Any who would like to advertise the Build a Line challenge for us on their blogs and Facebook pages are warmly invited to do so---and greatly thanked as well!
The first blog hop commences Jan 23 with all the members---57 of them! introducing themselves and revealing their project themes! Please follow us and leave them a comment!
Subsequent hops from this special master class are February 20 and March 20.
By now it's not news to any of you that the Build A Line applications have all been received and those who will participate, accepted.
Yesterday we worked very hard on getting the LIST of participants' blogs and URLS (internet addresses) in order so that it would click through and work.
Still some feel a little tentative, as they have not done a blog hop before....and they know that the post dates of Jan 23, Feb 20, and March 20 are critical.
I'm taking a minute today roll it out to you 1. 2. 3. on what to do for blog hop posts.
FIRST: Chose your TITLE. For this hop, put your name (Marcia, since you are first on the list, I'll use yours) and post your title this way:
Build A Line Challenge from B'sue Boutiques, Marcia Tuzzolino of Aurora Designs, Part One
It's important to put Build A Line Challenge from B'sue Boutiques for the search engines. This links back to me, thanks.
It is equally important to put your name and your blog name in the title for SEO. This links back to you....don't forget to do it!
THEN....Let's put Part One on there so people know, hey! there will be more!
Begin with a photo....okay, I'll go grab something....It's not for the challenge, just a photo to show you format.
Under my first opening photo, which should be an eye grabber (this was a gift muse that grabbed a lot of attention!), something that makes someone want to go on and keep reading, I need to write an important paragraph that uses the keywords in my title, which would be :
Build a Line
B'sue Boutiques
Marcia Tuzzolino
Aurora Designs
So here I go:
I'm Marcia Tuzzolino of Aurora Designs, and so glad to be here with you for the first installation of the Build a Line Challenge from B'sue Boutiques. This is part one of the Build a Line series of blog hops, where I will tell you a bit about myself and my background, and why I decided to be part of this challenge. The challenge is really a master class of sorts, and will span three months and there will be three hops, total. We have 58 participants. All of us will be working hard to create a cohesive line of jewelry and pull our look and thought process together. At the end, we will reveal a complete line of jewelry with a minimum of five pieces all in our chosen style.
HERE you will talk about yourself, background, and even show some of your best pieces. I believe the piece below is one of Marcia's first assemblage pieces...
ANYWAY....go down memory lane a little bit, show 'em some stuff, what you hae done in the past, people LOVE pix.
SHOW THEM YOU! in your workshop, working. Have someone take a photo. It doesn't matter if it or you is a mess, no one cares. They are probably artists too and just want to see:
If your pets help you in your work the way Meepie used to help me, or like Toby helps Pam, show them!
Don't tell your life story, but do let them into your thought process and into your life a bit!
THEN! WHAT EVERYONE CAME FOR:
TELL THEM WHAT YOU CHOSE TO DO for the class!
Give 'em with what they came for! Reveal your theme and why you chose it (again, don't get too long or too technical---there are 58 people in this hop, don't cross their eyes and make them go away!) Show them as many pix as you have of what you have done so far, even if it's just components you are going to use. If you have a partially completed piece that's great. If you have a FULLY completed piece, super, show it.
DO NOT SHOW THEM EVERYTHING until the March 20 hop, even if you went ahead and made up your whole line already. Honestly, if you have.....you may end up rethinking it. This is not just show and tell, guys.....we're gonna be in a class together. I'm going to talk about my process and share my memories, answer questions about how it worked for me, and how I think it will work for you. We're going to be having a BUNCH of mutual discussion. You COULD get re-routed. That's what is so cool about this!
So......
Journal about it, search your hard drive for just the right pictures for your first post, make an outline. That way you can be sure that you cover everything you wanted to say....and then EDIT, so it doesn't get too long. LOT OF PHOTOS.
LASTLY the most critical part! The LIST of participants for the blog.
You should ABSOLUTELY without fail test this list long before the hop. Make sure it will copy/paste into your blog format correctly and that the links will all be clickable.
Also, if you don't put the list at the end of your post, the hop probably will stop for many, with you. Most people will go away and will not continue to hop. It's critical not to forget the list.
ONE LAST TIP: POST VERY EARLY IN THE DAY. It's no good to wait til you come home from work that night and do it. Better if you did it the night before and scheduled it, or got up very early in the morning and did it. People tend to look at hops on their tablets and laptops with morning coffee. You could even post it very late at night the night BEFORE.
We will all be starting like this for the Build a Line Challenge!
But you should all expect great things from our 57 participants.
Wouldn't you love to know who they are? WELL......Let me introduce you!
The list with active links is posted below.
By all means, feel free to check out their blogs and get to know them. Many have been writing about the challenge as well as lots of other things.
BE SURE to check out TAMMY ADAMS' blog PAISLEY LIZARD blog link.
Tammy has written a THREE PART SERIES on how to develop a great blog!
Blogging is so important, and blog hops are great promo. People naturally get a little nervous when they participate, as they want to follow all the rules correctly.
If you see any issues with our list, leave no comments here please. I would love to hear from you at [email protected] or you may message me at Brenda Sue Lansdowne at Facebook.
The first hop is one week from today, January 23, 2015! BE SURE TO JOIN US!
Sometimes you make stuff and it just lays around. These are three pieces I made that just didn't quite reach out and scream, BUY ME!
What to do? Should I simply let them languish.....or should I re-think them and re-do them?
Well, let's go with common sense! It's time to put on thinking caps and DO SOMETHING...
Which is exactly what we are doing at the Creative Group for the rest of January and for the whole month of February! Our challenge is New Year/New Look. Re-make your own work!
What would YOU do with this necklace?
It has a nifty focal, but it's just LOST on that long chain. I think it might be better as a baubly centerpiece in the middle of a flash and trash sinker piece, maybe only 20-22 inches long, closer to the face, full.
I COULD use that chain to do that, too. If I did, I'd probably have enough left to make another charm bracelet. This wonderful bead and link chain from B'sue Boutiques is just one of my all time favorites!
Then what about this cool floral pendant?
Probably not a stroke of genius to just throw it on this ball chain and let it go at that. It would be amazing on a gypsy-beaded neckline with eye-popping colors! Hey, I could use some Spectra Beads They would be perfect.
Well, I like the way I composed the motif, but I put in on a purse pull and slung it on some ball chain. Nothing wrong with that! But I've had it over two years and no one has purchased it, so I think it's time to take it apart and let it become something....or! some THINGS, else!
I'm not gonna be able to get to just now, though. As you know, the Build a Line Challenge has BEGUN!
Last Thursday I read applications and typed responses for eleven hours straight! Finally til Tuesday we filled up to FIFTY NINE APPLICANTS. I had hoped for 60, but we came very, very close. Many wanted to participate but the timing was wrong for them. Those who did reach out for the opportunity understand that they have the responsibility of working out three blog hops and carrying through on the entire project...
And they are STOKED!
I am thrilled. This week I got them all into their 'classroom' and we are working out their questions about blogging, being in a blog hop, and what is required for the first hop.
SO, upshot is....I haven't time to do the re-do on these three pieces for the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group any time soon!
And I'm throwing in those three necklaces. If YOU win them, I would love to see what you did with them.
January is the month for new beginnings.
For artists of any kind, it's the time to think back to what's been done and figure out ways to make it BETTER. For our pals at the Creative Group there is the challenge to brighten up, straighten up, rethink their Etsy shops, show inventory, etc....and make it talk! .... when perhaps, it was only whispering.
What can you do with YOUR unsold inventory? Well, perhaps you need an infusion of some new inspirational material! YOU could win this large giveaway....all you need is a 35.00 order at B'sue Boutiques this week to qualify for the drawing.
The drawing takes place on Sunday afternoons around 3 pm or a little later (Ohio time). Even if you don't win, you DO win, because working on a project like this re-routes old thinking and unearths creative discovery.
And that qualifying order from our place might contain JUST the right stuff for you to pull your work together....and get it SOLD!
Come on over.....through Friday at midnight, January 16, our FIVEBUCKS coupon which you can use to get 5.00 off an order of 50.00....
BECOMES TEN DOLLARS! Be sure to enter that code into the coupon box if you have a 50.00 order!
Sign up dates for this challenge are January 8 through 12, 2015.
You will send your 'application' to [email protected] with the words Application for Build a Line in the subject line. Don't use all caps, email programs view all caps as spam and I might not see your email!
The application is not a form, no worries.
To submit an application and be accepted to participate, you must be a member of the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group at Facebook.
You also must have a working blog, and be able to take photos to post on your blog.
You will also need to use visible findings from the B'sue Boutiques in your project. Things like headpins and jumprings purchased from us are not visible findings.
Please send NO PHOTOS with your application.
SEND, in this order:
NAME
BLOG NAME
BLOG URL
a brief, up to three paragraph description of what you are going to do for the challenge. Be very specific as I don't want a lot of cross over (same themes) in the challenge. Have an alternate in mind, in case someone has chosen your theme or idea already.
I will accept participants who qualify by being group members, bloggers, and users of our findings in the order of receipt of your emails. Please apply sooner than later to be sure to get the best chance at the theme or idea you have chosen.
I will respond to your request to participate within 24 hours. Only if I need more clarification will I request photos.
REMEMBER: don't discuss your project idea with anyone else til the first blog hop comes out, which is Jan. 23
There are three hops:
Jan 23
Feb 20
March 20
I will have LOTS more info as we go along!
JUMP IN, don't hesitate. THIS IS NOT ABOUT COMPETING! it's about YOU, your progress, your growth.
There are many reasons why people buy jewelry. Some of it goes to your hard work in producing a quality piece.
Sometimes it goes to style or kitsch. I've found my beerings always make people smile:
Sometimes it goes to a theme that suggests a gift that the buyer needs to purchase. This necklace has a tea theme.
Perhaps the giftee is a big fan of tea, so there you go, the deal is made, they'll LOVE this necklace!
Some of us sell at shows and find that our customers come back to find us year after year, because they love what we do. If we're smart, we've built an online presence to go with that, because those same people may wish to come back to us through the year and buy more gifts and things they'd like to have.
I'd suggest, however, that you need more customers than that. There are tons of social media methods you can employ to find them. One, however, that's so oft overlooked! is crafting a nifty blog and then, participating in blog hops.
Participating in hops is a great way to get your name out there and build your brand, meet new people, network and FIND NEW CUSTOMERS who want to get to know you.
A blog hop has a theme. All those who sign up for the hop will be making jewelry in that theme. One of the most popular blog hops of all is Lori Anderson's Bead Soup! It's so popular that a book has even been written about it!
There is a date for the hop, just like any event. Be sure to post your entry EARLY IN THE DAY, as early as possible. Lots of people follow hops (potential new customers!) and they may like to do it with their morning coffee. So don't be late and miss the opportunity to introduce yourself to them.
Begin your post with a photo to capture and keep their attention!
Stick to the subject and share at least three photos, more if possible. One of you in your workshop is always a great idea!
BE CERTAIN that you do not forget to post the list of participants and their blog links provided to you by the hop organizer. You'll do that at the very end of the post.
If you forget to do that, the hop stops with you as no one knows where to go next unless they go back to the person before you. This is annoying, and sometimes people have a short attention span and just move on to something else.
You wouldn't want that to happen!
For the Build A Line Challenge at the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group, we will have three hops, all Fridays:
Jan 23
Feb 20
Final reveal March 20
Mark your calendars, whether you are participating or not! You're gonna want to follow this challenge closely.
There is more to be said and I think my creative pal, Tammy Adams of Paisley Lizard said it extremely well in *her* recent blog post.....
The piece is something that speaks to the buyer. Who would be the buyer of this brooch? What does this piece 'say'?
The buyer might be somebody that just loooooves our Silverware Silverplated Brass and a kitschy, vintage look. Silverware is just too-too rich, nothing like it. And as for kitsch, well, I'm a sucker for kitsch ANY time.
OR: somebody who loves the French language, and LOVE. As of couse, AMOUR is love in French. So there's a little sophistication there for you, besides that LUSH-US silverware plating.
Or: someone who loves artistic, handmade things and LOOKS for meaning in a piece, whether that be sculpture, a painting, OR! a piece of jewelry. THAT person might say, hmmm, there's a telephone, she's in love and wishes he would call her, because she'll never stop loving him. (There's an I'll Never Stop Loving You Charm in there, too....and a heart dangle.)
When people started getting knee deep in making assemblage brooches and jewelry hmmm, maybe 30-35 years ago...that was when Wendy Gell hit it big with her art jewelry and set the world on fire with a whole new American pop look.....they would sometimes name their jewelry compositions. Some still do. Just like painters name paintings.
I always think of song titles, LOL Actually, I never named my pieces but MAYBE that's an angle for you. Naming a composition may bring understanding to the potential buyer, resonate with them somehow.
On the other hand, maybe not. Think of Eric Clapton's composition, Layla. Pretty name, very cool song, and just like this brooch it had a lot of facets: screaming guitar motifs, pleading lyrics and a haunting, pensive piano solo. But Layla, well, who was that?
(Actually I'll digress and rid you of the suspense. Layla was a character in classic Persian literature, a story of unrequited love. Clapton evidently had a strong dose of that when the song was written. At the time, he was in love with George Harrison's wife and muse, Patty Boyd. The song was written for her, and the rest is history.)
Anyway, returning to the original thought, naming your compositions may work and may not. SO, I'd say give folks some kitsch, something pretty, something to smile about, something to ruminate over, lots of texture and detail, something that looks like YOUR style and says YOU....while speaking somehow to THEM.
I know, you're scratching your head now. I'm sorry!
It's really not that hard. More specifics:
These are the parts needed (or ones similar) to build the best-selling brooch from my 1990's line of gift jewelry.
Its stock number was PN-38. Back then, if you were a shopkeep and you bought twelve assorted, you'd would get a 13th from me, for free.
They all had the same basic shape, but it was a shape unique to our line; it was also very, very, B'sue. Nobody had brooches in this shape or made JUST this way.
To this day I find I still favor an inverted V pattern!
We made literally thousands of them and they all came on a special card ready for sale. I did not sign any of them. We made every incarnation of this style brooch you could imagine, many of which were suggested to me by my shopkeeper customers.
We had Mom, Grandma, Sister, Friend, Friends Forever, Special Friend, Secret Sister, Secret Pal, Aunt.....and others. When they were made up, they would look something like this:
The gimmick was that I would engrave the heart with the sentiments above, in script, with a Dremel engraver.
I have not made one in at least 15 years. And I must say, this one's an upgrade. I was tickled to find that I could still make one in about fifteen minutes and not make a mess. Just a couple glue strings on the front and a little gob on the back that will be easy to get rid of.
Here is the back:
I WILL sign this one....I might even engrave the front, yet. It's not too late.
Back in the day when we made 'em like cookies on a sheet, I engraved all the hearts first on raw brass that had been shined up on a big old jeweler's buffing machine. We used tripoli and the brass would just glow. It would also add a little antiquing to the details in the heart.
I would stand there and engrave them until my eyes were crossed and my right hand was numb. Then my shop assistant, Rachel, would take them and paint them down with black acrylic paint, and then buff them out again so that the writing would show. I had to use just the right pressure and as steady a hand as I could muster.
The hardest part about this line was that it was not easy to teach placement. It's not like my You Tube videos
Here she is with that deer-in-the-headlights look....
Or maybe it's time for a nap?
ANYWAY, again I digress....say! This is gonna be a FUN challenge!
ABOUT REPRODUCING THINGS FOR A LINE OF JEWELRY:
When you take time for my video classes, you get ideas, you go off and decide to try it or come to the website or go rummage through whatever stuff YOU have lying about and just have a little fun. You're not out to copy the item verbatim (well, I hope not!) You watched what I did, and I just gave you a new idea.
For my artisan helpers, there were no new ideas. WE WERE PRODUCING A LINE. Shops knew it was handmade and there would be a bit of variance....but the brooches needed to be a basic size and have a basic look.
In other words, they ALL needed to look like *I* made them.
In this case, NOT easily done.
There were so many other themes, too.....typical ones like Teacher, Nurse, Hairdresser, even ones with peoples' names on them. Then we had ones for square dancing and quilters, and even babysitters. Each brooch had different little trinkets that had to go on top to co-ordinate with the engraving.
So everyone had to learn what trinkets each brooch 'took'. They also needed excellent glue technique, and that could be a real problem! I can remember being MIGHTY steamed having to clean up work that was not up to par on orders that were already late shipping out....arghh! They also required a good lacquer finish.
We used to use a lacquer on the line called TREASURE CRYSTAL COTE. I used to call it LAK and when I began to sell stuff (parts, tools, etc) online, I sold it too. I don't even know if they still make it. It made the pieces pop but it was not good for my health, and I was the one that ended up doing a lot of the finish work. So glad that there are better ways to do things, these days. There is no lacquer on the one I just made today, and there won't be, either.
I hardly ever use a paint on lacquer anymore unless I am doing resin. Resin would not be good choice for a delicate piece like this, with a lot of bits and pieces. If truly necessary, I'd use a little Jewelry Shield or possibly Swellegant Clear Cote.....we sell both at B'sue Boutiques
A LITTLE NOTE: if you are lacquering over plating, and this piece is NOT raw, it's brass ox....do NOT use Diamond Glaze, DG and brass ox don't jive chemically. You can get this strange blue run off that SOMETIMES I actually like but you gotta know what it's gonna do and plan for it. So just don't do it, don't go there, stay away from Diamond Glaze over brass ox plating, okay?
Here is one last example of how you might get attention with a line and have it be uniquely yours. I made this bracelet today with some of my little rhinestone owls and one of those wonderful double-hook adjustable wire bracelet forms:
Okay so yeah, we do have a little something extra going on.....we have some crystal chain swag and dangle, it's not just charms or beads on a wire bracelet thingy.
Still.....if I wanted to get really personal, and I did:
Not ONLY do I have BLING (very good) OWLS (owls are HOT as charms and jewelry motifs right now) and mixed metals! but now, I have a hand-engraved messsage that talks back to the owls. AND it says B'sue because this looks like something I'd make.
There are never any guarantees when you design or build a line, but there are a bunch of reasons to buy this bracelet. The more reasons you give them....
The more your line works.
"Gimme one reason to stay here, and I'll turn right back around...."
What would you think about making a line of cameo collage jewelry?
Well I have been thinking about it. Just thinking.
As a point of guidance, since many have been writing me to ask me what I thought about their ideas (and I don't like to say TOO much as I would like what they decide to come from THEM).....something you have to think about is:
Can I create this to sell inside an impulse pricepoint?
An impulse price point is generally 10-45.00. Being honest, even if I sell my assemblage work on the low end of things, there is no way I would want to do a whole line of work like this and let it go for 45.00.
So while you don't HAVE to come up with something for your line that's at a impulse price point, you do need to realize that unless you have a ready clientele for work like this or live in an area where there is a great deal of disposable income, these are pieces that would
POSITIVES:
a---attract MANY people
b---get a lot of attention
c---really dress up a selling booth or website
NEGATIVES
d--require more work from you to sell
e--require time to make
f--in the event that you were to wholesale them, you'd need just the right boutique. Honestly, pieces like these in areas where there is money, or in a gallery or upscale boutique should go for 135-195.00
In actuality, most people can really only afford to pay what I have on them, so you could not wholesale them. (Shopkeeps want to pay half)
g--would be difficult to reproduce exactly.
Does that mean you should not make them? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
It means that either you better make a whole lot of them so that people are simply overcome by beauty and tell all their friends about you...
Or you make some over the top ones and dumb the rest down. Meaning not that they are dumb, but that you streamline them and take about 1/2 to 2/3 of the work out of them by finding a way to make them that requires less investment in time and components.
A line of this work might be an interesting experiment, but you'd need, I'd think to make 3-5 of each design in different colors. Each piece would only be one part of your five pieces for the line. So you would need some repeats in colors, and then three more go-with items.
What's good about cameos is that they are personal to people. Cameos are classic. So if you do something with cameos, think hard about theme. Some may opt to do cats only. Maybe only dogs. Maybe only horses or pretty ladies.
I might do them all if I took this on, each theme, several pieces, different colorways.
But they wouldn't sell as well as something that had a cool gimmick, was less fussy, smaller, and about 25-30.00.
As for your artist's heart, though, if you like busy assemblage, that might be a real big challenge for you to meet.
Think about how you might do that.....I think *I* know....but you gotta figure it out.
Silverware Silverplate is, long story short, the finest silver finish you can purchase anywhere.
It's 99.9% pure fine silver, mellow, rich, looks like old silver, like Grandma's best silver service.
This week, our giveaway is for a fabulous gift muse of ALL SILVERWARE product plus two feet of my fave bead and link chain which looks so rich and is an amazing go-with, also a handful of so lovely big hole beads set with crystals in jewel tones. The stampings alone are worth over 150.00. AND....there's something rare in there.....a silverware scalloped edge spoon finding, which is what I used to make the necklaces above.
I almost never have them for sale in silverware.
Here are some photos of the prize:
EVERYTHING in the photos will become the winner's.
TO WIN:
Log an order at B'sue Boutiques in the amount of 35.00 and when you place the order, ask for SILVERWARE GOODY. Be sure to ask for that SILVERWARE GOODY! because the shippers need to see that you asked so they'll send it. The little packets contain 5-7.00' worth of silverware charms and accent pieces....FREE!
This order will enter you into the drawing for the big silverware muse. The drawing will occur by random number generator on this SUNDAY, December 14, 2014 at 3 pm. ALL ORDERS MADE UP UNTIL THAT TIME that qualify, will be entered.
Do you receive the newsletter? We have new giveaways nearly every week as well as many other perks, but you may only know about them if you get the newsletter or are in the Creative group.
TO SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: Just go to the homepage at B'sue Boutiques and scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for the sign up box. Just enter your email and click through to get on. If in time you find you aren't reading them, you can easily opt out, I won't be offended. Some folks like email newsletters, some don't. But our Sunday newsletters not only show some inspiring work, they get you first dibs on giveaways and perks!
I'm looking forward to Sunday to see who wins this special prize!
Thanks to the talents of Tammy Adams of Paisley Lizard Designs (find her at Facebook, here: Paisley Lizard Designs ) we brainstormed the idea after some discussion at the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group yesterday.
Soon we will have code and everything you need to insert this on your FB pages, on your blogs, websites, wherever you think you've got a place where you can put it. The more who use the badge, the more advertising we get for the challenge/class/event.
When someone clicks on it, it will go back to a blog post best telling about the event.
Here is the code you may need to mount it on your website. If you previously loaded it from a Facebook post you may need to re-do it as we missed a line and it didn't click back to a post describing the challenge.
