very effective. The author includes the usual chain maille weaves, such as Byzantine but he also includes some slightly more complex ones, such as Persian, Spiral and one of his own design which he calls Rings Of Saturn.

Upcoming Bead Fairs 2009

Sunday 24TH May 2009
http://www.jlfairs.co.uk
THE 5TH ANNUAL CHESHIRE BEAD FAIR
NANTWICH CIVIC HALL CW5 5DG
Open to the genberal public
10.30AM - 4.30PM
£1 admission all adults
Under 12s free
Pay on the door.

THE BEADWORK FAIRS
http://www.beadwork.net
Sunday 31st May 2009
Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1SG
By Train:
Dorking Station and Dorking (Deepdene) Station are a 10 minute walk from Dorking Halls and are served by trains from both Victoria and Waterloo (approximately 45 minutes).



Sunday 21st June 2009
The Millennium Grandstand, The Rowley Mile Racecourse, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 0TF

Sunday 26th July 2009
The South of England Centre, Ardingly, West Sussex, RH17 6TL

Sunday 20th September 2009
de Havilland Campus, University Of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, AL10 9EU

Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October 2009
Pavilions of Harrogate, Great Yorkshire Show Grounds, North Yorkshire, HG2 8PW
Sunday 15th November 2009
The Millennium Grandstand, The Rowley Mile Racecourse, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 0TF

SCOTLAND

Scottish Bead Fair
Sunday 30 August 2009, 11am-5pm, Perth Concert Hall, Perth, Scotland
Put the date of 30 August 2009 in your diary as the 5th Scottish Bead Fair is going to prove to be the best event yet!
Precious Sparkle Beads is once again hosting this popular event which in addition to having the most enviable collection of beads in Scotland for sale, there will be many invaluable demonstrations and classes that you will not want to miss!
If you make jewellery, or are interested in learning how to, this is the event for you. With over 40 top exhibitors selling the finest selection of beads from around the world, there is no end to the inspiration available.

Edinburgh Bead Fair
Sunday 4th October at the Corn Exchange, Edinburgh
Opening times 11:00am - 4:30pm
Ticket price is £4 - Children under 16 free when accompanied by an adult!


The Big Bead Show17th October 2009
THE BIG BEAD SHOW
Sandown Park, Surrey

Call the FREE hotline to order your tickets today: 0800 435553

Email : support@ashdown.co.uk

Or write to :
The Big Bead Show
Ancient Lights
19 River Road
Arundel
BN18 9EY