ROUND TWO: Our Second Blog Hop for the 2016 Build a Line Challenge

 

This has been a focused and fruitful month for the members of the Build a Line Challenge Group. 

We've discussed so many topics! 

First there was the discussion about VOGUE magazine and how to learn to read it for content that well MAY affect what you need to design in the future.

Then, we talked about managing your supply inventory, and how the business of supply works.   Donna and I actually made a video about it....here's a link if you haven't seen it:

 

 

 

We talked about the pyramid of sales:

 

 

We also talked about pricing your jewelry for profit.  There are are about as many ideas and pricing  methods as there are ways to make meatloaf.  

SO.....I will be honest:  I dislike pricing threads.    At the same time, this class would hardly be complete without one.

To be sure, we had a great discussion that benefited all!   And we all agreed that in the long run, each part of your line and every piece is individual, and sometimes ya just gotta jiggle it!

We also spoke about the virtue of making pieces for our lines that could be reproduced, especially on the lower tiers.  We realized that if we could do that, we could make more money and expand our brand.

All throughout the month we had updates on class members' progress.   Some practically have their full line done!   Those ones are chomping at the bit for the last hop so they can show you!   No one is allowed to show their full line until the last hop.

Of course, this year I promised to create a line along with the class.   At first I only intended it to be an example or prototype.  I didn't really intend to do anything much with it.  I was just going to be an exercise.

But then!!!!

I had an epiphany:   SUGAR SHOP JEWELRY.     I got the idea looking at box of chocolate brass I'd gotten in.   I did think I would use it for class.   I just thought it would be something different as we don't actively carry chocolate brass anymore.    But the more I looked at it...

The more it looked like CHOCOLATE FROSTING.

 

 

The structure of  the Sugar Shop line  came literally in minutes after I got the Chocolate Frosting part.  Everyone that has seen and heard about the line has been nearly as excited about it as I have been.

The thing is....how to make it happen with so much going on in my life, already.

My head felt like this tangled mess of chain:

 

 

Eventually I realized that my biggest blow to progress at the moment, was that my workshop was set up for shooting video, rather than real work.  It looks great and is very visual.   BUT:

None of my pieces and parts were in logical places where I could easily find them!  Until that could happen, this line could not happen.  THIS WORKSHOP HAD TO BE PUT BACK INTO PRODUCTION MODE....just as it was, twenty years ago!

I won't kid you....at first, the idea of reorganizing this space blew my mind.  Well...you won't get anywhere feeling like a nervous wreck.  I had to move forward and find a place to start.   I realized, okay, let's start with the surfaces.   I quickly saw that I had a large space blocked by my big map chest.    The ventilation pipe was coming right down through there.....the entire area was wasted.  

Donna came over and we moved it to the other end of the bench.  I got some nice storage bins for little parts from Walmart online  (they have so many nice bins and if you spend $50.00 or more, they ship it to you free!)  When they arrived,  I began to set up that space.

 

 

 

 

 

I have new mats arriving for the benches, too, so they'll have a fresh start.   There is still a lot of tweaking to do, but it's all good.   At least I can begin working and I have a place to put bits and parts where I can find them quickly!

 

I cleared the other side of the L-shaped bench as well.  This is where I have always done a lot of painting, resin and Swellegant work:

 

 

We shot a lot of our videos the first 2-3 years right here.

 

 

I also removed a lot of unnecessary items from the top of  the large worktable at the back of the workshop.   Every time we did video, Javi always had to take a world of stuff out of the road so she could get a clear, unencumbered shot. 

Well, she won't have to do that anymore!

The biggest part of the work is that while the storage units fit nicely under the table and benches, nothing in them makes much sense.  This is true especially for the units under the table, and under the bench on the back wall.

To make Sugar Shop Jewelry and have fun while doing it (rather than making it another work nightmare in the B'sue world) I HAD to dump out some of those bins and just ditch stuff.  Yes....stuff I would rather have kept, good stuff.   BUT!   I needed the space for Sugar Shop and there was no point in keeping it.  I pulled out what I would use, and the rest went in bags and on the storage shelves on the other side of the basement.

I'll deal with it later, probably make up some Muse packages.

All in all it was about getting done what is necessary for now and worry about perfection later.   Just as it was every time before when I began a big project, I'd move stuff around as I began to work in the space.   Letting go of perfection, I started to make progress!

Here is my drawer all ready with little pieces and bits I  will use in beading and connecting this line:

 

 

That's by all means not all, but it's what I have now.  I'm expecting shipments in  the next week to ten days.  I've got space cleared out now for that stuff, when it arrives.

 

Here are the stones I am most likely to use in this line:

 

 

That is all subject to change but it's a place to bounce.   Everyone needs a bouncing-off space.

 

And here is a drawer full of beads I am mostly likely to use....with more on the way, still:

 

 

Hmmmmm.....will Pinky find a place in this line?

 

I don't know yet.  ;-)

 

Here is a drawer full of chocolate brass:

 

 

I threw a few bits of brass ox in there for more bouncing....to see if I needed to blend something, could I?   My jury is out on that for now. It's just nice to have a drawer to throw things into, for trial ideas.

 

All in all, I cleared at least six drawers COMPLETELY out.  There will be plenty of room for the other things I will use for this line....a drawer dedicated to bead caps.....a section for ceramic roses and spectra beads.....a place for matching blanks.    I have a lot of things out at the platers' now and they will be showing up over the course of the next few weeks.

I also re-discovered  a lot of things I forgot I had,  and *can* use!

There will have lots of room to continue 'building organized drawers' as I develop the other parts of the line....Vanilla Frosting, which will be a shabby whites line,  Party Cake which will be very colorful,   Wedding Cake which is a small wedding line,  Cafe Au Lait which will be less fussy and done in neutrals.   Of course Box of Chocolates is where I will have my random stuff and it could be ANYTHING.   That's where I will still have room to play as an artist.

Now that I have this much pulled together, I feel like I can think clearly.   I do need to get moving now!   I know the basic look of the line, but no, I don't have anything completed.   For the class I may just bounce a practice line off one easy peasy piece.   That will get the ball rolling....

From experience, I know it will come.   I can stop breathing hard over this.    Looking back, I can't believe I had the brass to jump in the way I did,  knowing next to nothing about business and supplying stores with a gift line of jewelry.  What I had was tremendous drive and will to make it work.  Nothing to do but  dig in, and figure it out on the fly.  

Cheeze Louise,  I was so unaware of the work it would take that I didn't even know how to be brave about it!   I just DID it. 

I remember this girl.....

 

 

That girl had a bunch of creative energy  and no knowledge of how to focus it.    She didn't know anything at all about jewelry!  She didn't have any....the pearl choker in the photo was borrowed....and no idea of what she liked.   I guess she figured it out.

 It took a long time and a lot of head-banging to reach my goals.  Why should my friends and customers struggle as I did, when I can share my experience and knowledge with them?

In the long run, we all have to make it work by DOING the work.....

But a network of colleagues and mentors is essential for success.   I had some back then, and I have many more now.   In the class, we all have each other.

I hope you will take time to read down through the blog posts from all the students.  You are going to enjoy their observations, and you will probably learn things that can help you in your own creative work.   If possible,  leave them an encouraging comment.   You  have no idea how much those comments mean  to them....and to me.   Thanks for taking time for us!

 

Here is the hopping list!

Brenda Sue Lansdowne Jewelry Making Outside the Box

http://www.bsueboutiques.typepad.com

Diana Buynak Butterfly Emporium Ceramic Studio

http://butterflyemporium.indiemade.com/blog

 

Irene Hoffman, Heart's Dezire by Irene

http://heartsdezirebyirene.wordpress.com

 

Clare Wells Nemeth, Creative Magick

http://www.craftingmagick.blogspot.com

 

Mary Reckmeyer, Afrayed Not

http://www.afrayedknot.net

 

Marcia Tuzzolino, Aurora Designs

http://auroradesignsjewelryblog.me

 

Elizabeth Wilks, Wearable Art by Lizzie

http://wearableartbylizzie.blogspot.com

 

Jeanette Rose Belmont, One Canvas At A Time

http://www.onecanvasatatime.com

 

Lyn Joy Reeve, A Journey From Jewels To Jubilation

http://lnreeve00.blogspot.com

 

Beth Trubman, The Journey of Jewelry

http://thejourneyofjewelry.blogspot.com

 

Carole Carlson, Bead Sophisticate

http://beadsophisticate.wordpress.com

 

Jann Tague, Clever Designs by Jann

http://janntague.wordpress.com

 

Shari Gardner, SLG Jewelry Designs

http://slgdesigns.wordpress.com

 

Susan Bolton, Fern's Place

http://www.fernsplace.org

 

Chris Kemp, Noodle Pie Bracelets

http://noodlepiebracelets.com

 

Susan Bowerman, Woodside Wireworks

http://woodsidewireworks.com/

 

Pamela Anger, Novegatti Designs

http://novegattidesigns.blogspot.com

 

Joan Donovan, Hailey's Cottage

http://haileyscottage.com/

 

Alison Huie, Ally's Baubles

http://www.allysbaubles.blogspot.com

 

Sharon Palac, Sharon's Jewelry Garden

http://www.sharonsjewelrygarden.blogspot.com

 

Erica Olmos, Beeb's Closet

https://beebscloset.wordpress.com

 

Erin Whitacre, Shattered Time Jewelry

https://shatteredtimejewelry.wordpress.com

 

Fran Sitton, Sitton Up Front

https://sittonupfront.wordpress.com

 

Ginger Hammond, Lynn Leigh Designs

https://lynnleighdesigns.wordpress.com

 

Paula Gaskill, Lovely LaylaBug Jewels

http://www.lovelylaylabugjewels.com/Blog.php

 

Mary Deis, The Rose Sword

http://theroseswordmdeis.blogspot.com

 

Renee Webb Allen, Small Stuff Design

http://smallstuffdesign.com

 

Valerie Tilghman, ArtJewelsandGifts

http://www.artjewelzdimensions.blogspot.com

 

Chris Cravens, Vintage Cravens

http://christinecravens.blogspot.com

 

Leslie Carver, Adorn Divine Designs

http://www.adorndivinedesigns.blogspot.com

 

Donna Parry, JewelryDonna

http://jewelrydonna.typepad.com

 

Gina-Marie Hammer, Tangles, Twists and Treasures

http://tanglestwistsandtreasures.com/blog/

 

Kelly Wymer, Winged Wisdom Enchantments

https://wingedwisdomenchantments.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

Related articles

Build A Line Master Class Blog Hop, The FINALE! Believe You Can......

Build A Line Master Class Blog Hop, Part TWO, B'sue Boutiques

Gifts, Challenges and Autumn Leaves A-Falling

MY REWARDS Program At B'sue Boutiques Just Rolled Out---Credit for Every Dollar Spent

Vintage Style Jewelry Supplies, Brass Filigree....and Theatrical Productions!

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Marcia Tuzzolino]

Thank you so much, Brenda, for sharing all of your knowledge, but mostly for sharing yourself, and getting us all to this point in the challenge. I absolutely LOVE what you'really doing for your line and each sub line. Can't wait to see how you develop each part. Your workspace looks fantastic, too. Great post, as always, Brenda!

[Chris]

Terrific post, Brenda! I love how you included a photo of yourself from long ago and talked a bit about your journey. Congratulations on getting your workshop in top shape for production, too. Thank you for sharing :)

[Susan Bowerman]

Brenda, I swear I don't know how you accomplish so much every.single.day! And you give so much, to all of us. I like that young lady in the photo, and the fine woman she has become. And, most importantly, I love it that our paths crossed quite accidentally a few years back. You've opened a world of creative doors for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your blog is a great read as always, your shop looks fantastic, and may you squeeze in a few days of creative bliss in there very soon! Much love, my friend. And thank you!

[Ingrid Anderson]

Thanks so much for sharing! In that tangled mess is beauty! How you get so much done in a day is amazing to me. Looking forward to seeing your completed pieces with all those beautiful components! Ingrid

[Irene Hoffman]

Wow Brenda, I thought I was organized. Such a clean and organized space. Thanks for the sneak peek. And thank you for sharing your talent and expertise with us. What a gift.

[Joan Donovan]

Thanks for the fun look "behind the scenes" - you've given me a lot of ideas for organizing to make creating the most efficient, and the least frustrating! Can't wait to look into that Box of chocolates!

[Belinda Reed-Ingle]

Brenda you are so beautiful inside and out. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your wonderful wit with us. I love your new line I know it will be a great success. I can't wait to see some pieces from it. Loved all your pics to. I love your organizing I truly need to get a system. Thanks for giving me a jumping off point. ;D

[gloria allen]

Great summary of all the behind the scenes activity of learning and creating.Great pictures, awesome sharing and teaching.

[Gail]

I love my own little studio but I do have to juggle sometimes when I want to shift creative gears so I do envy you all your space and room from storage. Great post! Love the jewelry line graphic.

[Charlotte]

Getting the house in order may not be the fun part, but i always feel better and energized when I'm properly prepared. Organizing can be a creative exercise. Thanks for telling it like it is. Charlotte

[Jann Tague]

I love the Chocolate Brass theme .. I hope you start carrying it again .. Loved all of your pictures of your work space .. you made me feel like I was actually in your shop .. Jann

[Vonda Stephenson]

Brenda, I always enjoy reading your blogs. I really needed to read this one today, because you've given me some great ideas for organization. Thanks for all you do for all of us!

[Sharon P]

I love chocolate frosting, and vanilla buttercream too, so I look forward to seeing your Sugar Shop line reveal next blog hop. It's going to be yummy, I'm sure! You have also inspired me to clean up my messy studio, so I ordered those drawers from Walmart so I can have all my B'Sue components at my fingertips. :)

[Clare]

Brenda, I LOVE your studio. That massive drawer of chocolate brass is GORGEOUS! Can't wait to see the divine pieces that come out of that deliciousness! I believe I saw something about MUSE boxes in there too. LOL If you decide to do that I am soooo in because the ones I have gotten before were absolutely awesome!

[Shari Gardner]

It amazes me that with everything you do, that somehow you are going to build a line too. You give encouragement to everyone that meets you, whether in person or online. If you can do, with as busy as you are, then anyone should be able to do it too, if they have the same drive and want. You have personally given me so much inspiration, been there for me when you could tell I really needed to talk to someone, you're my mentor and I am humbled and honored to be your friend. I can't wait to see what your line looks like, I can feel your excitement every time you talk about it :)

[Pamela Anger & Toby, Novegatti Designs]

Love your post, Brenda .... you're an amazing lady for sure, with all that you do! Your generosity in sharing not only your goods, but yourself with everyone is such a shining light, attracting so many friends. ;) I'm glad your workshop is coming together for you; it looks great! I'm so excited to see your new jewelry line soon. Thank you so much for everything you do!

[Erica Olmos]

I love your post Brenda, I love that you are a wonderful teacher and a teacher that is willing to share all with love and kindness. I have to say I love the chocolate brass, I can not wait to see what wonderful magic you will make happen with your magical hands.
Erica

[Beth Trubman]

I couldn't wait to get home from work tonight to start reading, and it all starts with your blog Brenda! I enjoyed it immensely, as I always do, and really look forward to your yummy chocolate line, and completing the class. Don't know what I'll do when class is over!!!! I'm enjoying it so much. Cheers, I'm off to read my classmates blogs.

[Erin Whitacre]

Can't wait to see the line. Those pieces really do look like chocolate! You got so much organized so quickly. That is something I really struggle with. Thank you for always motivating and teaching us.

[kristyle]

Brenda I just love your blog and work shop such hard work you put into all you do. I miss being with all of you on this journey this year and we have wonderful new artist and old ones too. You are our muse and mentor extraordinare. I love you new line and I'm sure it will be just as delicious as it's name. Love you bunches always XOXO!

[Jeanette B]

Thank you for offering this class and sharing your invaluable information. Also looking forward to seeing Sugar Shop when it is ready.

[Elisabeth Wilks]

Thanks Brenda Sue for your wonderful insights.I love reading your blog! You really do have so much talent in so many areas. Thank you for taking the time to write about what you are going through getting together your new line.Your thoughts on how you are working it out are so encouraging and helpful to me. I really appreciate all the time you have taken with this course. I cannot imagine how you do it! You are pretty remarkable. Thank You!!!

[Chris]

Great post Brenda. You have so many exciting, wonderful tiring things on your plate, but you give us so generously of your time and wisdom.
We really appreciate it so much. It's going to be great to see your reveal in April, but so much more exciting will be watching your Sugar Shoppe develop!
One of the most important things I've learned the past 26 days is about artist generosity. It doesn't just mean providing clients with all price points, so everyone can afford a piece of your work. It also means freely giving of yourself. Being a mentor and coaching, with no worries of having another artist on the market, and not worried about getting paid. It's about creating more artists, and passing on these ideals to them. It's about creating a community of generous artists where we all support and encourage each other.
Thank you Brenda for teaching me about all the aspects of generosity!
It means to world to me.

[Janet Calardo]

Loved reading your blog. It was great to see your determination in reorganization. Maybe it will rub off! Love your line and the creative names you have that really peaks the imagination of what kind of pieces you will create. Love reading everyone's blog. I remember how good it made me feel last year to see everyone's comments. Thanks for all you do for all of us!

[Carole Carlson]

I completely get how blocked you felt when your studio wasn't set up the way you needed it, as I have experienced the same thing.

[Fran Sitton]

I feel you regarding the organization topic. You can have things stored away neatly but quick access is key. I have had to refine that effort several times. Now it looks as if you are set with your go-to drawers of possibilities. I'm envious of all the room you have to create. Looking forward to seeing your line.

[Sue Shade]

I loved this blog. It was a great look into your process. I just love the names of your lines and can't wait to see where it goes.

[Coral]

Thank you for your generosity. I have learnt a lot from you. Not only the technical skills. Reading your blog made me persuade what I am doing.

[Donna Parry]

You are always a teacher, thank you so much for giving of yourself until it hurts...and beyond.

[Leslie]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate this opportunity to get to look into this window into your world, your process, your space. I've learned so much, and it just keeps coming, all while having fun, too!

Thank you so much for keepin' on truckin', no matter what comes up.

I hope to sell enough from my line to be able to get a piece from yours. ;)

[Mary Katherine]

Something I had no idea could even exist! I LOVE IT! I love the colors. . . the names for the options and the marketing for these lines has so much potential. You lead the way in showing us new ways to push the edge of the envelope and look at things differently and I for one, so need that! Cannot wait to see your five!

Mary