Check this out.  I made all these.

 EnchantingElegance.etsy.com

I appreciate feedback, both positive and negative.

If you'd like to be added to my email list to be notified when I add new stuff, please PM me your email address.  No spam.  I PROMISE!

Anybody?

Claudia,

My favorite is the Ice Blue Chalcedony Necklace Set.  They are all very pretty.

They're beautiful, Claudia!

Claudia sent me two pairs of gorgeous earrings just before I went on vacation back in May, and I just love them:)

*ETA:  I love that Eye Candy set.

Wow you mde those? They are beautiful!

Very pretty! Trust me to like the most expensive set the best. ;-)

Of course I had to make the nicest one the most expensive.  Check back, I'll be adding more tomorrow and one more spectacular one today. 

I'm attempting to become an entrepreneur since the job market is absolutely dead here in Michigan.  Hope it works.  I'd appreciate it if you'd help me spread the word to friends or associates who may be interested.

Thanks for all your positive feedback.  I appreciate negative feedback and suggestions for improvement too.  I'm not quite proficient with the photography yet.  Jewelry photography is sooo tricky!

Very very nice! I love the amber set because the only jewelry I wear right now is amber jewelry.

I think your photography is very good--simplicity works best for me for jewelry because I get to see the object and not be distracted by anything else. You just went on my favorites over on etsy!

Claudia, have you tried any shows?  Not necessarily the church bazaar types, but we have several very nice shows in Ohio that you  have to be juried into.  Crafters seem to do very well in them.  I'm wanting the Eye Candy too!

the problem is I can't take credit card payment and wouldn't want to take checks since they may bounce.  Also, you have to have a huge inventory for those shows plus display cases, which I don't have.  Many of them charge huge upfront fees and you never know whether you'll recoup them.  A local show here charges $200 for 2 days. 

When I did shows, I didn't do credit cards either.  I did take checks and never once had a problem.  I didn't have a huge inventory, just made sure I had enough to repay myself for the booth fee and then make some money, which I always did.  I paid $230 for the booth.  It was a high traffic show --- tons and tons of shoppers.  If you sell  four pieces you've paid for the booth, everything over goes to paying for your materials and your time.   I bought display things on ebay for not much money at all.  Just sayin' -- it worked for me back when.

Have you considered doing craft shows?  Like the ones generally sponsored by churches or high schools??  I too live in Michigan and in fact, I have a client who does some kind of crafting (nice that I don't know exactly what she makes right?) and I know she does pay a "rental" fee at most of the places she sets up at (I can't swear that it is at all the locations) and I know she doesn't take credit cards but I don't know about the check thing.  And to be honest, most of the craft shows I have ever attended have been strictly cash only. 

I sell jewelry at craft shows and you really don't need all that much to begin with. We do some of the smaller shows that only cost $30-60 dollars. We set up a table with some black cloth, covered some thin squares of styrofoam with black velvet-like material and pinned the jewelry to that. We have since come a long way but that how we started. For some of the holders, if you keep an eye on jewelrysupply.com, they run sales and you can get a few at a time. We didn't take credit card payments until last year but it was a huge boost. We take checks but make sure we have the customers phone number on it. In the 5 years we have been doing this, we haven't had a check bounce yet. The biggest problem we have encountered is the shows that don't limit the types of crafts they let in. There is a lot, and I mean a lot of people who sell jewelry. We have done shows where over 50% of the venders are jewelry. People won't even stop at your booth at those because they are sick of seeing jewelry.  Good luck!

I like the Celtic Fantasy and Liquid Blue necklaces. I make my own jewelry too and think yours are beautiful. Since both my sister and hubby are teachers, I have been taking mine to the elementary schools  around here. They have been selling like hotcakes! Even the principals bought some. I have also gotten some orders for specific colors/styles by doing this as well. With Christmas coming up soon, this is a good time to be doing this. Good luck.

Pam

Thanks for all the good feedback.

I just updated the page with some new stuff and a few improved pics.  You might want to check it out. 

Claudia, those are gorgeous!  I especially liked the Turquoise with a Twist.  How long does it normally take to make one?

I know a local person here who was doing crafts (more home dec stuff) who started doing shows in homes (kind of like Pampered Chef type homes). That might be a neat thing to explore, Claudia. I think a lot of folks would think it cool to get to know the actual artist of their jewelry. You could always take orders for stuff then.

Just updated with a bunch of new stuff added.

I'm trying to improve my photos and would appreciate some feedback.  Check out the High Tea and Swept Away necklace sets I  just posted.

Very nice, Claudia.  I've talked to many crafters going to so many fairs over the years, plus my mother and aunts have done a few local ones, too, and there were never problems with personal checks.  My aunts did a few local home shows, too, that were succesful.

Don't know if you'd be interested in doing a giveaway to get traffic to  your site, here's a link if you'd like to check it out, a blog that's set up to do giveaways for all sorts of stuff, and they direct people to the site to come back and answer to enter:

http://www.donttryit.com/bloggy_giveaways/want-to-showcase-your-pro.html

I don't generally do stand-alone earrings, but I've been advised that I need to lure people to my store with inexpensive items in the 10 to 20 dollar range such as earrings & pendants, etc.  Once they buy those, customers may be willing to buy more expensive items.  Wadday think?  What types of earrings should I make? 

Chandeliers?

Dangly earrings?

Threaders?

Taking an informal survey.

I'm not much of an earring wearing, so can't help there.  True, some more inexpensive things are likely to attract more people, as many  are on budgets.  How about some more simpler, less intricate necklace designs or bracelets along with what you  have?    The past year my mother's been making some nice bracelets with glass or clay beads and odds and ends which we all like, my younger nieces, too, and my sister sold quite a few to her friends.

I'll have to make a few bracelets.  I understand from other that they usually sell well.  Less expensive than necklaces and not everyone wears earrings.