Fun and Funky Friday! Fun and Funky Jewelry Finds on Etsy!

Today I thought I'd browse some Etsy jewelry shops just to take a look at the competition and I found a few jewelry shops that are offering some fun stuff, so I thought I'd share them with you here.
     The first piece is a set of pretty awesome earrings that look like peacock feathers, but are actually hand stamped in translucent resin. Made by "Under Glass", they measure 3/8 in. wid and 2 3/8 in. long, from the top of the silver plated ear wire to the bottom of the slim modern oval. The colors are vibrant and the earrings are absolutely eye catching. As "Under Glass" puts it...they are for someone who struts their stuff. You can find these at http://www.underglass.etsy.com/  for $11.25 and from 4/28 - 5/1 Under Glass is having their anniversy sale 25%. See the shop for details.


     The 2nd piece I'm featuring today is called "Funky 23" by 3dots. 3dot says this necklace is especially for those who like unusual necklaces and it is unusual!  It measures 17 in. long with a 1.5 in. chain extension.  Due to the multiple levels of the wood pieces you can request length adjustments. The artist hand cuts, drills, sands, and polishes every piece. You can find this at http://www.3dots.etsy.com/ for $35.00


     The third piece is the "Soft Slouchy Suede Cuff Bracelet with Pewter Heart" by FineAndFunkyJewelry.  The wedgewood blue suede measures 8 in. from clasp to clasp, and the clasps close magneticly for an extra firm hold. The bracelet heart is 1in. pewter. All of FineAndFunkyJewelry designs are one of a kind. They don't repeat designs...each is an original. You can check this out at http://www.fineandfunkyjewelry.etsy.com/  and purchase it for $32.00


          My last piece is a complicated work of purple funky jewelry magic that should of been called something like "Purple Rain".  I admire the workmanship and the color and the passion repressented by all of it concentrated into one piece. To really appreciate the piece you have to see multiple views points, so I've included all 4 of the shots that the artist provided from the shop. The piece is called "Tendril" and sells for $60.00 at http://www.irisbeading.etsy.com/  Not only is the workmanship first rate, but the materials include sterling silver wire, amethyst beads, swarovski crystals, and amethyst chips.

Mother's Day Treasures: What I found On Sale at Etsy!

     Mother's Day is coming around again very quickly!! There are a lot of jewelry shops on Etsy having special Mother's Day Sales and I'm featuring a few of them here. These are a few of my favorite shops and my favorite pieces. I will be featuring the artists and the shops in future articles as well.
     "Taste of Summer Deep Turquoise Beach Glass Necklace" by BeachGlassMemories is aptly named. Just one look at it can send you down memory lane to long summer days spent on the beach. Perfect for Mother's Day. Originally $32.50  Now $ 25.95     http://www.beachglassmemories.etsy.com/
 

    
These earrings are titled "Bird earrings with dove and lilac swarovski crystal briolette in silver" by GojoDesign.  They're simple, yet beautiful. They were originally priced at $16.00 and are offered at 10% for Mother's Day via the coupon code on the shop site. http://www.gojodesign.etsy.com/


     This beautiful and unique necklace has been discounted incredibly for Mother's Day! It is a work of art, if it were mine, I'd rather look at it, then wear it. The "Paper Heart Necklace" by DafnaYaromDesign has been reduced 25%  from $72.00 to $54.00. http://www.dafnayaromdesign.etsy.com/


     The final Mother's Day Sale on Etsy I'm featuring here is an entire shop. It's Ms. Rios Originals. She's not on my favorites list, although I do like a lot of her work. Her work appeals to women looking for something elegant or something playful and to little girls. She has shop sections with the usual titles such as "earrings, necklaces, bracelets" and she has other shop sections titled "Girls Boutique", "Hello Kitty Collection", "The Elegance Collection", "Key Chains / Bag Chips", and "For Your Hair".  So whether you're simply shopping for your mother, mother-in-law, or if your shopping for a grandmother, or that special caretaker who played the all important role of  "Mom" throughout the years, you're likely to find something here.  Ms. Rios Originals prices were pretty decent to begin with, but thanks to the code she provides here, she offers an additional 30%  the Entire Shop!!

30% Off Entire Shop With Code: MOTHERSDAY201130OFF    http://www.msriosoriginals.etsy.com/

Happy Shopping!!!  Don't forget to look up my shop - http://www.funwear.etsy.com/ if you find something you like, convo me and mention this blog and I'll give you free shipping!!

  

Hemp History Week is Coming! Be Ready.....Funwear has plenty of Hemp Jewelry on Sale Now!

Hemp History Week   May 2nd - 8th,  2011

Hemp...what is it?  Well, it's not "pot", the kind of weed that's smoked, although you may hear that called "hemp" sometimes too. The hemp being celebrated during hemp week is the distinct oilseed and fiber varieties of the plant species Cannabis sativa L It provides food and fiber that leads to products such as plastics, body care, textiles, building materials, and ethanols, without the added fear of the side of affect of THC if ingested or smoked. In fact, it has very little or no THC in it and no psyco-active effects.

Hemp is becoming more and more important as a sustainable fiber in today's focus on global warming and the green movement. A increasing number of countries are recognizing its value and growing more hemp than traditional crops such as corn or soy beans.  Traditional farmers are reaper less than $50 an acre from their crops like corn and soy, unlike Canadian farmers who are reaping from $200 to $400 per acre from Hemp. The purpose of Hemp History Week is attention to the lack of threat Cannabis sativa L. raises to the American population and to start a grass root movement to allow American farmer to grow it in America. Unfairly, today, American farmers are prohibited from growing it, so they cannot compete with farmer in other countries. American manufacturers of Hemp products make a combined $400 million and the American farmer is restricted from participating in producing the hemp they need. What a shame!

To show you support for Hemp History Week and the Right for American Farmers to grow Hemp buy Hemp Jewelry and Wear More Hemp!!!
Here are some Hemp Bracelets from Funwear on Etsy:

http://www.funwear.etsy.com/

To read more about Hemp History Week and all of the events around the country that are involved in the support and promotion of this cause go to http://www.hemphistoryweek.com/

Those Fun & Fabulous Pandora Style Charm Bracelets

     Charm bracelets have always been a favorite of mine. I've always been fascinated with the thought of putting together a bracelet of charms that are meaningful to me or to someone else. I'm really enjoying the Pandora style beads and charms that have become popular lately. I'm not a die hard Pandor purist though. I recently visited a Pandora store to check or their prices and had to take a few deep breaths and ask myself, "Do I need gold and pure silver beads and charms to enjoy the same kind of bracelet?" My answer was a definite, "No!" As a jewelry designer and maker, I have access to wholesalers and I know what kind of prices are availble out there. The same kind of bracelets, with the same kind of charm and appeal can be created for a fraction of the price! So there's no buying one bead, such as the purple Pandora murano glass bead for $40 for me! The Pandora snake chain bracelets are $50 & $65 each, and that's before the beads and charms have been added! By the time you purchase the beads and charms the bracelet could easily have cost upwards to $300 - $400! That's not for me! And I hope its not for you! My fully finished custom-made Pandora style charm bracelets are $50. My beginner custom-made Pandora-style charm bracelets are $25. That is a fraction of the price that Pandora charges for a single bead and bracelet. I'll go for the silver plated bracelets that are much more affordable. Nobody really notices whether they are pure silver or white gold, etc and, unless you're into bragging about who made it or what brand it is, those who do notice your bracelet, notice the colors of the beads and the design of the charms.
     Here's my Green and Black Pandora Style Charm Bracelet: It's for sale in my Etsy shop at: http://www.funwear.etsy.com/

There's also a playful Red & Yellow Pandora Style Charm Bracelet at my shop on Etsy. Take a look at it here:

The great thing about charm bracelets is that they're customizable. I offer customized charm bracelets on my site. You can describe the bead colors and charms you'd like me to look for and I'll do the research on wholesale sites and any other sites necessary to try to meet your requirements. Some people just want a beginner bracelet. The first 3 or 4 beads / charms on the snake chain to set the tone and that's it. If you just want a "beginner", then convo me or email me at my Etsy shop for the $25 "beginner" custom charm bracelet price.
Coming Soon: Pictures of my most recent Custom Charm Bracelet!!

  

Selling Jewelry on Etsy and on the Internet!

     I'm finally getting around to writing my first post on this blog! I've been working on 3 other sites as well as making jewelry and getting to know Blogger, so I'm giving myself a pass this time.  From now on, though, its "nose to the grindstone" for me.

.....So Welcome to Funwear on Etsy!  This is where I get to shop Etsy and other artsy websites and discuss what's out there in terms of jewelry that sparks an interest and stands out for its uniqueness and edginess! I also get to dissect shops and websites to determine what's working for people in terms of sales and what's not working for them. Hopefully, I'll learn something along the way and will pass on a little of that knowledge as I go.
       My first love is modern industrial art and furniture as long as it retains its warmth and doesn't go too cold or "George Jetson" on me! Some people have a knack for creating that kind of special jewelry that speaks to me like that and I'm always looking for those artists. I'd like to learn from them: how they create their items, what inspires them, how they market their products, and how they define success. Of course, I'd also like to buy from them, if I find that special piece of jewelry that I can't do without.
     I'll also investigate unique and interesting traditional jewelry artists - I do enjoy traditional art and appreicate the foundation it provided in my upbringing. I invite all of my readers to comment and to suggest sites they find interesting as well!

http://www.polestar.etsy.com/
     The artist featured for my first post is Jennifer Heflebower Cowgill.  She's a young mother of two, who creates jewelry after a long day of mommy duty, and still manages to create some really beautiful and earthy jewelry. She also manages to sell it effectively on Etsy which, I'm learning, is no small feat. She opened her Etsy shop in September of 2008 and since then she has sold 3617 items. That's on her Polestar Etsy shop alone! She has other Etsy shops that specialize in other types of jewelry and may have other venues to sell from too. She is currently offering 320 items for sale, ranging in price from $12.00, to $138.40.
     Having a variety of items with a range of prices is one of her secrets.  For example, she sells a lot of earrings that may have similar weights, sizes, etc., but due to the differences in materials they were made from,  their prices can range from $17.00 to $104.00, with a lot of variety in between.
     She made sure she had an effective banner. If you're like me, you're thinking "as soon as I recoup some of my investment I'll pay someone to make a better banner for me". But really, what comes first, the paying customer or the banner?  Will the banner bring the customer or will the customer bring the banner?  Truthfully, I think I need to break down and invest in the banner, especially if I'm serious about this as a business.
     She determined who her target market would be. If you look at Polestar, you'll notice that her jewelry is elegant and her target market is probably women who can afford to pay a median range of $70.00 for a piece of jewelry. That usually means a working woman with some discretionary income available to spend or a man who buys for his wife (or woman). The more jewelry I make and list on Etsy, the more I realize I need to determine who my target market is for my shop. If I'm making jewelry that appeals mainly to teens and then I make jewelry that appeals mainly to retired adults, I'll need to open separate shops so that I can market to these shops separately. From all of the forum posts I've read by successful Etsy sellers, this separate focused shop style of selling works best on Etsy. I want to stress "successful" Etsy sellers, because I've seen a lot of sellers on the forums chime in and say that they mix their different items and use the sections to solve any problems with separating subject areas for customers without a problem, but when I viewed their sales, they were minimal compared to the sellers who stated that the best way was to create separate shops.
     There's a lot to learn from Jennifer Heflebower Cowgill and I'll be using her as a featured artist and her site as an example to study again in the future. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think and while your at Etsy check out my shop at http://www.funwear.etsy.com/ too!!






























































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