I'm On TV!!!!!!

...well that is to say my work is in a commercial on TV for the nice store/gallery I've been telling you about.

The camera panned around the store resting briefly to look upon the work of several artists and my work was one.

What a kick to be sitting there watching TV with my husband last night and to suddenly see a commercial for Tres Jolie De Bend and then to see my work shown...Really, that is a "first" and after 20 years selling my work there aren't too many "firsts" at this point. I've had articles written about me for magazines, ads in magazines, written articles for magazines but never had my work on TV.

What a kick...

Meantime, Etsy sales are steady everyday at least one, sometimes two or three or even four.

It's cold and snowy here in Bend, Oregon, USA and so I'm spending a lot of time in front of the fire, been making watch movement pendants for the store which have been selling as well as earrings selling too. So I'm content and ready to make more earrings to restock.

Also getting ready to teach my January business class for artisans in Portland too. That should be a lot of fun.

I'd love to hear what you all are up to these days.

Write me here or at:

nanettedesigns@earthlink.net

Best,

Nanette

4 Sales In One Day and...

several yesterday...Must be my Christmas rush. It's about 50/50....half of my Etsy sales are miniatures by nanette and the other half are supplies from steampunk suppliers.

And I now have my work placed in that lovely store downtown I mentioned in a previous post. This is a unique situation. I have done a bit of consignment in a few stores which, as you know, I don't particularly like because store owners tend to push and sell what they have paid for and so consignment merchandise tends to gather dust.

And over the years I've had my work in over 400 stores (not on consignment), but this store arrangement is a first.

Here's why: I rent shelf space for a small fee each month and then I get to keep whatever dollars I sell without a split with the store. That is unique!!!! I think sometimes antique co-operatives do this but I have never heard of crafts being sold this way.

I am happy with this arrangement because I drop by the store every so often and replenish what has been sold.

The other news is that I have been designing NEW things for the store in addition to my miniatures which have been around for awhile. I may even put some of my steampunk finished pieces in my steampunk suppliers Etsy store online as well.

I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, I am still here in Oregon, (USA), up in the snowy mountains, sitting in my living room cozy in front of the fire. Winter has only just started and weather will be this way as late as March or April. So I hope I am kept busy with those orders coming in as they have.

Love,

Nanette

www.etsy.com/shop/miniaturesbynanette

www.etsy.com/shop/steampunksuppliers

A Very Nice Gift Shop....

So on Thursday I had a "regular" type job interview. It was not artist related work but did involve some creativity....Thought I did well at the interview but found out yesterday, Friday, that I did not get the job but am on a potential list for after the first of the year.

As I often say, "It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick"...

And yesterday I took my work and my displays to a lovely new store in our cute downtown shopping and tourist street. They gave me a lovely space in the shop, shelves made to look all vintage. I thought my work looked great all set up. It's not consignment either!

I had added to my usual collections 5 necklaces that I just made with watch movements and lockets and watch faces and little birds. They looked great!!! I really hope they sell because it was so much fun making something new for a change.

I was also able to display over 100 pairs of earrings. I hope they sell as I have so many pairs of earrings waiting for good homes.

I've also been getting Etsy orders slow and steady, both stores....

And today...........today I am sick with a terrible head cold, all stuffed up, sneezy, ear ache, scratchy throat. And it's just as well as it is snowing very heavily here in Central Oregon (USA) and I'm on the couch with a big wooly blanket and the fireplace is going. My cat is in front of the fire and I am about to have a hot lemon and honey tea.

I'll feel better soon...

Love,

Nanette

Back From San Francisco and...

....got all my orders out...

There's a new gallery store in my town, right downtown on the quaint boutique row......I'm putting my work in there tomorrow. It's not consignment but it's not an outright sale either.

The artists pay a very small monthly fee for nice shelf spaces...It's a beautiful store but there will be and is a lot of merchandise so it's possible that my little miniatures may get lost amidst all the other jewelry and gifts. I plan to volunteer my time and draw interest in my work while there. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I have a a "real" job interview on Thursday. It actually could be an exciting job helping people who come to our hospital's emergency room find the right care for their non-emergency needs.

I'd have a desk at our hospital which is gorgeous. It might be fun having a real job for a change instead of the constant scramble of Etsy stores, coaching , and teaching. (I am teaching in January so I'll still have my hand in.)

Not much else news wise except that we had a warm and wonderful family Thanksgiving in SF and I ate my fill even though I promise myself every year that I will go easy. Didn't gain any weight though so I must not have acted out too badly.

The steampunksuppliers store is bubbling along at a nice pace. Have 17 sales since opening last month and I'm told that is good. I just listed 40 new exciting findings for unique jewelry designers, and miniaturesbynanette is doing fine too so we'll see what happens.

Stay tuned!

Love,

Nanette :-)

I Taught The All-Day Classes...

Well, I did it....I flew down to San Francisco from Oregon and taught my classes all day yesterday at B.A.B.E., Bay Area Bead Extravaganza. Got paid too!

The number of students who attended each class was satisfying, just right in fact, so that every student was able to get some personal attention pertaining to goals.

The first class was The Art Of Selling Your Arts And Crafts. The students were eager and hungry for information about how to move to the next level in selling their crafts online, at shows, and to stores mainly. I feel good about the goals each student left with for moving forward.

The second class was Getting Your Work Into A Gift Catalog, which I also felt was successful. A lot of information was fed to the students but they did not seem overwhelmed. In fact, they seemed excited and again goals were set toward moving forward.

I believe some will, as a follow-up to the class, actually, work toward getting their work into fine gift catalogs, and some will purchase my tutorial about getting their work into catalogs as well: (www.etsy.com/shop/miniaturesbynanette) .

In the meantime, I scoured the bead show, and some antique shops for unique and wonderful findings and baubles to fill my Steampunk Suppliers store on Etsy, items that will enhance the work of jewelry artists in unique ways.

A number of students expressed interest in one-on-one coaching about their work so I will keep you posted.

All in all, the day was very fulfilling not the least of which was because my daughter was with me the whole day assisting, so I am beaming this morning.

Love,

Nanette

www.etsy.com/shop/miniaturesbynanette

www.etsy.com/shop/steampunksuppliers

You Know Who Made The Money During The Gold Rush???

You know who made the money in California during the gold rush??? Not the gold miners...

It was the people who sold the supplies to the gold miners...pans, shovels, picks, Levis were invented for gold miners you know.

So, I opened Steampunk Suppliers on that premise...on a hunch: that the stores on Etsy that were making the sales were not the artists who so lovingly poured all their creativity into their work.

The real sales were happening in the stores who were SUPPLYING the artists. So, for Steampunk I stocked my store lickity split with all the excess paraphernalia and jewelry dangles and ornaments that I have accumulated as a jewelry designer over the years.

And what do you know.........sales!!!

11 sales in just a few days.

But wait....There's more!

11 sales in my jewelry store too!

Guess this is where my theory falls through. YAY for theories falling through!

Love,

Nanette

www.etsy.com/shop/miniaturesbynanette

www.etsy.com/shop/steampunksuppliers

www.etsy.com/shop/earringexplosion

P.S. Do I mind trekking through the freezing cold snow to the Post Office for the past few days? NO!!!

The Orders Are Rolling In!!!