Ever since I had my wholesale business in the 90's I have liked to include extras, do special sales and perks for my customers.
Giving gifties is something that just keeps me going. Sure, I could save all these things and sell them, sometimes I do. And it's not that I don't need the money as a business. There's always something breaking down, something we need, some new tax bill we weren't counting on.
I get through the ups and downs by giving. It's good for my customers, many who are newer and need to deepen their workshop stashes of components, or others who just need new ideas. And it draws folks to us, because they realize we're really no different than they are.
We are all just working together to find our way and do what we really love---our art, most of us being jewelry makers.
This week's giveaway is the biggest one I have ever done. There are products here from my own workshop, things that I never used and never opened. There are things here that are left over from clearance. There are things here that are extras from when I sampled new product, and some right straight from our selling stock.
Down in that pile are LAYERS of raw brass stampings straight out of current stock. The value of the stampings is a fair 125.00 and the pieces are mostly filigree and substantial, larger pieces.
There is also a full package of Carmen Miranda fruit beads, which I've been offering as long as I've been selling on the internet---that takes us back to 1997.
Also some polymer clay and the 7 Gypsies "Paris" tissue paper.....a package of that stuff will take you FAR down the road if you are doing tissue decoupage on brass. I'm noticing the company seems to be slowly discontinuing the styles they had....this is the last one I stock. I love the dark, aged sepia tones of the design.
This double opening 100 year old empty pocket watch case is a personal treasure that I am sacrificing with this Muse....I have had it so long and never used it. I'd love to see what someone might do with it.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO WIN IT?
All orders logged at B'sue Boutiques since last Sunday for 25.00 or more are entered into this drawing. Everyone is eligible whether they are a customer from the US, Canadian, or International. If the random number generator draws your order number, you win it, plain and simple.
The drawing will take place TOMORROW about 3pm EST (Ohio time) and the winner will be announced in the newsletter tomorrow night as well as in my Facebook groups : The B'sue Boutiques Creative Group and Bohemian Vibe
I began just this week to post things I've made for videos as well as some really nice vintage pieces at the website, too.
If your order is 25.00 and up, you may ALSO request RUSTY BLACK GOODY in the memo of the order, and we'll give you a sample of our interacive rusty black line of stampings.
Come on over and browse through the amazing offerings at B'sue Boutiques Be sure to check out our Tutorials pages and links pages too for great information. We hope to continually expand those pages as time goes on to make the site a great place to find good information, too!
I hope you win this Muse offering. It's mighty special.
Can you believe it? A hand-drawn logo. But it worked.
The thing that amazes me is that somehow I knew I needed a logo. I knew virtually nothing about the business of selling jewelry when I began making it. Somehow, when I pulled this whole thing together back in the nineties, I just realized I needed something that touched a heart, whispered something familiar....or it wouldn't work. Themes. Soft colors. Memories. A little touch of Grandma.....
My line was a gift line of jewelry. It wasn't a fashion statement, would never have gotten off the ground in the fashion world. It wasn't fashionable. It was heartstrings stuff, it said something about the buyer, something about the wearer. There are fashion lines that do that too, and can play the fashion game along with the heartstrings and the "I need a quick gift" thing, too.
Again, mine went to "I need a gift." People ALWAYS need a gift. With fashion lines you have to be ready to jump into a new look with each season and constantly evolve. The changes in a gift line of jewelry focus more on people's needs and suggestions than this season's color palette.
And so with that, I had steady business from about 1993 growing to a peak 1997-98 and then starting to fall off as the gift business itself changed. By 2,000, I was done. It was a good run.
I used things I still use today....and things I offer to others, to use. The base was brass stampings---we used a lot of raw, unplated brass that we hand-antiqued and polished on a big buffing wheel---and vintage pearl buttons, shirt and baby-sized. The palette was sort of early 1928 Jewelry Company....pearl, gold, pink bisque roses.
The pieces were not large and not daunting to wear. Young people as well as older folks loved them. When we did trade shows, we wrote orders as fast as our fingers could fly; when we did retail shows, sometimes there was a line waiting to get into our booth.
I got most of my ideas from my clientele as well as the sales reps that peddled our line from coast to coast. We were in showrooms in Boston, Philly, New York, Columbus, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles. We worked with rep groups in upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland.....Michigan....Texas, NM, AZ, Louisiana.
We didn't cover the whole country but we went clear across it.
It's not unusual to find pieces of the line in the secondary market even now. They all have this characteristic, identifiable look. Sadly, few were hand-signed. All were sold on professionally made soft grey card stock jewelry cards with our name and "Handmade in the USA" emblazoned upon them.
Some loved the assembled/collaged pieces; others loved the charm lines. Not long ago I did a video on using the shoe in this piece:
Here is today's jewelry:
This horse was very popular. I loved making it. We did a long dangle brooch like this is a number of themes: Noah's ark, Teacher (teacher jewelry was always such a great seller) Gardening, Music (again music was a good sell).
The horse today:
and, still as a brooch....
More color, more techniques. And I would charge a whole lot more for these than I did for those pieces in the old gift line.
Did I make all these pieces myself? I did all the engraving. I would not allow anyone else to do that. Usually I personally put the long charm pieces together. Most of the rest of the assemblage was eventually done by an assistant.
This cameo has been reprised many times.....I think I have two videos on it.
The interesting thing is that the cameo in this photo, below, the one so many of you have commented about ....
....was not made by me. My assistant, Ani, made this one. She and my friend, San Juana, were the two who learned to copy my hand the best. Their pieces looked exactly as if I myself, had made them.
It's very difficult to teach that sort of thing, so that your line can stay cohesive. You might want to ponder that as you do the prototypes for your challenge line. Think to yourself, "If I decided I wanted to market this as a wholesale gift or fashion line, how hard would it be to teach others to assemble it?"
The reason is, because if you go that route, the time will come where you cannot possibly be making it all yourself. So think about that.
MORE BASICS ABOUT THE BUILD A LINE CHALLENGE
As mentioned, the challenge starts in January.
If you're contemplating being a part of this big effort, it's a very good idea to be journaling, planning, thinking about your basic supplies NOW.
I'd love it if you mentioned our challenge on your social media pages and groups, but please: do not share with anyone just now what you are planning to do for your line just YET.
For now:
1. You may privately select your line. It would also be good to have an alternate or two in mind, as well. You'll see why as you continue to read on.
2. If anyone needs to do real brainstorming with me by phone, I am available. I am not charging a fee to manage or admin this large effort----which will take us three months to complete! But, if you need private chat time, we can set up an appointment and yes, there will be a fee for this. You would be receiving a one-on-one interview/conversation, possibly not something I would be answering in a short post on the Creative Group
I would need to take time from my daily schedule to spend personal time with you to assist you. If you are interested in that, the fee will be half of what I would usually charge for consult/appraisal time. You can contact me by private message at Facebook for more details.
3. Participants will want to be sure they have a blog set up and ready to go. They will also need to 'friend' me at Brenda Sue Lansdowne so that quick communication is possible. Here is why:
4. Early in January (date will be announced later) everyone who is participating will send me their selection by private message along with their *FUNCTIONING* blog address. I will check the blog to make sure it comes up and that the web address is working well, and I'll save all of the choices of theme, color palette, style for the challenge.
5. A deadline for you to have your selection to me, along with a SHORT description of what it's about, will also be set and announced. The deadline MUST be met. If it is not, you will need to observe this time and participate another time. You can also send me a rough drawing or representative photo when you send me your selection and blog address, if you wish.
NOTE: FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGES will not work as blogs for this challenge, because we will be doing AT LEAST two blog hops. Feed rolls over very quickly on some pages, so those looking at the hop will not be able to see your post re: the challenge. SO: you must! have a functioning blog. It does not have to be elaborate. Blogger, for example, is easy to set up and it is free.
6. After we meet the deadline, I will go over all of the selections. In the case that we have cross-over (two or more individuals choosing the same theme or scheme or idea) then the first to select gets the choice. The others will be allowed a few days to choose something else. (That's why it's good now to have several things in mind).
7. By around the third week of January, the first big phase of the challenge will begin. We will have the FIRST blog hop. In this hop you will talk about why you decided to participate, your background in making jewelry (and it matters NOT if you are quite new!) why you chose what you did, how you will proceed with the work, who you feel it will appeal to, why you think it will sell and how much basically will the components of your line sell for.
None of your details EXCEPT your choice of theme/scheme et al is written in stone. This is just your jumping-off place.
8. Each line will have a minimum of five pieces. The pieces should go together. The look should be cohesive and identifiable. We will talk about what those elusive things REALLY are, later. For some of us who have done only one-offs for a very long time, the idea of making pieces that go together, can be mixed and matched, and sell in lower to practical price points may be a little unique. We'll get through that together. No worries!
9. YOUR LINE IS JUST A PROTOTYPE. Please don't think you have to make a ready to sell line with 12 duplicates of each piece right now. If you want to, that's great, you'll be ready to get busy with it as soon as the challenge is over! But you may prefer to use this as an excersize, and move on to something else later to refine the process for YOURSELF.
10. As mentioned, I am NOT charging anything as a teacher this time for administrating and guiding this challenge. One on one time will be reasonable if you require it.
I'm certain the challenge will be a subject of daily discussion among some and many will reach out to offer suggestions and ideas. You can also do some market research. Look at what sellers do who you feel are quite successful in this area. Check out fashion and department store lines and think about what that certain something is that they use, that makes that line work. Take those ideas and make them your own.
11. While I am not offering this as a paid course, you ARE required to use visible pieces of goods from the B'sue Boutiques website in your prototype line. This is because I cannot spend time promoting things that do not even use my findings......and I'm going to want to promote your work. Some will doubtless end up in the Gallery of Inspiration or other places on my website, my blog, my newsletter.
Some of you are long-time, loyal customers and may already have what you need! So much the better. But since it's a prototype line, you're NOT going to have to invest a whole bunch of money in drawers full of stuff to be in this challenge.
At some time in the future if this course/challenge becomes refined and interest grows, I will indeed offer it as a paid course. I believe deeply that developing a line that has an identifiable style is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to artists and part of your own unique growth. The information I can provide you from my over my successful journey---having done this! has great value. My fees would always be reasonable and realistic; but THIS TIME.....it's free. You just have to jump in and commit to the work.
12. At the end of March/beginning of April, we will have another blog hop for completed prototype lines. Again you will take and share lots of photos and you will talk about how you arrived at your destination with your prototype line as well as what the challenge did for you. You'll tell about the ways you feel you were able to re-route and trim thinking and process.
13. AFTER THE HOP, the judges for the challenge (members of the B'sue Boutiques Design Team and myself) will retire for several days of discussion. We will then choose and announce a first place winner and the prize is a $150.00 gift certificate to B'sue Boutiques Also that winner will be allowed to participate in the next Build a Line challenge free of charge. There will also be a randomly chosen winner among the participants to receive a 75.00 gift certificate to B'sue Boutiques
STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS as they are still being worked out. I want you to be fully aware of what will be required of participants as there will not be a lot of flex in it. In order to have a great challenge, we'll need to stick to a schedule and certain rules.
I am limiting the challenge to 60 participants but I rather doubt we will have quite that many. Perhaps you will surprise me! But it will be just as interesting if we have only 20. Far more people will be watching and learning as we go along, so the learning will be there for EVERYONE.
And EVERYONE will be free to comment and ask questions at the Creative Group So, truly, no one will need to feel left out. This process can be participated or observed.
Once upon a time, long ago and far away, I decided that I would like to develop my own look as a designer, and promote it wholesale, to stores and shops.
I hadn't really been making jewelry that long; I started back in the late 80's when I was actively dealing in vintage costume jewelry. A few people who were instrumental as mentors in my life encouraged me to make jewelry....I'm really not sure what made me think I could. But having already a love for vintage pieces, it seemed like the natural next thing to do.
So I did it. By 1993 I was doing trade shows and by 1995 I had a 300 piece line, seven assistants and around 500 store accounts.
One thing I realized when I was pulling my line together to offer for sale, is that I would have to choose a style that was not only true to myself, but could be reproduced.
From the few crafts shows I had done, I saw that people liked to buy things that said something about who THEY were....for friends and relatives, that said something about who THEY were. So I developed a line based on themes, with a Victorian look using brass stampings and charms (I could get more), bisque ceramic roses (ditto) glue (plenty of that) and old pearl shirt buttons (VERY plentiful at the time, I used to advertise and people would sell them to me by the pound!)
The central part of my line, besides all of those aforesaid things, was that I could engrave short words in pretty script, freehand, using my Dremel. The shops loved that personal touch. I got a lot of custom orders and ideas from the shops and businesses I worked with, as well. So I could still stay true to my look----and keep it cohesive---yet make it their way, too.
I continued to produce that line until around the year 2000, and I quit wholesaling it all together in 2001. Shops had come away from selling jewelry for awhile (most of my clientele were gift shops and florists) and it just seemed it had run its course.
After that I went back to vintage jewelry for a bit as well as began to make large, one of a kind, over the top glitz collage/assemblage pieces which I sold on Ebay, in its earlier days. It worked out very well. I had a certain look about my pieces, but something I lost was the cohesive element.
I've noted that many artists today who are self-supporting do quite well BECAUSE they maintain a cohesive element. They are not trying out every new technique that comes around the bend. They may incorporate a new finding or change size or style a little, but the look remains theirs. I have also noted that they have a specific way of showing/staging their photos that draws the eye and just MAKES you want to buy the item.
Another amazing element is that I sometimes see is that very simple designs that are marketed this way.... sell for higher prices than the norm.
Gotta tell ya....it's because it all goes together. The style identifies the artist, and the artist has been clever about branding, packaging, marketing. The jewelry is 'in line'......you can buy it a piece at a time and collect the artist's work. The pieces are signed, either by hand or by special tag.
It's really the same thing I did, once upon a time. And it's the same schtick that large, commercially successful fashion designers have employed. They come up with something that speaks to the customer. Love it or hate it, think Pandora, Troll, Alex and Ani, Brighton.....why do people buy it?
It's attractive.
It's all a certain style.
You can add to it.
It makes an easy gift when you know people collect it.
The branding is impeccable.
Pieces can be added or taken away.
Hmmmm.
At the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group we're planning our biggest challenge so far. Myself and my Design Team are brainstorming a THREE MONTH JUDGED CHALLENGE, where participants will develop their own line in a cohesive way....a way that stays true to form, has low and higher pricepoints, can be added to both by the buyer as well as the designer, and that can be marketed in a practical way.
2. You must have a typical, standard blog where you can make entries. We will be sharing what we are doing via blog hops at intervals during the challenge.
3. Pieces from the B'sue Boutiquesproduct line must be visible and prominent in the participants' lines. Because I have done this already and have maintained a line that sold thousands of pieces over a decent period of time, I feel I am qualified to offer guidance and advice. At the same time, there is no administration or class fee to enter the challenge.
It will increase my workload, however, so help me out a bit, use some things from the website. When you do, I freely promote them and will be promoting this challenge on my website, here at my blog, in my newsletter and via Pinterest boards.
4. Those who sign up need to be ready to put on their thinking caps and dig in. Life happens, I understand: yet if you sign up to this challenge, I'd like for you to be serious about seeing it through, even IF it doesn't go easy, even IF it's a stretch, even IF you have trouble with the deadlines. IT'S A DISCIPLINE. Those who join us and use this discipline will re-route their thinking as designers, will grow, and will learn things about their process that they never realized before. And, they'll probably make changes to the way they approach getting work done---positive ones.
5. Each line must be at least five pieces. You may choose a style, a palette, a theme. The pieces in the line should be able to be swapped out for other metal colors.
FOR EX: Some folks may want silver metal, some may want antique brass. Can you make your line so that it can be changed up?
Also, you must be able to reproduce your line. Repurposing won't work here....repurposing is for one of a kinds or is offered as a re-design service. You need to be able to make repeat pieces that, while being handmade may have subtle differences, will still look much the same.
These are just the beginning basics. At this time there are no sign-ups, but to keep things manageable, I think I will limit it this time to 60 participants. My hope is that we can get that many! Yet if we only had 20 who were dead-dog serious about doing this, it would also be enough to keep it interesting, worthwhile and something from which others who are not participating, can still learn.
Signups will begin first week of January after the holidays are over. There will be a limited window to sign up and you will have to sign up at the beginning; it won't work out for you to join us 'in progress'.
Feel free to comment or ask questions here or at the Creative Group We still have two challenges to complete before we do this challenge; this month we are doing Cameo Jewelry......next month we are doing anything you want that is Metallic/Pearl/Crystal combination.
For now, ruminate on the possibilites. Make lists, take notes....and get yourself a blog and get yourself in the habit of using it.
THANKS!!! to all who came to the blog to comment on Michelle's book and to try and win a copy of it.
We had over 85 responses and from the commentary received, I do believe Michelle has a best-seller on her hands!
AND THE WINNER IS
SHIRLEY WILSON
So glad she won, she's gonna love this volume. As for the rest, perhaps some of the other groups you belong to will have promotions and opportunities to win, as the book is being widely promoted.
To tell you the truth, my feeling is this: WHY WAIT? You're an automatic winner if you just go get yourself a copy. I believe Amazon is carrying it and I know you can get it at Barnes and Noble.
It may be possible to obtain a copy directly from the author as well. If you do that, perhaps she'll sign it for you. For me, my author-signed books are my treasures.
At B'sue Boutiques not only do we strive to offer you the best in jewelry making components, things I KNOW are quality and will set your work apart. My journey is long. I've been using American-made and the best in European-made product for almost three decades.
Our special joy is to provide free instruction at our YouTube channel:
Some who counsel about making video say your videos should get to the point, and be short.
I agree that getting to the point is always a great idea, but being short: sorry, that's not easily done and rarely well done, IMHO. You really can't fully teach a great technique in five minutes or less.
Short videos leave out most of the vital details and YOU, the hopeful learner, to go off, scratch your head and try to figure it out by yourself.....which you could have done without even watching the video, I suppose.
So come join us for our virtual classes at You Tube. Yesterday it was my pleasure to shout out Michelle's book on our mini-assemblage video, at about minute 34, toward the very end:
I like Michelle's approach to making things easy and compelling. SO....just go get the book.
And do come and visit us for our videos, share them with your friends, and check out B'sue Boutiques for your supply needs.
You might like to join us at the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group for a no-drama collaboration of assemblage and mixed media artists of like mind who share their journey and care about yours, too.
We have many challenges including our monthly ones (this month we are making CAMEO JEWELRY) and WTW, which is WORK TABLE WEDNESDAY----a giftie is randomly given to a participant EVERY WEEK....and FINISHED UP FRIDAY, which shows the work we've gotten done that week. There is a gift given by your peers at the group for a randomly chosen participant every month.
I give away Muse packages, samples, things on your wish list if you pin them at our HEY! Look What I Got from B'sue Boutiques Pinterest board, and free shopping passes to happy winners who visit our website and place orders, every week.
I LOVE GIVEAWAYS.
The best thing anyone can give, however, is their time. When you consider how much time it takes your fave authors to produce the books they write, and the cost of the books seems so inconsequential. In the long run, they do it for the love of getting the info out there---you really don't make a ton to write a book.
As for our free videos and the free help at the B'sue groups at Facebook...well, I can't even tell you how much time that takes. It's all from the heart.
And when I see how people grow as artists, progress, and become all they can be and more, I love to shout them out, congratulate and promote them. And it makes me feel so proud to have been any little part of their success.
Today is Work Table Wednesday at the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group but apparently I haven't gotten much farther than this book...
It's Michelle Mach's first volume, and I'd have to say, it's about time! Michelle has written over 100 articles for print in most of your favorite beading magazines.
She has also written a number of tutorials for the B'sue Boutiques website.
Michelle shines when it comes to easy-peasy designing. She can look at a simple bit and see things that many of us don't, at first glance. Her jewelry designs are simple but compelling and easy to wear.....take another look at the pieces on the cover of her book:
B'sue Boutiques is thrilled to be referenced as a source of supply in Michelle's book, and some of our stampings and findings were also used in the projects.
The book on the table is MY personal copy, signed over to me:
Signed copies of jewelry designers' books are very precious to me. If you are such an author and send me a copy of your book signed over to me, you will be sure to get a review on my blog!
But I must say, Michelle is a very special designer to me and I am just thrilled to receive this gift from her.
I also have an extra copy sent to me from the publisher. YOU WANT THIS BOOK......and!
YOU CAN WIN IT.
Here's how:
JUST LEAVE US A COMMENT on this blog to let me know you're reading along, because I want to know that you're a reader----why give you this wonderful book if you're not going to make use of it?
Leave the comment by Friday at noon (November 14th)
I will use the random number generator and letcha know on this blog, who won.
So...SPEAK UP! I might be persuaded to send you a few B'sue goodies along with the book. Let's get a big hurray for MICHELLE and LOTS of comments, please!
And if you feel so compelled, would you be kind enough to shout out this blog post on your social media pages? All I need here are comments, but the kindness of a comment on your FB page, a tweet, a pin on Pinterest would be very much appreciated.
