Here is the code for the 2017 Build a Line Class Badge:
<p><a href="http://bsueboutiques.typepad.com/bsue_boutiques_jewelry_su/2016/11/class-syllabus-build-a-line-master-challenge-class-2017.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://bsueboutiques.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8348f44da53ef01bb09526b21970d-800wi" alt="B'Sue Boutiques Build A Line Master Challenge Class 2017" width="225" height="384" border="1" /></a></p>
If anyone would like to join us in getting the word out about the class, which commences January 9, 2017......we would really be obliged! THANK YOU
There are still spots left in the class. DO NOT assume the class is filled, 'cuz it isn't, quite! YOU can still come and be a part of this most-excellent exercise. Doesn't matter how new you are to jewelry craft....learning to build cohesively is so important, and the earlier you learn in your journey, the better off you are.
For more information on the class, what to expect, what you'll need to participate and more....
and you may always write to me at bsue1441@aol.com for more information on how you can be a part of this amazing group learning experience at Facebook.
The application process for this year's Build a Line Master Challenge Class begins Monday, November 14, 2017. I will accept approximately 35 students into class.
Alumni are welcome to join us again, and this year we have option for a few who are more comfortable auditing the class. I will accept students up until the end of December if we still have openings so if you still need a bit of time to decide, it's fine. The only thing is, the sooner you sign up, the better your chance of having the choice of theme you'd like to do for your project pieces. More about that in the application blog post, and continuing, below.
How far have you come in your jewelry making journey?
Are you a hobbyist, a maker....a production designer? Do you work in many types of media? If you do....is there one that speaks your artistic voice louder than the others? Have you found ONE COHESIVE LOOK that identifies you and pulls everything you do together?
Do you sell your work or aspire to sell it? Would you like to sell MORE of your work and see more people wearing the pieces you make?
Do you simply wish to supplement your income, or is it your dream to become a self-supporting artist with a recognizable brand and steady clientele? These are the things you'll uncover if you take the three-month BALC class.
It will commence January 9, 2017 and continue through April 14, 2017. The class is conducted in a special, private Facebook classroom and consists of modules/discussions that address important topics to lead to your discovery and improvement in what you do.
All skill levels are invited to join us...in fact, the 'younger' you are in your journey, the better off you will be. Being young in your journey and taking this class will help you to avoid some of the pitfalls that many of us, myself included, had to work through before learning that less is more, cohesive and pulled together is best. You will also learn why staying lower on the pyramid of sales means growth in income and quicker success.
In class you will create a cohesive five piece prototype line. If you aren't quite sure what cohesive is, check the dictionary....or come to class! We will teach you.
My line from last year speaks my voice as an artist and is cohesive, so I will use it for an example:
As discussed in the post regarding the application, you'll simply write me starting November 9, 2016 at bsue1441@aol.com with
NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE
BLOG NAME AND URL
NAME of the PHOTO EDITING PROGRAM you use and ASSURANCE that you can make a collage, using it
YOUR CHOSEN THEME (see the application post in my blog, just previous to this, for ideas).
Having the working blog with a URL that clicks through and knowledge of the photo editing program are imperative. With out them, you would not be able to participate in this class.
Only two students can use the same theme for your line, so pick several when you write me. Also, please include the PayPal email you use so I can invoice you for the class when accepted. If you would like to pay by credit card, you can let me know when you write, too, and you can call that in when you're accepted to participate.
Class fee is 75.00 alumni, 100.00 new student, and 125.00 for those who wish to audit rather than participate fully. (No more than 3 will be accepted for auditing). Class fee must be received within 48 hours of acceptance.
There will be two blog hops in class. The first will be Friday, February 10, 2017. In this hop you will talk about what you have discovered so far and tell a little about what you plan to accomplish in the class. The second will be March 31, 2017. This is when you will reveal your line.
As soon as you have paid your class fee, you will gain entry to our classroom, which is the same one used last session. All of the modules are there in the FILES section, so you can start reading. You can also scroll back and see some of what we did last year. We will not, however, be discussing modules before class begins, and I reserve the right as instructor to decide in what order they will be discussed.
Since it is online, the classroom is open 24/7. Students should plan on checking in to class at least 4-5 times a week. The class is not in real time, however....so you can fit it in to your schedule as you like. The two blog hops are mandatory to staying in the group and to graduate, or finish the course. If you cannot meet those deadlines, you cannot continue the class. That's pretty firm with me.
Other than that, you can come or not come as often as you like, you can participate or not participate in discussion in class. There is no requirement there. BUT! Like everything worthwhile in life....you'll get out of this what you put into it.
Class materials you will find helpful:
A subscription to Netflix. Don't worry if you don't have it! But there are some wonderful fashion documentaries on Netflix that are more than worth your time. I'll check to see what all is available when we start filling the classroom and make you a list.
A subscription to VOGUE or at least a couple of current copies, the SEPTEMBER ISSUE being the one most important.
A journal or planner with a calendar for notes.
Materials to 'build your line'. You do need to use visible pieces from the B'sue Boutiques website in your work, but you can use ones you already have and you may also fill in with things you may have picked up here and there, so long as you can make a full line.
I will building a line along with the class, but it will be quite unique. First I will be choosing pieces to develop my own proprietary line of findings, which will be pewter castings with special finishes. Later they will be available to others at B'sue Boutiques
After I have enough chosen and made for me, I will develop them into a prototype jewelry line.
I am working with the 1928 Jewelry Company to make this happen, it's a joint project we are developing. So students will get to be privy to this most unique process as well as learn a few new little chestnuts I have picked up from working with Melvyn Bernie, the owner of the company. He is the perfect model for this class, as he began his jewelry making career with nothing at all, not even any knowledge of making jewelry! With focus, determination and a few shekels saved from his meager job as a watch salesman, 1928 Jewelry Company was born in a humble garage in Van Nuys, California....in 1968.
And as they say....the rest is history!
My story is similar to Mr. Bernie's. I began with a 20.00 bill and a whole lot of hope in my heart. Inside of three years I had a 300 piece line of gift jewelry that was sold to 500 gift shops, florists, hospitals, museum shops, catalog houses and small department stores. I continued making my line available for nearly a decade. I'll explain why I quit.....and why Mr. Bernie was able to continue until his jewelry line was known worldwide, worn by many brides, prom and homecoming queens, a gift purchased by many a husband for a wife, or a boyfriend for a girlfriend....collected! and worn to work, too.
There are many lessons the students can learn from both these unique jewelry making experiences.
CLASS PLANS:
Before the FIRST HOP, we'll talk about why we chose our lines and why we think our choice was practical.
I'll ask you to begin doing internet research on current trends in fashion. Think about what sort of clothing would go with the sort of jewelry you plan to design and form into a line. Begin to define your customer....their age, their style, the sort of money they can spend.
We will discuss what it means to be "artistically generous".
The reason for the subscription to VOGUE will be explained in class.
There will be a discussion of jewelry design periods, concentrating on the Golden Age of Jewelry Design (late 40's through early 70's) and successful designers, past and present.
You will be examining your design style by way of making collages of photos of your work and sharing them in class. These collages will not be shared outside this class by me and should not be by you, until our first blog hop.
More information on the first hop in class, again it's February 10, 2017.
After the first hop, we'll talk about whether you feel you are a hobbyist, a maker, or a production designer....and what the difference is. Also, we'll talk about if it even MATTERS!
We will discuss one of a kind designing versus a line of jewelry that can be reprised in production or in limited edition.
We will talk about efficiency and the cost of your time in producing your pieces. And we'll talk about pricepoints. Which sell best? What IS the pyramid of sales? What about pricing your pieces for profit?
Wholesale versus retail....which one is for you?
We will also talk about our design influences and we will share photos of jewelry made by contemporary designers or artisan makers that we admire.
Heading into the home stretch in March, we'll talk about the importance of a good schedule and productive channeling of energies. We will talk about deadlines, inventory management, and custom work.
Very important will be the discussion of developing your personal brand via good photos, marketing, blogging and packaging. Some of our alumni rejoining us this year have done a brilliant job of that and will be happy to share with you their progress as well as their thought process in developing packaging, brochures, signage, etc.
We will talk about why you should regularly BLOG, and why a social media promotion schedule is so important. And, we will discuss garnering return business, the power of lagniappe, and making each customer feel important.
The final blog hop is FRIDAY, March 31....and that is when we will reveal our lines.
Within a week after class finishes, a team of judges formed by alumni of this class and myself, will determine who hit the marks best. There will be a winner and a runner up. The runner up gets a 50.00 gift certificate to B'sue Boutiques, and the winner gets a 100.00 certificate, plus the privilege of joining us for the next year's class for FREE.
Last year's winner was Erin Whitacre and I do believe she is excited to be with us again this year. In fact, if she makes it, it will mean she has attended ALL of the Build a Line classes so far!
In summing up, we will talk about what we learned and where we hope to sell our lines. We will talk about if we will continue the line from class and grow it, or start a new one....or do both!
After final discussions, all who complete the course, or graduate! will be moved from the classroom to the alumni group where everyone else who has finished the course is waiting to congratulate you.....and continue the discussion among peers. The class modules are also housed at the Alumni group so you will always have access to them. It will be like the little class that never quit!
I hope to see your application in my bsue1441@aol.com email box tomorrow! There must be 25 students for me to present the class, but if past years are any indication, I think we will be okay. ;-)
Here's to Build A Line Master Challenge Class for 2017!
As time goes on, all jewelry makers become acutely aware of the need to pull in and tighten up. They must progress and learn to brand their work by making it recognizable. They need to think hard about who their key customer is and what that customer would want....and how they can provide that for them. That goes not only to the work itself but the way we present our work.
This is why once a year for three months, I present the BUILD A LINE MASTER CHALLENGE CLASS. Via this class you will discover there may well be new and better ways to make money with your jewelry design, than what you are currently doing.
You don't necessarily have to stop doing the repurposing thing or the one of a kind thing.
BUT! you may need to become more cohesive in your work, understand your inventory better and also, explore the possibilities of being able to reproduce a few of the things you make. If you can learn to do that, you will make more money for the time you spend, and you will grow your brand.
I know how to do this because I DID do it. I had a line of jewelry that was sold nationally to approximately 500 accounts in the 90's, for the better part of a decade. The line was handmade, and I used the same supplies then ---that I sell, now. We grew rapidly and we stayed in the black.
Somehow in my gut, I got the concept of building a line. No one taught me how. I had my hits and I had my misses.....If I was do what I did then, again, today....there is not a whole lot I'd change except the misses! Amazingly, I find that all of the principles still apply.
The badge above is from last year and shortly we'll have a new one for the 2017 class. Sign ups will commence Monday, November 14, 2016. I hope to have 35 active participants in the class, although I will conduct it if there are only 25. Usually we fill the class fairly quickly, but this year I will take applications up until a week before class begins on January 9, 2017.
Also joining us for class will be last year's best in class winner, Erin Whitacre. A few alumni from previous years will be serving as judges, monitors, mentors and admins for the class. Those serving as such will only speak in class on select "Judges Weekends". The rest of the time they will be silent. They will not be participating in the day to day activities or required blog hops, but they will be reading along.
Last year I created a line along with the students, which you see in the first photo. THIS YEAR: I will be pulling together a line of proprietary findings, which is a whole different animal! Students will get to be privy to that process as well as offer their opinions on choices for the line.
TO APPLY FOR THE CLASS:
1. The class will start January 9 and go through April 12, 2017. There will be two blog hops, February 10, 2017 and March 31, 2017. Previously there were three but we've cut that back to allow more time for students to work on their lines without having to meet that extra deadline. SO: because we have blog hops as part of the class exercise, YOU MUST HAVE A WORKING, FUNCTIONING BLOG when you apply for the class.
The hops may NOT be missed. They are vital to the class. Sadly, if you do not participate in the hops, you will not be allowed to continue the class.
2. You must also have simple knowledge of a photo editing program like PicMonkey, Picassa or even some forms of Photoshop. I use PicMonkey, it is so simple and intuitive, there are tutorials in the program and it's made for 'dummies'. You must know how to make a photo collage for the class as we use the collages as tools in our studies.
3. You must choose a theme. I will not accept more than two students with the same sort of theme. So when you apply, choose three if possible, so if yours is taken, you can do something different.
Only FIVE prototype jewelry items made in that theme AS A LINE must be made. Some make far more, that's up to them, we love to see them all. But you only HAVE to do FIVE. They must ALL be made inside your theme, in a cohesive way. You will learn more about that in class.
4. You do have to use some items from http://www.bsueboutiques.com B'sue Boutiques, the sponsoring website, in your work. It doesn't have to be all B'sue down to the last jump ring, but you must include visible pieces. They can be pieces you already own and have ready in your workshop or they can be new ones you might want to purchase. You will be invited to use your own special skills or techniques to make your line, there are no restrictions on the techniques you use.
Your use of our product is one of the reasons why a three-month master class that demands a great deal of my attention can be offered for so little. Similar classes elsewhere would cost 3 or 4 times as much.
5. Class fee is 100.00 for new students, 75.00 for alumni who would like to repeat. Payment can be by PayPal or by credit card. If you want to use a credit card to pay for the class, please tell me in your application so that arrangements can be made to get your payment. Otherwise, please provide the email you use at PayPal to make billing you efficient. All fees must be paid within 48 hours of acceptance.
There is a new provision this year as well. Some folks are really interested in this process but are worried their schedules may not permit them to make the deadlines, or just don't feel they can get a blog ready right now.
I will accept three auditing students for the class this year. These students will be put into our virtual classroom at Facebook and be allowed to view all the class chapters or modules. They will be able to see all the feed and observe the process. They will not participate in the exercises and they will not be permitted to speak in class or ask questions in class. They will be completely silent. The charge to audit is 125.00. I am charging more because truly, this class is nothing without active participants. So if you are not going to participate fully, you will need to pay the 125.00 fee.
Starting Monday morning, November 14, 2016 you will send your application to me by email to bsue1441@aol.com
No Facebook messages or applying by phone, please. Just send to bsue1441@aol.com Thanks!
1. Name and PayPal email address for payment.
If you will be paying by credit card, let us know and we can work that out by phone when you are accepted.
2. Address
3. Phone number
4. Website if you have one (not mandatory to have a website!)
5. Blog URL (a URL being your blog's internet address)
6. Name of the photo editing program you use and assurance that you can use it to make a photo collage.
7. your theme for the challenge....ideas:
Will your line be a fashion line? Victorian, vintage, Art Deco, geometric, shapes, a certain color palette (I did Chocolate Frosting last year) Boho, Retro, Minimalist, Rockabilly, Steampunk etc are ideas
Will your line be a gift line? Dogs, cats, animals, jewelry for nurses, jewelry for teachers, Sister jewelry, BFF jewelry, charm jewelry, locket jewelry, chain jewelry etc,coffee, tea, wine jewelry.
Think outside the box and see what you come up with. It's great to make pretty, eye-catching jewelry, but when you do that and it has a theme/purpose as well it almost always sells better.
For help, explore some of the themes people are using in their Etsy shops!
This is a theme done last year by Erin Whitacre:
And a theme done by Marica Zammit:
Just a few of Marcia Tuzzolino's Bloomin' Tulips:
Hopefully those visuals get the ideas flowing.
I don't have this year's syllabus written yet, but you might like to review last year's. Just remember, this year we are only doing two blog hops and the curriculum will contain a few extra modules to consider, and be more refined.
Once you are accepted to the class...and I will let you know quickly! You will make your payment and then I will go ahead and place you in the Build a Line virtual classroom at Facebook. You will be able to use the time before class begins to scroll back through the feed from last year. That way you will get quite a look at how things move along. Also, the current modules are stored there in the FILES section. Some will be revised before we do them in class, but you can read ahead a little.
One point I must make about the modules in class: they are for your use ONLY, they may not be copied by link and shared elsewhere on the internet. The material is all copyrighted material. You may, however, print them out to put in your own personal journal.
AND! there's a BIG benefit to graduating from this class: Upon closure of each year's class, everyone who finishes the class work will be placed in a special ALUMNI group. This is a tiny group of folks who have already taken the class. Our discussions continue casually, there. And, all the modules are also housed at this group. Right now there are only about 77 members, but all have taken the class.
I'll be looking for your application on Monday, November 14, 2016!
