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Welcome!

Recently I was interviewed by another jewelry artist, and one of things she asked me about was "encouragement".

I feel that encouraging others is an important part of life.

There are so many people and situations in everyday life that discourage us, make us insecure, and prevent us from following our dreams wholeheartedly.

So I think it's important for jewelry artists to hear what people love, appreciate or admire about their work, the progress they're making, etc.

Receiving a bit of sincere encouragement and knowing that others believe in you can make a big difference in what you achieve.

"If you can dream it, you can achieve it." - Walt Disney.

Encourage someone today! :o)

~ Rena

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In this Issue of
Jewelry Business Success News:

1. Quick Tip: Source for Jewelry Business Graphic Services



2. New Jewelry Business Ideas and Techniques:
   - 7 new jewelry business ideas
   - 1 new jewelry display / packaging idea
   - 6 new jewelry making inspirations
   - 10 new highlights from the handmade jewelry gallery



3. Your Profitable Jewelry Business:
   Applying Art Critique Techniques to Handmade Jewelry



4. Neat Jewelry-Related Website:
   Dori Csengeri's Embroidered Jewelry

Quick Tip:
Source for Jewelry Business
Graphic Services

Etsy.com can be a great place to shop for business graphic services such as:

• logo design


• banner design for your website / blog / online storefront


• business card design


• custom jewelry tag and earring card design


• custom sticker design


• custom stamp design


• ad design


• jewelry business postcard design


• . . . and more.

Just use the search box at the top of the Etsy home page to type in what sort of graphic service you're looking for, and you'll find a ton of graphic artists to choose from.

After all, who would understand your business needs better than a fellow artist?

There's a lot of design talent there that can help you achieve a cool, customized, and very professional look for your jewelry business.

Sell Your Jewelry Like Crazy
at Shows, Fairs, and Festivals
This Year

Discover hundreds of things you can do to sell more of your handmade jewelry at shows, in my book Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth.

Get this 176-page, step-by-step resource before your next show.

Thanks for Linking!

Near the bottom of every page on my websites is a box that says "Share This Page", which makes it easy for you to link to that page or share it around the Web.

Thank you - every link helps! :o)

New Jewelry Business
Ideas and Techniques
from My Websites and Blog:

Jewelry Business Ideas:

1. Customers with Bad Attitudes
   Have you experienced an upswing in rude customers? See Paula Hisel's story of a recent show.



2. I Met a Woman . . . and She Changed . . . .
   How a chance encounter with a stranger changed the way Pamela DeWeese designs jewelry.



3. Selling Through Third-Party e-Commerce Services
   Jamie Santellano shares how progress on her online storefront is hindered by her discomfort with charging adequate prices for her jewelry.



4. Other Activities for Bracelet Making Birthday Parties
   Share your ideas for Gina Rower, who's looking for additional games or activites to round out her bracelet birthday parties.



5. The Addiction
   Calling all jewelry supply addicts - you'll enjoy Rebecca Stone's journey through this delicious addiction!



6. Tarnished Earwires
   Do you have a tarnish removal (or prevention) tip for Veronica?



7. Art is Everywhere
   See the extraordinary bit of art that appeared unexpectedly at my breakfast table. By Rena Klingenberg.

Jewelry Display and Packaging Ideas:

1. Jewelry Travel Organizer
   An easy way to make a professional-looking portable jewelry display / organizer - perfect for showing and selling your work on the go. By Rena Klingenberg.

Jewelry Making Inspirations:

1. "Bead Tool" Design Software Fun
   See the incredible bracelet Dianne Culbertson-Jacques created, using a fun seed beading design program.



2. Pearls: From the Office to Happy Hour
   Michelle Buettner's trendy tips for wearing pearls.



3. "Save the Gulf" Ocean-Inspired Necklace
   How Shannon McMullen designed a necklace to raise awareness and a donation for the Gulf of Mexico cleanup efforts.



4. The Chardonnay
   Kim Souza shares how she created her clever "wine tasting" necklace design.



5. Sands of Time
   Long-time glass artist Patricia Tyser Carberry experiments with new techniques.



6. Spirals and Coils Pendant Necklace
   Zoraida's process of creating a fabulous new copper necklace.

Highlights from the Handmade Jewelry Gallery:

See many more wonderful new jewelry designs in the Handcrafted Jewelry Designers' Gallery! There are too many to list here - so these are just a few of the most unique new submissions:

1. Red Talon Necklace
   by Tanya.



2. Unique Wine Bottle Stopper - Disco
   by Julie Stevens.



3. Warm Hearts - First Mother's Day Earrings
   by Michelle Buettner.



4. Purple Haze Necklace
   by Jane Christie.



5. Pearls, Chains and Leather Necklace
   by Julie Stevens.



6. Sunset Earrings
   by Tracy Carothers.



7. Sodalite and Jasper Necklace
   by Renee Hartless.



8. Deep Mystery Necklace
   by Patricia Tyser Carberry.



9. Midnight Elegance Necklace
   by Susie Kronewitter.



10. Nouveau Maiden Necklace
    by Joan Williams.

Share Your Jewelry Content
and Get Great Exposure

I invite you to share your jewelry photos, tips, stories, tutorials, etc. - right here on my network of jewelry websites.

It's a friendly, creative atmosphere of ideas and networking.

You'll also receive links to your jewelry business, and gain exposure in the handmade jewelry community - and beyond.

Jewelry artists often tell me that the exposure they've received on my websites has brought them valuable new connections, opportunities, and traffic!

So come on in and take advantage of all these great opportunities for sharing:

Share Your Jewelry Content

(And of course, you always keep the copyright to all of your own content that you share on my network of jewelry websites.)

Sell Your Jewelry at Trunk Shows,
Private Showings,
and as Business Gifts

Learn how to sell your handmade jewelry to this HUGE untapped market, in my book Secrets of a Handcrafted Jewelry Shopping Service.

Get this 115-page, easy-to-read guide now, and make this your best jewelry selling year ever.

Your Profitable Jewelry Business:

Applying Art Critique Techniques
to Handmade Jewelry

by Rena Klingenberg

One of the most lasting learning experiences I had in college (ages ago!) came from a first-year art class with a really cool professor.

After each art assignment, our professor had all of the students display our completed assignment along one side of the room. Then, as a group, we critiqued the artworks one by one.

I learned so much about evaluating and appreciating art and design from these critique sessions.

And as the semester progressed, I began to use what I learned from the critiques as part of my planning and creation process.

I still incorporate it into my jewelry design process.

But I also automatically critique other handmade jewelry I see. It enhances my appreciation and enjoyment of the artist's work tremendously.

In art critique, there are no definite right or wrong answers. It's all about analyzing what the artist did, and being conscious of how you respond to the piece of art.

And of course, different people are likely to have different responses to the same piece.

Here's a simple process for critiquing a piece of jewelry art. Basically, you consider five different things:

1. The item's specifications (just the facts) -
   

   What type of jewelry (necklace, earrings, etc.) is it; what size or length; what style of findings (clasps, earwires, etc.); when was it created (contemporary or a vintage era); etc.



2. What materials and techniques the artist chose, and how he / she used them -
   

   Look at the elements of the piece individually (wire, metal, beads, focal element, cord, jump rings, findings, etc.). Why were these particular components and findings chosen? How well do they come together in this piece?



3. What design features the artist used, and why -
   

   Study the piece and notice how the design uses space, line, shape, form, size, texture, color, value (lightness / darkness), balance, repetition, harmony, contrasts, emphasis, proportion, etc. Why did the artist make those particular design choices? Which elements make the piece an effective (or ineffective) design?



4. What message, emotion, mood, or impact the piece conveys -
   

   What does it make you feel, think, remember? Why do you love it, not love it, or feel neutral about it? What would you have done differently? What is its message or impact? (It doesn't have to be an earth-shaking message; it may be simply something like "tranquility".)



5. How the photo of this piece affects the jewelry itself (for jewelry you're viewing online) -
   

   What does the photo communicate about the jewelry? How does it enhance (or not enhance) the piece? Why did the artist decide to "pose" the jewelry item that way? Why were the background and props chosen for this item? How does the photo affect the mood?

Critiquing a piece of jewelry makes you really look at it to decide what you see, and what it means to you.

I think it's a valuable tool for appreciating other artists' work - as well as making you approach your own designs more mindfully.

Neat Jewelry-Related Website

This week's neat site is Dori Csengeri's Embroidered Jewelry - truly incredible embroidery art to wear.

Dori creates unique hand-sewn jewelry collections that are mainly haute couture and refined ready-to-wear styles.

Her pieces are inset with artful cabochons, fine stones, crystals, bohemian beads, shell, wood or metal and leather-backed for comfort. Her colors and designs are absolutely eye-popping.

Sell Your Jewelry Online

Grow a solid base of online jewelry customers, using the step-by-step strategies you'll learn in my book Social Networking: Sell Your Jewelry Online the New Way.

Get this 192-page, step-by-step resource now, and start growing your customer base.

Network and Get Noticed
in the
Home Based Jeweler's Showcase

The Home Based Jeweler's Showcase blog is a free opportunity to promote your jewelry business and find other jewelry artists to network with.

It's published by Rita Juhlin of Private Stock Jewelry.

To add your jewelry business to the Showcase - please email Rita Juhlin, at HomeBasedJewelers @ gmail.com .

SURVEY:
How Can I Make This Newsletter
Better for You?

If you haven't yet responded to my quick survey, I welcome your input!

Please take the survey here to give me your suggestions and feedback so I can make this newsletter a better resource for you.

I grant as many wishes as possible! :o)

Thanks so much.

My Jewelry Business Websites
and RSS Feeds

This newsletter highlights some of the latest jewelry business tips and techniques from my websites:

Home Jewelry Business Success Tips

Jewelry Display Ideas

Making Jewelry Now

Jewelry Business Blog

Each of these sites also has its own RSS feed. Look for the orange RSS symbol on the left-hand column of each of these sites to get the feed.

Thanks so much for joining me
for this issue of
"Jewelry Business Success News"!

~ May your jewelry journey be fun and prosperous ~

Contact Rena