About Rena

© by Rena Klingenberg; all rights reserved

Who is this gal who never runs out of things to say about jewelry?

My name is Rena Klingenberg. I was born and raised in Arizona, then lived in New Mexico and Nebraska before settling where I am now in South Carolina.

Growing up in the American Southwest gave me an appreciation for both rocks and art. I've experimented with a lot of different art forms, but I've become hopelessly hooked on creating jewelry - primarily with gemstones, shells, unusual odds and ends, and precious metal wires. I've never met a stone I didn't love.

I've always needed to have a creative outlet. Although I enjoyed working in technical editing and publishing during the 1980s and early 1990s, I had a deep need to follow my own path.

Paua shell and 14k goldfill wire pendant by Rena Klingenberg

When I started my jewelry business, I tried every conceivable way of selling my work till I hit on the ways that worked best for me.

(You can read briefly about the evolution of my own jewelry business in my article, Experimenting and Evolving my Way to Jewelry Business Success at the bottom of my Jewelry Business Success News issue #8 - scroll to the bottom half of the newsletter to find it.)

That trial-and-error approach actually wound up giving me the experiences that are the basis for this Home Jewelry Business Success Tips website.

And by the way, are you wondering why I started this website? That's a story in itself - you can read my website success story to find out.

Once I decided to build this website, I wanted to make it a comprehensive business and marketing resource for jewelry artists.

In visiting various online jewelry making forums, I saw a lot of the same questions coming up over and over . . . How do you do a jewelry home party? How do you approach shops for consigning or wholesaling your jewelry? How do you find good shows? How can I get good photos of my jewelry? How do I start my jewelry business?

So I launched Home Jewelry Business Success Tips by publishing my first article here, Jewelry Home Party Success Tips, on October 31, 2003.

And I just kept on writing. I've also been pleased to be able to add some really great articles from a variety of interesting guest authors, to broaden this site's perspective. And I'm especially thrilled to add all the Jewelry Business Success Stories - the interviews with successful jewelry artists who are so generous in sharing with other artists.

In 2006 I achieved one of my lifelong dreams - I wrote and published my first book, Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry Booth.

That was an exciting and fulfilling moment for me.

Since then I've written a second jewelry business book, and am currently working on a third one!

My articles here and elsewhere on the web landed me another writing assignment - a monthly column and weekly tips for The Bead Bugle, the largest online beading magazine. I'm honored to be one of the Bead Bugle's regular contributors - and to have my articles right alongside Alice Korach's!

Now I'm also a guest columnist and blogger for over a dozen other ezines / websites / blogs, and I publish three additional jewelry business websites of my own:

• Jewelry Business Blog
  
• Jewelry Display Ideas
  
• Jewelry Books.

Readers often ask me how I'm selling my own jewelry these days. Now that I'm so busy writing and publishing, I've limited my jewelry sales to one jewelry shop, two annual art shows, and private showings to my established customers. I really enjoy keeping my jewelry business at this personal, direct-to-the-customer level, and it gives me plenty of ideas to keep writing about here!

In September 2005 I donated 14 inches of hair to Locks of Love, a fantastic organization that provides wigs for children with long-term medical hair loss. In June 2007 I donated another 10 inches (making a grand total of two feet of hair!)

Besides jewelry related activities, I love reading, walking, traveling, archery, volunteer work, going to all kinds of arts events, collecting too many rocks and crystals, and acoustic and ethereal music. I'm beginning to study Qigong (a form of energy healing similar to Tai Chi). Also I spend WAY too much time on my computer! :o)

I'm also a fan of voluntary simplicity. For me, that means consciously cutting back on material things and "life clutter" - and slowing down to savor and appreciate life, and help others.

I've chosen a road less travelled and, as Robert Frost said, "it has made all the difference in the world."

When I was a little girl, I always said I was going to be an author and an artist when I grew up - and I feel very fortunate to be able to say that now I'm living my dream.

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