business tips
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What You Need to Know about Tariffs and the De Minimis for Selling, Buying and Shipping on Etsy


I know many of you read my blog because you enjoy reading and learning about jewelry making and other crafts. But sometimes some of you find it a refuge from what's going on in the world right now. But this post is necessary as some of us are producers, or work for one, and all of us are consumers. Tariffs affect us all.

What are Tariffs ?
Tariffs are protectionist trade policies to deter people from buying imported goods. It is, in other words, an import sales tax. Any tariffs imposed by the US on other countries will be paid by US companies and consumers.
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Teen Maker Program at the Old Post Office MakerSpace



Did you remember me mentioning a few months ago that I was going to be one of the mentors for the very first Teen Maker program at my local makerstudio? Well, I am so pleased to be able to update you all here. The short story is, they all did very well. Budding entrepreneurs, every single one of them!

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Clever Laser Cut Wood Earring Displays for Craft Shows and Online Photography



Now that last season's peak selling season is over, it's time to prepare for the year ahead. An attractive setup is key to drawing visitors to your craft show table. Your jewelry should also be visible so taking advantage of the vertical space is necessary. The displays should be light and ideally flat packed to make transportation easier.

There are many ways you can make displays yourself (see links below) but the rising popularity and availability of laser cut wood ones gives us even more attractive and functional choices.  The wood can be personalized with engraving and can be stained or colored according to individual tastes. They are quick and easy to assemble and disassemble. 

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Etsy's Big CrackDown | What to Do if Your Listing is Deactivated | AI Generated Crochet Patterns


Etsy is a huge handmade marketplace and properly policing it has been a issue for many years. That's not surprising as the volume of both buyers and sellers is very large, many tens of millions compared to Etsy's staff numbers. See my past post, Things Beginners Need to  Know about Selling on Etsy for more details. Etsy just can't cope. 

In the last couple of years, Etsy has been ramping up the use of bots to do the policing. While the bots are useful to some degree, they cannot replace human oversight. False positives do occur much to the consternation of legitimate sellers. 

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Customizing Your Own Labels with the Munbyn Thermal Printer | Review and Tips


I prefer to print my own labels. That way I can customize labels for my small business as well as the home. The print runs can be small so I do not have to commit to large batches from print companies. It's so wasteful when I change my mind about the design or the need.

So I was pleased to try out the Munbyn Real Writer 401 AirPrint when the manufacturer reached out to me. This thermal printer is inkless which is saves on paying for expensive inkjet cartridges. As you can see from my latest video tutorial, it prints labels very quickly. The thermal head turns images and text black. 

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Things Beginners Need to Know about Selling on Etsy


A long time reader, Marlene Hoffman of Amira's Jewelry Design, recently wrote to let me know that "after several years of creating jewelry and attempting to sell at fairs and markets, I'm thinking of starting an Etsy shop. Do you have any words of wisdom to share about selling through Etsy?" Thanks Marlene for inspiring this post!

I really get what she said. I tried the craft show route myself, mostly with my jewelry making friends, over the years. I find it exhausting and time consuming to prep up inventory and set up the booth. Having enough inventory was also an issue. I often didn't have enough items for a table - hence teaming up with friends which also allowed us to share the table fee. Lately though, craft show fees have become prohibitively expensive. The ones with affordable fees just didn't have the traffic so the return is poor. 
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Pros and Cons of Permanent Jewelry | How to Use a Small Arc Welder


One very hot jewelry trend on social media such as TikTok has been for permanent (or sometimes infinity) jewelry. This are typically bracelets (most popular), anklets and rings which have no clasps. They are custom fitted and then welded - not soldered - while the person is wearing it. 

The motivation is usually for personal bonding like similar jewelry for best friends, mother and daughter, couples, sisters and so on. The "permanence" means the wearer need not take the jewelry off although they could remove it by cutting the fine chain with a pair of scissors.

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Big Blue Barn Designs' Travelling Handmade Jewelry Shop Trailer


Some of us can only dream of having a little shop of our own.  For others,  like my friend, Aims Abson of Big Blue Barn Designs in Alberta, Canada,  it was a dream years in the making. She and her husband have a very old  travel trailer which they kept even after they upgraded to a bigger and more comfortable one with a proper bathroom. She knew she wanted to convert it into her travelling jewelry shop one day.

The old Trillium was originally made in the 1970's by a company in Ontario. It was named after the provincial flower.  The fibreglass trailer was wildly popular in its day because it was drier than tent camping and very lightweight for car towing. 

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Adorable Enamel Pins by Appleminte | How Enamel Pins are Designed and Made


Enamel pins are wildly popular. They are communicative as the pins show themes and affiliations. They are fun, highly collectible and affordable. 

One talented artist is New Jersey designer,  Appleminte.  She specializes in adorable enamel pin designs.  Shown here are some of my favorites!  

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Review of ChitChats' Delivery Service to the US


No one likes to pay shipping fees. Even when a vendor offers free shipping, it's not really free. The cost is just buried in the price.  

So vendors do their best to reduce the shipping for their customers. One way is to pack small packages as flat as possible so they go through the "slot of doom" at the post office. Very light packaging also helps - a thick cardboard mailer weighs more than a bubble pack.

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Real Jewelry Bargains from Thrift Stores, Yard Sales and Estate Sales


There are certainly great jewelry bargains to be had if one loves to shop at thrift stores, yard and estate sales. My late sister-in-law was one of those who loved to buy what caught her attention in various British charity shops - the thrift stores there often benefit a specific charity.  

She had a good eye for great design as you can see in this past post on some of the vintage and handcrafted pieces which were passed down to us.

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Swarovski and Alternative Crystals Comparisons | Buying Swarovski Crystals in the Future | Brand Control Agreement



Many jewelry makers are still reeling from the large scale, but not, complete withdrawal of Swarvoski from the DIY marketplace. My original post written almost a year ago - Is Swarovski Going to Stop Making Crystal Beads? What are the Alternatives? - is still strongly trending on Google searches. 

I am not surprised as the loss of these finely made crystals is a big blow to a lot of us. 

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Want to Quit Your Day Job? Watch This Artist Explain How She Grew Her Business into a Full Time Job


LoriMirabelli is a Canadian abstract artist who is a wonderful inspiration for anyone wishing to do better with their arts and crafts small businesses.  Her words of wisdom apply whether you make art,  jewelry etc. 

Artwork or jewelry are not exactly essential needs especially in a pandemic. Yet Lori saw her Instagram explode during this trying time. This in turn helped sell her artwork and she was able to quit her day job in 2020. 

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Is Swarovski Going to Stop Making Crystal Beads? What are the Alternatives?


Many of you may already have heard a lot of chatter and rumor about the possibility Swarovski will soon stop making their iconic crystals. This will undoubtedly impact resellers and jewelry makers everywhere, and especially those who design tutorials and sell kits. 
 
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Trying Out Etsy's New Video Feature for Listings


As you know, I started a new finished jewelry and crafts store, CraftaGems earlier this year.  Like everyone else, I try to take good photos. However, I did have some concern with some of the items. Do my photos really show how shiny or sparkly some of the designs really are? After all, we want that little wow factor to turn a visit into a sale. 

Lo and behold, Etsy launched their beta video function for listings - only 1 video per listing is allowed.  So I gave it a go and added short video clips (5-15 seconds) to some of the listings I felt needed it.    You can see the actual video as an image option when you click on any of the design links below. 

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Rubber Tubing Stud Post Protectors for Shipping | TierraCast Stud Earrings Feature


I recently shared a post about shipping and delivery and offered a tip about protecting stud earring posts with cut eraser cubes so they don't bend in the mail. This is a work around for those of us who need to ship flat for cheaper domestic rates. Boxes don't qualify for these rates. 

But there are other materials you can use to safeguard those posts. Shown below are several wonderful stud designs from TierraCast.  There are plain ones, decorative ones as well those embellished with crytals.  These are strong pewter posts which come in several varieties of finishes. Great quality. 
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Shipping and Tips for Buying and Selling Online Jewelry and Jewelry Supplies


One huge consequence of the Covid-19 shutdown is the equally large shift to online shopping.  That in turn created long delays as shipping agents like the postal offices and customs agencies could not cope with the surge. With increased safety measures, fewer workers, fewer flights and other transportation, both international and domestic, severe backlogs are occurring.  So slower deliveries are to be expected for a while.

However, there are things you can do to avoid even longer delays for anything you order.  Over the years, I've learned a few things with shipping items from my Etsy as I had to deal with hiccups.  my experiences only pertain to post office shipments, not courier carriers.

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Necklace Greeting Card Template Could Also be Used as Jewelry Display Cards


Canadian graphics designer, Virginia Fynes of FynesDesign creates some beautiful decorative Christmas themed SVG cut files. She shared a great necklace greeting card template over on her blog and showed how beautiful handmade cards can be.

As you can see, the inserts have punched holes and slits for chain necklaces (or earrings).  The envelope keeps the chains inside.  Really handy for gifts which have to be mailed.

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8 Handmade Wooden Jewelry Stands for Craft Shows


You might consider this is way too early to be thinking about craft shows. After all, the main making and buying season isn't until the fall.  But savvy artisans use the down time earlier in the year to get their inventory ready and to plan a craft show booth.  Once the season starts, you won't have time!

Some jewelry designers make their own displays (see links below for DIY tutorials), others purchase commercial ones.  The third alternative is to choose beautifully handcrafted wooden jewelry stands.  This organic material particularly suits handmade jewelry designs.

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My Smartphone Grips and Stands for Jewelry Photography


Taking photos of your jewelry designs have never been easier. That is largely to do with continually improving smartphone cameras. Computational photography where "digital image capture and processing techniques that use digital computation instead of optical processes" to improve the quality of photographs is what makes smartphone cameras so useful.

The vast majority of us now own smartphones. Why not use the camera you already have ?Many of us may never bother with purchasing dSLR cameras where the learning curve can be steep.

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