How to promote your blog

I have been going over and over ways to gain more exposure to my blog and hopefully more visits to my jewelry store on Etsy.

Although I haven't found out how just yet, I have been trying a few things lately: Including other people's work in my blog and signing up for this blog called giveaway scout. Giveaway Scout is a wonderful free site that scans your blog for any giveaway posts that you have and includes them in their website (hello exposure!!)

Have a look around and sign up for their service if you like :)

A book in the future?

So I took a trip to Barnes and Nobles books today... just looking around, not really looking for anything in particular.... when a thought hit me; maybe I could write a book about crafting (how about "find your craft" or "a hobby in your spare time... yes you do have time"

I'm going to start collecting some more information on this and hopefully I'll have a brand new book in a little while :)

Gearing up for another round of craft shows and a treasury to kick it all off

I'm so exited for August! I had such a blast at my first craft show a couple of weeks ago that I'm heading back to Danville tomorrow (Thursday 5:30-8:30 PM) to do it again... Next is this Saturday at Market SF in San Francisco from 12-6 (come for the $5 drinks and food, too!). This treasury, that was created by one of my Etsy friends, features some of the amazing artists who will be joining me at the show on Saturday.

Enjoy!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c5a0b44ed528eefbd7e144a/preview-to-market-sfs-7th-august-show

Things I learned from my first craft and trunk shows

About a week ago I was a vendor at a craft show in Danville and a few days later I threw my first trunk show (I've been busy...). I learned a LOT from these events that I would love to pass on to my crafty fans :)

1. Word of mouth is key. Tell your hair stylist, the grocery checkout person... everyone. They will be more likely to show up (and potentially buy something) if they feel like they have

personally been invited by you.

2. pull your car up as close as possible to the set up site. I parked my car about two blocks away because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to find parking closer to the event. It doesn't seem like a big distance, but five or six trips back and forth to the car lugging ladders and displays was hard work!

3. Get potential customer's names, email address, and at least two phone numbers. The email address that a customer gave me bounced back... thank goodness I had a couple of phone numbers to call.

4. Signage is key! I had plenty of compliments on my banner ($60 at Fedex). I'm sure that it brought in a couple of people :)

5. Bring a lot of change. I didn't run out, but that's only because my customers gave me exact change.

6. Upsell! I had a treasure box with inexpensive-to-make one and two bead earrings (one pair for $20, two for $35, three for $50). A customer bought a pair of regularly priced earrings and a pair of earrings from the treasure box. It looked like she was having a good time digging around the box :)

7. Family and friends are wonderful when it comes to business.... a lot of the time they will spread the word about your product and may even become customers!

Good luck with all of your future shows XOXO

Ros

A craft show, a trade show, and a shabby-chic display

I've been a busy lady...

In between taking care of an almost one year old (who loves to open up all of my cupboard doors and drawers and pull everything out) and taking care of the house (nothing beyond the norm of laundry, dishes, and feeding our two cats), I have been making tons of jewelry for my upcoming shows.

Tomorrow is the start of my crazy schedule. It goes like this: from 5:30-8:30 Summer Serenade in Daville. We then fly out to New York (for a visit with family). While out in the Big Apple, I have a trunk show in the morning on Sunday the 18th and my son's birthday party in the afternoon.

I get a bit of a break until I am scheduled to go back to Danville on August 5th for the Summer Fest (5:30-8:30). Two days later I am heading to San Francisco for the Market SF show from 12-6 (this looks AMAZING btw!!)

At the end of August is another craft show on the 29th in Berkley called Last Sunday's Fest. This one looks really lively... music, food, lots of handmade goodies.

I decided to only have two events in September (a trunk show in SF and a craft show in Danville early in the month) as I am turning the big 30 (gulp) on the 24th and I have no idea what my wonderful hubby has planned for me.

I'm sure that I am going to have something planned for October, but nothing yet.

November 21 is another craft show in San Jose (1 1/2 hrs away...) and I am thinking about doing a booth at the local farmer's market every Sunday in November and December, too.

So, of course I have to have a display that matches my jewelry, looks fairly professional and put together, and is easy to set up and break down. After lots of trial and error (the Elfa system was a thought), I decided to buy two 6' wooden ladders and put pieces of plywood on the top four steps. My displays were items found on the internet, in thrift stores, and a fortunate trip to Michaels.

I'm, to say the least, a bit nervous about participating in my first show, but I know that it will turn out well :)

I will post some pictures of the show shortly and tell you all how it went (fingers crossed!!)

It's time for another addition of Match This Jewelry!!

Happy 4th of July, Everyone!So I have created some more jewelry since April, when I posted the first blog article of "Match This Jewelry" and have been searching for more amazing fashion designer's clothing to go with the new pieces. Please take a look at my talented Etsians :)

This beautiful summer seersucker bubble dress by tortillagirl (www.tortillagirl.etsy.com or http://www.etsy.com/listing/49951125/seersucker-bubble-dress for the listing) goes well with...

The Cherry and Grapefruit circle frame earrings in 14 K gold filled (http://www.etsy.com/listing/49345601/cherry-and-grapefruit-circle-frame)

The geometric shape of this top by Outofline (www.outofline.etsy.com or http://www.etsy.com/listing/48850901/cotton-jersey-necklace-top-in-silver for the listing) would pair well with the long and lean cluster of...

The Aqua and fuschia sterling silver long cluster earrings (http://www.etsy.com/listing/49727435/aqua-and-fuschia-sterling-silver-long)

I would pair this beautiful ruffled top by necessityisthemother (www.necessityisthemother.etsy.com or http://www.etsy.com/listing/47077746/the-peachy-keen-cinch-dress for the listing) would be great with...

these simple Peaches and Cream studs (http://www.etsy.com/listing/50786259/peaches-and-cream-stud-post-earrings)

I hope that you have enjoyed this and feel more comfortable accessorizing :)

Please be sure to check out Etsy's talented designers!

Soren playing with the Peach Tree earrings

I have to be really careful about what earrings I wear! My 11 month old (happy birthday, Soren!) has just discovered that they make a really nice sound when they are fiddled with. Here are some blurry pictures (sorry) that I took of Soren. I will have to switch to studs from now on (could be worse)

Finally! A decent looking banner!

When I first joined Etsy as Designs by Ros, I did my homework.... learning how to upload an item, how to write a great product description, and so on. The very first thing that I did was make up a banner (I had read on the Etsy forum that it was very important to have a banner).

Having absolutely no idea what I wanted the banner to look like, I took my camera outside, in direct sunlight (all of you who know anything about photography will probably agree that it's very difficult to take clear pictures in direct sunlight) and took a picture of a bunch of beads on a neutral-colored tile... with the flash on the camera (yikes!). I threw on a "Designs by Ros" logo and was finished with it.

When I opened Scottishlilyjewelry on Etsy, I was making (and remaking) jewelry, and retaking my photos, I started to contemplate what I wanted and took my time with the banner. My thoughts were: have to have pictures of my jewelry, the new and improved logo, and hot pink (as that's the color on my business cards) somewhere on the banner.

Here's what I came up with:
www.etsy.com/shop/scottishlilyjewelry

Beads, beads, beads!!

I'm always on the look out for new and amazing beads; be it semiprecious or lampwork glass. I usually have colors in mind, but sometimes I just can't help myself and pick amazing beads that have nothing to do with my current seasonal color scheme (an example would be the Earth Collection hammered earrings).

I have found such amazing artists and suppliers on Etsy, and try to shop there as often as possible to support my fellow sellers. I also really enjoy going to my local bead stores and chatting it up with the wonderful ladies there (free advice and jewelry tips, too!). In the Bay Area I go to House of Beads in Walnut Creek and Beaded Bliss in Danville.

Whenever I go to either of these two places I feel like a kid in a candy store and always walk out with more that what I originally went in for.... I may have to take another trip tomorrow!

Change is coming....

I love networking... meeting new people; expanding my contacts throughout the world is wonderful (and vital in gaining more customers in this day and age)

I am always looking to improve Designs by Ros (handmade jewelry) and Scottish Lily (jewelry making parties) and have had many of my friends through networking tell me that I have a lot of different online personalities (mainly Designs by Ros, Scottish Lily, and this blog). So... what I have decided to do is to bring everything under Scottish Lily to make it (drum roll, please) 

Scottish Lily Jewelry Making Parties and Handmade Jewelry Inspired by Nature!!! 

What do you think?? It has a nice ring to it...

I will still have an Etsy store, just under the name "Scottish Lily". I'm hoping to update my website, add jewelry pics and descriptions to Etsy, and move this blog to an internal blog on my website in the next couple of months. 

I'm really excited about my new business improvements, but would absolutely love to hear any suggestions or comments that any of you may have... I truly value advice from my networking friends from all over the world :) 

Match this jewelry

I often wonder what clothing to wear with my jewelry. Being a jewelry designer, I pick my jewelry out first and my clothing second (I know it's a bit backwards, but it works for me... most of the time).

I have lately been looking at other talented Etsian's work and have found many items of clothing that work very well with my jewelry. Now I just have to decide what shoes to wear...

Green/white silk chiffon dress by 13threads...

works well with...

The Grass and Sun earrings

The Adeliene Dress by DearLillie....

works well with...

The Dusk earrings

The Personalized Drawstring lotus leaf collar dress by Wangbin

works well with...

The Liliac earrings

My First Treasury on Etsy!!

Hello everyone!

What a nice start to the day... My Antique Rose necklace was featured in a treasury on Etsy! As some of you know, this is a great thing for free publicity on the site as so many people see it. Hopefully it will lead to a sale, but you never know :) Please swing by and take a look while it's still there.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=95486

Inspired by the mulberry tree comes the Mulberry ring... Here's how to make it

Mulberry fruit is so funny! Little clusters of bubble-like seeds clustered together starts out large at the bottom and spirals up to form a pointed tip. And the taste... delicious!

To celebrate these bit-sized wonders, I have created my very first ring... the Mulberry ring. It mimics the "large on the bottom, small on the top" shape of the mulberry fruit. The ring is beautiful to wear, just not quite as edible :)

Here's how to make one of your own...

Two things that I learned from making the ring are: to start with more wire than you think you need and to make the ring a size larger than what you want the finished product to be (start out with a size 7 on a ring sizer if you want a size 6 ring).

Materials:

12 inches or longer of 22 gauge sterling or gold filled wire (half hard)

3 beads of your choice (for this ring I used 4mm amethyst beads)

A ring sizer rod

Step 1:

Wrap the wire three times around a ring sizer rod so that you have a long tail on both sides... about 4 inches (remember to start out one size larger than what you actually want the ring to be)

Step 2:

After you finish wrapping the wire you should have two tails about the same size at the top of the rod

Step 3:

Twist the two tails together once

Step 4:

Add one bead onto each side of the wire (two beads total) and twist the wire around the beads. 

Step 5:

Take one of the wires and wrap the end three times around the part that fits on your finger (the part that you first wrapped around the rod)

Step 6:

Add another bead to the wire that is still free and wrap around that bead

Step 7:

Repeat step 5 with the last wire.

Congratulations! you now have a beautiful ring!

Please check out the ring on Etsy for more views: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=44131363

By far my favorite Passover recipe

This is a family recipe that has been passed down for generations. I make it every year and end up making about 2 to 3 batches by the end of Passover! It makes a great snack or dessert and it's so easy to make :) Enjoy!

Grimslich

 

4 matzot

4 oz cake meal

ground almonds

1 tsp cinnamon

4 eggs

8 oz dried fruit

4 oz sugar

oil for cooking (I use vegetable oil as it doesn’t seem to splatter as much)

 

Soak matzot in cold water till soft. Squeeze very dry.  Beat up with a fork. Separate the yokes from whites. Add beaten yokes and add to remaining ingredients (except for whites and oil). Mix thoroughly. Fold in the stiffly whipped egg whites. Drop in spoonfuls on shallow oil that is heated over a medium flame. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Sprinkle with sugar. Amazing served warm but also tastes good cooled. Holds up well when frozen.

And the winner of the stud earring giveaway is....

MRS SANCHEZ!!!!!

Congratulations :)

Your earrings will be shipped out shortly.

Thank you everyone who entered! These and other earrings are still up for sale in my Etsy shop. They can also be customized in almost any color, stone or rock chip that you choose....

Have a great day!

Same technique, different look

So I decided that it might be fun to experiment with different center beads and color schemes for my popular cluster earrings. Here are my newest earrings:

The Grass and Sun cluster earrings have a light green czech glass center in the shape of a leaf

 with light yellow semiprecious stones and Swarovski crystals

On the Peach Tree cluster earring I used a peachy Swarovski crystal center and surrounded it with dark brown wooden beads and crystals.

Completely different looks with the same technique!

March Challenge

Good morning everyone!

I just wanted to let you all know about the March Busy Mom's team challenge that's up on Etsy. I listed the Cherry Blossom collection (necklace and earrings). Please check out my mommy friend's amazing items all inspired by nature!

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6456789

Cherry Blossoms

I love cherry blossoms! For me, when the cherry blossoms start to bloom, that is the official start of spring. 

It was actually one of the reasons that we moved to Walnut Creek a little over a year ago as there were cherry blossom trees in bloom on either side of the street in the downtown area.

In celebration of this wonderful event, I have created the Cherry Blossom collection. It consists of a sterling silver cluster necklace and earrings in shades of light pink (for the flowers) and medium brown (for the trunk and branches) swarovski crystals mixed with round garnet beads (for the leaves) and a grey teardrop in the center.

Absolutely stunning!!

Check it out by clicking on this link

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42568264

Enjoy!

Earring giveaway

Hello everyone!

Want a FREE pair of earrings???

Why not enter to win these beautiful sterling silver studs

To enter you must:

1. be a fan of my blog

2. go to my Etsy website and then come back here and comment on something that you like about my online store

BONUS

Tweet or write on Facebook about this giveaway and send me the link to gain an extra entry in the giveaway

The winner will be chosen randomly on March 22nd.

Good luck!!

Bead giveaway by Julie from Evelynstreasures

Hi everyone!

I hope that you all had a wonderful week and are looking forward to the weekend.

One of my fellow Etsy mommy friends is having a giveaway for some amazing glass beads! Why don't you hop on over to her blog and enter your name to win them...  good luck! http://evelynstreasures.blogspot.com

My First Magazine Feature!

I just got an email today that my Summer Fruit earrings are going to be featured in the August addition of Bead Trend Magazine!!! Soooo excited!!! Just finished doing my happy dance :)

So many wonderful Artists on Etsy

I love browsing around Etsy from time to time and seeing all the amazing artist's new hand made pieces. Recently, I stumbled upon the Busy Moms of Etsy team and decided to join! I am now a part of a team of other mommies who love creating new and interesting things. 

We just started this fun voting session with the theme "lucky". Come and vote for my talented mommy's items and see how different people interpret the word lucky in their craft!

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6452005 

Purim brings more Hamantaschen!

I love this time of the year! It's just as the weather is changing (getting warmer...yey!) and everyone emerges from their hibernation and starts playing in the parks again. This also brings about Easter and Purim. 

Purim is my second favorite holiday (next to Hanukkah of course) because the kids dress up in characters from ancient times, people can be as loud as they want in temple, and I get to make hamantaschen (a triangular shaped, fruit-filled, cookie), which I make by the dozen and send my husband off to work with him. 

Here is my favorite recipe with some amazing filling suggestions. Enjoy!

Hamantaschen recipe from epicurious.com

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons packed finely grated fresh orange zest

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

2/3 cup filling such as Date Orange Filling , Apple Raisin Filling , prune lekvar, poppy-seed filling, or apricot or cherry jam

Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. 

In another bowl with an electric mixer beat shortening, sugar, and egg at medium speed until light and fluffy. 

Add zest and juice and beat until incorporated. 

Add flour mixture, stirring, until a smooth dough is formed. 

Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. 

Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Halve dough. 

On a lightly floured surface roll out half of dough (keeping other half wrapped and chilled) 1/4 inch thick. 

With a 3-inch cutter cut out as many rounds as possible. 

Transfer rounds with a metal spatula to a large baking sheet, arranging about 1/2 inch apart. Reroll scraps and cut out more rounds. 

Put 1 teaspoon filling in center of each round and fold up edges to form triangular cookies resembling a tricornered hat, pinching corners together and leaving filling exposed. (Pinch dough tightly enough so seams are no longer visible and sides are taut enough to prevent cookies from leaking filling as they bake.)

Bake hamantaschen in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until pale golden. 

Cool hamantaschen on baking sheet 5 minutes and transfer to racks to cool completely. 

Make more hamantaschen with remaining dough and filling in same manner. 

Hamantaschen keep in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.

Apple Raisin Filling from epicurious.com

1/2 cup unsweetened apple butter

1/4 cup chopped golden raisins

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

stir together filling ingredients until combined well

Chocolate Filling:
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk or whipping cream or coffee
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

mix all ingredients together in a bowl

I also like putting poppy seed filling in my hamantaschen... you can find the canned stuff in the kosher food section of your local grocery store. Yummm...

Let me know how they turn out :) I would love to see some great examples of your work!

Summer studs (earrings that is...)

So I decided to try the making stud earrings using the rock chips in the summer collection and gold wire... Here's what I came up with:

Introducing the Watermelon stud earrings (yumm)

Check out more pictures at:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41407847

Check out the new earring design

So, after much trial and error, (so glad that I practiced on silver plated wire!!) I have come up with a really cool design for stud earrings.

These earrings are made out of pure sterling silver throughout (the entire earring is just two pieces of wire). I have made these ones with black freshwater pearls, but they can really be made with anything that's round... or maybe rock chips (another experiment). 

I'm so glad that I can finally wear earrings around Soren! I'm sure that other mommies will feel the same way.

Please welcome scottishlilyjewelry.com

Happy Saturday everyone!

It is with great pleasure that I am announcing the launch of my jewelry party website scottishlilyjewelry.com. I would love some feedback from all of my readers as it is still in the "baby" faze! The pictures will improve as I start doing more parties :) For the months of March and April I am offering a discounted rate for all parties as a thank you to all of my supporters. Let me know if you are interested... it's going to be a blast!

Amazing who we meet all the way across the country

I have had the absolute pleasure of working with Anna of Almost Precious. Anna makes the most amazing beads and findings! When I had a question about her bubble beads she got back to me right away and with complete honesty. I felt very safe ordering from her even though she is halfway across the country (which can be a gamble for sure!). The beads arrived safe and sound and were exactly what I had expected to get. Please check out her blog and the amazing article that she wrote about the Lemon Drop earrings that I have listed in my shop.  http://abeadersblog.blogspot.com/ 

Hope everyone is looking to a very happy and prosperous weekend!

~Ros

Check out the interview from jacaranda designs and new earrings for summer

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I was so honored when I found out that Jane at Jacaranda Designs wanted to interview me :) Please check out the interview at the following link: http://jacarandagal.blogspot.com/2010/02/etsy-artist-feature-designsbyros.html

Jane has such amazing jewelry that can be found at www.etsy.com/shop/jacarandadesigns

I would love to hear what you all think about the new collections, too.

Lemon Drop earrings with beads by Almost Precious on sale now in my Etsy shop

Bring on the new designs!!

So I realized after a few minutes of playing belly-tickle with Soren (now 6 1/2 months old) that wearing my Lilac earrings wasn't such a good idea... he decided that he wanted to play with the earrings while I was still wearing them (ouch!). Luckily, the ear wire that I have on these earrings came unhinged and didn't do any permanent damage (phew!). 

I got the hint... I need to design stud earrings if I want to wear my designs around him. So I'm onto a new design. I'm going to work with the summer colors (peach, watermelon, raspberry, lemon). Stay tuned for some amazing studs!!

Spring is just around the corner!!

I know that it may not seem like Spring is coming soon (especially for those in the mid Atlantic region!!), but we only have another six weeks of winter left (yipeee!). In celebration of the impending good weather, I have started to develop new designs that go really well with Spring's light-as-air and deconstructed clothing that was seen all over the runways.  

I decided to focus on violet and fusion coral this season. Check out what I've come up with so far...

Iris collection

More to come. Stay tuned....

Wire wrapped earring project

Hi everyone!

Happy Sunday :)

Here are some great (and easy) earrings to put together in a snap... for those days when you realize that you don't have jewelry to wear with that great new outfit.

Enjoy!

Materials:

Six inches of 24 or 26 gauge wire, cut in half. (gauge of wire depends on how big the holes in your beads are)

four 6mm swarovski crystals bicones 

Two square wooden beads

Two silver leaf beads

Tools:

chain nose pliers

round nose pliers

wire cutters

Step 1:

Take one of the three inch pieces of wire and make a loop on one end by twisting it around your round nose pliers until the shorter end almost touches the longer end

Step 2:

Slide one leaf bead onto the shorter end 

Step 3:

Wrap the shorter end around the longer end using your round nose pliers to hold the wire as above and your chain nose pliers to wrap the wire

Step 4:

String beads on the wire. In this case I placed the wooden bead in between two swarovski crystals, making sure to leave at least 1/2 an inch on the end.

Step 5:

When you have finished stringing the beads make a loop in the unfinished end with your round nose pliers.

Step 6:

When you have finished wrapping the loop until it meets the top bead, closely trim the end using your wire cutter. 

Step 7:

Attach the ear wire by slightly opening up the loop in the wire with your chain nose pliers. Slip the loop of the beaded earring onto the ear wire and close the ear wire loop. Repeat with the

 other earring and you're finished!!