Almost ready... all I have do now is sell it!

So today I finally finished! I finished every ounce of completed jewelry to an excel worksheet. 100% of my items have been given a wholesale price AND a retail price. I feel ready.

I am having a show on Friday April 4, 2008 @ the Gamma Phi Beta House at the University of South Carolina. They are hosting my jewelry show and we are hoping to raise a lot of money for CampFire USA - a summer camp for less fortunate kids. I am really hoping this sale goes well for a number of different reasons, but mainly I would like to raise money for this organization. I am donating 10% of my final total to Camp Fire.

I hope that the girls of USC are impressed with my jewelry and that they buy a lot of it! SEND GOOD VIBES HERE! My friend Julia has been helping me out with all of this - she is philanthropy chair of her sorority.

That being said - items on my etsy.com site may not be available after this FRIDAY! SO - now is the time to purchase. If you mention this post or my blog in anyway I will provide FREE SHIPPING and maybe a lil discount via paypal refund!

Goals for April

Well April is quickly approaching and I have decided to make some goals for myself...

• Apply for two to three spring craft shows in the state
• Successfully set up some meetings for wholesaling to boutiques and/or spas
• feature 2-4 etsy artists per month from now on
  
• if you are interested let me know!
  
• Have a local show
  
• have fun
  
• sell more items on etsy.com
  

I hope that I will be able to sell as much as possible and hopefully attain my goals :)

Happy April!

Right, so that was quick

I got this automated email response from Trunkt.org. I understand it is competitive, but if you are going to give an artist a generic message - well - I just don't really know how I feel about it.

So if you apply, you are either going to get a great email or this:
Thank you for applying to Trunkt.

After careful review of your submitted images and your website, we have decided not to accept your application at this time.

*REVIEW PROCESS*

In addition to the products you submit, we look at the way you present your work on websites, blogs and public forums. Our goal is to get an overall sense of you and of your work.

To the extent we can, we also evaluate the way you conduct yourself in all public forums as we believe this is a good indication of professionalism, something we value highly at Trunkt.

*ARTISTS WISHING TO RE-APPLY*

If you're considering applying again, please understand our criteria:

1) FOCUS: We look for artists who create focused, unique work. Your work should have a distinct style that is all yours.

2) MODERN: Our audience loves modern and contemporary work. Browse the work of Trunkt members to get an idea of our taste.

3) SCALE: We don't accept mass-produced products but we do prefer scale beyond one-of-a-kind work. Artists and Photographers looking to sell individual works or looking to license images are the exception.

4) BRANDING: We look for artists who have a superior sense of marketing aesthetic - excellent photography, packaging and communications.

5) PROFESSIONALISM: We look for artists that are mature in their business dealings. This includes the way they conduct themselves in all public forums.

If you simply resubmit 3 different images, it is unlikely your second application will be accepted since we've probably already seen them.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we cannot provide individual feedback to all applicants. We wish you the best of luck with your business.

Regards,
The Team at Trunkt

Note: This is an automated email box that is not monitored.

So there it is, nothing in particular, nothing specific. However, I think I will apply again in a few months. Maybe I will have better pieces ready. I really thought my art clay pieces would help me here. Maybe a referral from an etsy artist who has already made it (in a different category than jewelry)?

I am still sort of bummed out. :(

Let's excercise the power of prayer...shall we?

Hello there everyone,

I decided to take a big risk, maybe it was early in my jewelry career, but today was a risk taking day I suppose.

Today I applied to be a part of Trunkt. (take a look...click the link) They have a free artists portfolio that is free and you can upgrade once you become a part of it if you choose to upgrade. They have a lot of beautiful artists and focus on one of a kind items and pieces. I thought to myself - maybe this is me - especially with my art clay silver pieces.

On the forums of the etsy.com site I have been reading and participating in the discussions about how people put a lot importance on being a part of this organization. A lot of people have said they receive large wholesale orders because of it. (I would love a huge wholesale order...wink wink) I think it is just important to get your name out there and be proud of what you do. A lot of artists have been rejected and they have really stunning work! I hope I can show them something that they like. You only get to choose three pictures and if they aren't the exact size they sort of morph. That is sort of a bummer.

So what am I asking of you? Send the good vibes towards me and the judges @ Trunkt.org and maybe something good will come out of this ;)

good vibes....good VIBES!

Bummer slash Rant

Dear Economy,

You totally suck very bad right now. I am giving you the proverbial middle finger, the bird, the big F-YOU! Why are you making it hard for the small craftswoman? Some of us would like to move out and have a real life, perhaps one fully funded by their love of art and creating? Can you let up a little bit so all of us can feel better? Jewelry looks so nice on everyone, even you! Maybe if you take a break and even out, more people will want to buy more...think about it ok?


Your Arch Nemesis,

Morgan

thefind.com

Hey everyone,

I just found out that a few of my older items from my etsy.com shop made it onto a site called www.thefind.com

That's pretty bad ass and I had no idea my pieces were even on there until someone brought up the site. It is apparently a small section of the NY Times. I am pretty flattered and hope that some of my other pieces (which I think are better) get up there as well.

I am going to being preparing all my prices and doing a lot of changes to really prepare myself for potential wholesaling opportunities. I learned a lot recently about what really happens and want to make sure I will be prepared and as professional as possible. This is a huge task and will require a full inventory of all my items (which will be good for my upcoming shows) and I will really make sure all of my pieces are priced properly.

Have a great day!

- Morgan

On the Road Again & Keep on Truckin!

So the minor success of getting my DVD out there was a tough day. I went to a few different stores and while I felt some of my jewelry - mostly the higher end pieces - would fit in very nicely, I was not really given the time of day. I still managed to give one DVD out, so I think the first few will be the most difficult. Hopefully this will begin to get easier.

On a much brighter note...I am preparing this week for my upcoming show at Clemson. I have made a lot of really nice pieces that I hope will catch the eye of a few people. This will be my second show away from my home town. I am very excited.


ciao

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I am happy that the new year is here - new resolutions and new goals. I hope that everyone had a safe, happy, and fun new year celebration.

As for the business, I am excited to focus a lot on new ideas - I have a ton of new gemstones to be creative with. I will also have a lot more time to focus on wire and metals techniques to enhance my pieces.

I am also going to focus on getting some of my pieces into boutiques and small retail shops. I have had a lot of positive reinforcement in this aspect of my business and it only makes rational sense to give it a try! :)

I had a show right before Christmas that went very well! People found a lot of pieces that they bought for others (and themselves!) - which I have been contacted with how much those people really enjoyed their pieces. This makes me so happy and proud to do what I am doing, making people feel special and beautiful. What could be better?

Well, so here are some of my goals for the new year:

• create portfolio
• have pieces in boutiques
• more shows
• craft/art shows
• art clay silver certification
• mastering wire techniques
• and...making my customers happy

I will be posting more pictures of my more recent pieces this week - so keep an eye out!

Happy New Year!

www.karma711.etsy.com