Just A Few Notes

One- Check out Beaducation's Facebook fan page and read the review I got to do of the new Soldered Rings & Bezels DVD! They're hosting a giveaway as well!

Photo from the Beaducation blog

Check out their blog for details! CLICK HERE

Two- Don't forget that the coupon code YEARONE is good until Aug 20th in the shop as a part of my one year on Etsy anniversary!

Three- To continue the festivities, there is a great selection of items for sale over on the fan page. These are priced so that I don't have to take them when I move, celebrate my one year and show off some new designs!

Finally- Keep checking back both here and the fan page so that you don't miss out on any chances to get some early holiday gifts! New items are being made every day and they'll go out regularly so that you always have something available.

Speaking of, check out the new birthstone bracelet that was just put in the shop this morning!

The Yellow Ribbon bracelet also got a bit of a makeover. The new larger ribbon is now on it so the yellow really pops out and can be seen. There is still a $5 donation to the USO with every purchase.

Time to Celebrate!

I've reached my 2011 Christmas goal early! I set out to get 100 sales by the end of the Holiday season in 2011 (or Christmas) and I was blessed with sale #100 last night.

There is so much going on, I'll try to remember everything I want to say.

First- THANK YOU! I started out making small pieces for friends and family and didn't think I'd be where I am so early.

(Found this Noahs Ark themed Thank You at RoseMaryCompany.com)

Second- Check out the totally kick butt giveaway from Beaducation on their blog(<--click the word BLOG)

Third- There are some big changes coming, everything will switch to either silver plated or copper with sterling being an optional upgrade. There will also be two new chain options thrown into the mix. I'm doing this because the cost of the sterling chains have more than doubled and I doubt your wallet likes the unnecessary expense without it being optional. Silver plated is just as beautiful!

Fourth- For MY celebration........A GIVEAWAY AND A SALE!!! First thing's first. The sale. Use the code NUM100 for 15% off of your order! This code will be posted in the announcement, twitter, Facebook and here for EVERYONE to see and use.

Want to win one of these unreleased designs for FREE?




*don't worry, they'll be personalized for you* ;-)

Comment below for one entry. Earn extra chances of winning this great prize, post a link to this blog post (not just my blog as a whole) on your blog, Facebook (be sure you're a fan so you can link to my Fan Page) page, or your Twitter feed (use #Made_by_NAC on Twitter so I can see it).

Make every social post a new comment here. All bundled in one will be one entry. For example, one comment to enter, one comment to let me know you posted on FB, one comment for Twitter, etc.

Comments can be taken up until the evening of the April 4th. The morning of April 5th I will announce the winner that is drawn at random!

Wow, that's a lot of options!

As I work to build up the options and variety offered in my shop, I worry that it might become confusing. There are different sizes, different metals and what seems like endless mixtures that can be used.

The Stamps:

Right now, these are my most current stamps. I say that because I just ordered an adorable bird and elephant! Anyway, back to the point.

As you can see there are three different sizes with six different fonts. Basically my sizes are, big, regular, tiny. The top that says Big is obviously the big one. It's 1/4" and all upper case. "Upper", "lower fancy" and "Upper fancy" are all 1/8". This is a common size used anywhere you find stamped metals. Tiny, is of course the smallest at 1/16" and all uppercase. A good diagram can be found at Beaducation.



The same goes with the design stamps. The majority are 1/8" sized, but the larger ones, like the top row, wings and angel pictured above, are larger, nearly 1/4".


There's also a very large variety of things you can stamp on. Discs, squares, washers, rectangles, cuffs, earrings, dog tags, keyrings, and the list goes on. There is also a variety of metals; sterling, nickel silver, aluminum, brass, bronze, and copper. I currently use all the metals I just listed. Sterling might get toned down more or even phased out because right now, it's at $40 an ounce.

Well, what does that mean for you as a customer?
With the price of sterling going up over 80% in the last year, so does your price you pay. The market may fluctuate, but it has not and will not go down for some time.

Why consider other metals?
Nickel silver and aluminum are fantastic options. Not only are they the same silver color you love, but they also do not tarnish as easily, show scratches as well and are thicker allowing for less damage to happen. They are easy to keep clean and show off beautifully.

What about copper? I turn green!
There is a small percentage of people who have an allergic reaction to copper. What you, or I, can do to prevent the ring of green, is to put a layer of clear nail polish or a product, called Jewelry Shield, onto your item. This gives a protective coating preventing you or your item to be bothered by any allergic reaction!

I'm off to change a bunch of pictures and stamp some things! Have a great weekend. Take care.

How has my business changed?

I've been going at this for 6 months now (just hit my 6 month-aversary on the 19th) and looking back, I think I've gone forward very well. Sure my path may have had pot holes, speed bumps slowing me down and stop signs making me take a break, but I've loved it.

There are two changes that really hit me the other day. My product (given) and my photos. I no longer use a plain white background, I use color. My practice has made perfect.

This is the best example I've found. On the left is my very first calendar necklace. The right is one of the most recent.



Instead of straight on photos against white in a harsh light, I use soft light against a colored background at an angle. I've also gotten better about lining the numbers/letters.

Who knew metal stamping could be so much fun and so hard at the same time? I remember when I first got my practice set, I thought "how hard can this really be? You put numbers and letters next to each other.....". I guess I learned my lesson. I've gotten some great advice from Beaducation and fellow stampers on Etsy along with a couple of those who have provided my supplies!

Now, 6 months later, I'm finishing my first wholesale order, preparing for my 2nd jewelry party, designing lines of products and scheduling work hours. I know about taxes, suppliers, packaging, shipment, cost of goods sold and how to write a line sheet.

Who knew........

Take care and enjoy your week!