And the winner of the sterling silver artisan pendant is:
Jessica J.
Jessica.. Please contact me using my contact form and send me your mailing address.
Congratulations!
and thank you very much to everyone that entered!
Don’t miss a single post.
Follow this blog: Click here
Want to receive the latest Simply Shiny post via email? Click here
Want to be notified of subscriber only sales and other special events from ShinyAdornments? Sign up for my newsletter.
This is just the goofiest cat, ever!
Look for the Friday Funny every week.
Don’t miss a single post.
Follow this blog: Click here
Want to receive the latest Simply Shiny post via email? Click here
Want to be notified of subscriber only sales and other special events from ShinyAdornments? Sign up for my newsletter.
Shiny Spotlight Thursday
There are some really talented artists, designers and creators that sell their handmade items on Artfire and etsy. I thought it might be nice to highlight some of the things that caught my eye this week while browsing.
Clicking on each image will link you to the seller of each item, if you decide you simply must purchase it.
If you haven’t opened an account on etsy to purchase handmade items, you really should. Also, if you haven’t checked out Artfire in a while, you can find some really unique gifts on the site. Artfire doesn’t require you to open an account to purchase handmade goods. Easy peasy.
This week’s selections are handmade and inspired by music.
Enjoy!
Musical Table Sculpture by Diva Art 69
Blondie: Record Album Purse by Brinda Kay Designs
Bird Spinning Vinyl II by Barking Bird Art
Rockabilly Record Bowl by Eye Pop Art
Happy Shopping everyone!
Look for the Shiny Spotlight every Thursday.
Don’t miss a single post.
Follow this blog: Click here
Want to receive the latest Simply Shiny post via email? Click here
Want to be notified of subscriber only sales and other special events from ShinyAdornments? Sign up for my newsletter.
Probably the most enjoyable part of making jewelry, apart from hammering the crap out of whatever metal I want to use (LOL) is deciding what to make. When I first started putting pieces together, I’d sit at my bench staring at the stones or glass and trying to imagine their outcome. I didn’t write much down, including the component sizes, wire gauges, etc. Not very efficient, although still satisfying, once the item was completed.
Now, I find one of the steps I enjoy the most is visualizing my ideas and then sketching them. I don’t draw well by any stretch of the imagination, but I like committing ideas to pen and paper. I’ve got a notebook FULL of sketches. Some are completed items, while some are just representations of a mood or color or something that inspired me.
There are two rather large benefits for me in utilizing a sketch in my process.
One, a written rendition of the finished component allows me to better reign in sizing. I am HORRIBLE at estimating how much wire I’ll need, or what the size of the finished product will be. Actually incorporating the stone into my drawing gives me a really good idea of what components work, or what don’t, as well.
Two, I can determine if the image in my head is possible in reality. You know what I mean, right? You have this brilliant conceptual idea, but, once you try to achieve it, turns out to be completely impractical. I figure that if I can’t draw it, I probably can’t make it either. Although, that may have everything to do with my drawing skills and not the probability of a successful outcome. LOL
Here are a couple images of some of the cabs I’ve got ideas for that are sitting, waiting patiently, on my bench. I’ve started keeping the sketch right in with the cab in their own plastic storage bags. I store everything in the plastic storage containers I blogged about yesterday.
One day, when I win the Powerball and have unlimited free time, I may actually finish all the jewelry projects sitting on my work bench. And when that day comes, boy will I be organized and ready. HA!
Do you sketch your designs? Where do you keep them?
Don’t miss a single post.
Follow this blog: Click here
Follow via email: Click here
Want to be notified of subscriber only sales and other special events from ShinyAdornments? Sign up for my newsletter
I’ve been hoarding beads again. Well, not just any beads, but cabochons. Lots and lots of them. You may not be able to see in the images below, but they are slowly taking over my work bench. Lovely hubby made a trip to the local WalMart and brought home this stack of organizers for me. What a great guy, huh?
Ah, but it gets better. So what do you do with those myriad plastic organizers you ask? Well, if you have a wonderfully handy hubby as I do, you convince him to put up more shelves to store all your lovely tackle box bead holders.
The metal shelving is new. One side for beads, the other for all my mailing supplies. Seems to be workig much better than all over my work bench.
The work space organization never ends does it? I’ve blogged about it before too. You can see that post here: http://shinyadornments.com/wordpress/?p=157
What does your work space look like? I’d love to see your bench and work room photos….
Don’t miss a single post.
Follow this blog: Click here
Want to receive the latest Simply Shiny post via email? Click here
Want to be notified of subscriber only sales and other special events from ShinyAdornments? Sign up for my newsletter.
In a previous post, I provided a list of selling venues for artists, artisans and artisan crafters. This week I’m profiling another of those sites on my blog.
What is the site name and where can artisan sellers find you?
Website: www.zibbet.com
Zibbet can also be found at…
Blog: www.zibbet.com/blog
Twitter: www.twitter.com/zibbet
Facebook: www.facebook.com/zibbet
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zibbet/29754970138
Tell us a little bit about your site.
Zibbet is a global marketplace, connecting buyers and sellers of Handmade Goods, Fine Art, Vintage Items and Crafting Supplies. We’re similar to the well known Etsy, but very different at the same time.
Zibbet doesn’t have listing fees and we don’t take a cut of your sales.
With Zibbet, you have the choice between a ‘Basic’ or ‘Premium’ Account…
Basic accounts are totally FREE. We give you your own shop, web address, outstanding promotional tools and customer support, all for FREE. With a Basic account you can have up to 25 items in your shop at a time. When an item sells, you can replace it by listing another one. You can sell as many items as you want and you won’t pay us a cent!
Premium accounts are currently $7/month (at the time of this writing there are only 2430 accounts left at this special price). With a Premium Account you’ll enjoy the freedom of listing as many items as you want, plus the flexibility of having full control over the customization of your shop’s color theme, and layout. The ‘level’ to which you can customize your shop is what people are most excited about. You can really make it look like your own website! As an example, here’s just a few of our sellers Premium Shops: http://www.zibbet.com/leelabijou, http://www.zibbet.com/riskybeads and http://www.zibbet.com/lindawalshoriginals
Seller Shop Example: Risky Beads
You can learn more, plus see a full list of features at www.zibbet.com/sell
–> 7 Day Free Trial Offer of our Premium Accounts at the end of this interview <–
Where did the idea for Zibbet come from?
The idea for Zibbet was initially born out of a desire to create an ‘eBay alternative’ for Artisans.
You can read more about this on our ‘About Us’ page: http://www.zibbet.com/aboutus
Tell us about the site’s staff.
We’re a team of 3 at the moment and have plans to expand our staff before the year is out. In the mean time, we just have to work twice as hard!!
You can learn more about us and our individual roles here: http://www.zibbet.com/aboutus
What is your plan for the site? What are your goals?
Our goal is to see Zibbet become THE BEST online venue to sell your Handmade Goods, Fine Art, Vintage Items and Crafting Supplies…PERIOD!
We will achieve this by continually focusing on developing new and innovative features to aid our sellers’ promotional needs AND we have a strong focus on bringing buyers to the site and making their buying experience one to remember.
Connecting sellers with buyers is our number one priority!
Who is your target seller audience?
Anyone looking to sell their Handmade Goods, Fine Art, Vintage Items and/or Crafting Supplies.
How will you drive buyers to your venue?
Currently, we’re driving buyer traffic to Zibbet through a number of online marketing campaigns. By the end of this year we have plans to expand our team and employ someone whose sole focus will be on bringing buyers to the site.
Is this an international, domestic US, Far East or European focused site?
Zibbet is focused on reaching an International audience.
What differentiates this venue from other online selling venues?
Zibbet is fast becoming known for its exceptional Customer Service. We value our members and strive to give them the high level of service they deserve.
We’re also committed to releasing the most innovative tools in the industry. Zibbet has released the ability to ‘rearrange the items in your shop’. A very popular feature AND an industry first! Our Premium Shops are also the most customizable out of all the popular handmade sites.
We’re only just getting started at Zibbet and there are so many more exciting features in the works!
What else should we know?
We’ve put together a special 7 Day Free Trial of our Premium Account for Shiny Adornment readers. Zibbet Premium Shop Tour Video
How to get your 7 Day Free Trial:
Step 1: Go to www.zibbet.com/sell
Step 2: Click the ‘Sign Up’ button in the ‘Premium Account’ column
Step 3: On the following page, you’ll see a section towards the bottom of this page where you can enter a ‘coupon’. Enter this coupon code: SHINY7
Step 4: Click the ‘Redeem’ button after entering the coupon code, allow the page to reload, and then click ‘next’.
Step 5: You’ll be taken through to PayPal where you can set-up how you wish to be billed monthly for your Premium Account. Please note that you won’t begin to be charged for your Premium Account until AFTER the 7 day trial period. You can cancel any time within the 7 days and you won’t be charged a cent!
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me personally – jonathan@zibbet.com
I’m looking forward to seeing how you decide to design YOUR Zibbet shop!
Have a wonderful day everyone!
~~~
Jonathan Peacock
CEO, Zibbet.com
Artfire has launched some really great seller functionality of late including:
Artfire ROCKS! If you haven’t opened your Studio at the site yet, you should REALLY check it out – and tell them ShinyAdornments sent you
Don’t miss a single post.
Follow this blog: Click here
Want to receive the latest Simply Shiny post via email? Click here
Want to be notified of subscriber only sales and other special events from ShinyAdornments? Sign up for my newsletter.
I think I’ve got the Facebook page whipped. Did anyone tell those facebook dudes that it is WAY more complicated than it needs to be? Sheesh
Please check it out, leave a comment on my Wall and say hi. Also, if you are already part of Facebook, please become my Fan. Thanks!
ShinyAdornments on Facebook
Good advice. May be best applied to the whiners around you. LOL
Don’t miss a single post.
Follow this blog: Click here
Want to receive the latest Simply Shiny post via email? Click here
Want to be notified of subscriber only sales and other special events from ShinyAdornments? Sign up for my newsletter.
Shiny Spotlight Thursday
There are some really talented artists, designers and creators that sell their handmade items on Artfire and etsy. I thought it might be nice to highlight some of the things that caught my eye this week while browsing.
Clicking on each image will link you to the seller of each item, if you decide you simply must purchase it.
If you haven’t opened an account on etsy to purchase handmade items, you really should. Also, if you haven’t checked out Artfire in a while, you can find some really unique gifts on the site. Artfire doesn’t require you to open an account to purchase handmade goods. Easy peasy.
This week’s selections are handmade and inspired by back to school.
Enjoy!
Personalized Lunch Box Bag Cooler by Parsik93
Toy School House Dollhouse Miniature by Twelth Dimension
Insulated Lunch Bag by Julie Meyer
First Grade Memories Paper Bag Scrapbook by A Pickett Fence Life
Field bag with Schwinn Bicycle image by Happy Family
Happy Shopping everyone!
Look for the Shiny Spotlight every Thursday.
Don’t miss a single post.
Follow this blog: Click here
Want to receive the latest Simply Shiny post via email? Click here
Want to be notified of subscriber only sales and other special events from ShinyAdornments? Sign up for my newsletter.
