New Year's Etsyloutions

Eight Resolutions for 2008

1. Make more than I spend. Now that I have most of the supplies and tools that I need, hopefully 2008 will bring more profits.

2. Create my own website. I basically have my Etsy Shop to my liking within the boundaries that Etsy sets, however, I'd like to get my own domain name and host and create a website that I have the ability to set up more creatively. I would like to link it to my Etsy shop at first, and eventually sell off my own website as well. Of course this will mean getting a Computer Lingo/English Dictionary.

3. Master the bead loom. My sister gave me a beautiful wood bead loom. By master the bead loom I mean have the ability to thread it up in less than an hour and I would like to eventually like to work up to pattens of people and objects. For now I am working on some basic patterns. Very, very basic patterns.

4. Wireworks. Santa brought me a wire jig for Christmas, and I've since been playing around with some patterns,and trying to come up with patterns of my own. It would be great if I could make my own hook clasps. I also have a Wire Gizmo for creating wire spiral designs which i have yet to open. Of course there are my crocheted wire pieces I'd like to improve. I still have no idea how much wire I need to pre-cut for them and I typically come up too short. Instead of simple chain stitch pieces, I'd love to make more involved chokers and bracelets. Wire wrapped stones create a beautiful look, so I'd like to get more involved in that as well.

5. Make more polymer clay beads and pendants. The great thing about making polymer clay is that while it is time consuming, you can make so many beads in your own style cheaper than what you can buy them for. I see polymer clay beads in bead stores and craft shops and I figure a bead that sells for 60 cents probably used only 5-10 cents worth of raw materials. Of course time and effort are accounted for in the price, as well as the cost of the tools to make them. I could help accomplish Etsyloution #1 by making my own supplies and pendants.

6. Educate myself. This is a broad goal. I would love to pick up a random gemstone and know what it is. There is a rock and mineral store in Maine near where my family lives, and next time I'm in the area I really want to check it out. The problem with gemstones for me is that when I list them in my store, I don't always know what they are. By giving them their correct name would generate more traffic to my items in customer searches. I never guess at a name, so if I don't know I just describe it by the color of the stone, and sometimes post the picture and ask for help naming it. I also need to educate myself on using certain websites for marketing and promotion, such as Flickr, my blog, and of course my future website. It would be a shame to pay for a domain name and leave it as a blank page.

7. Project a month. My sister got me an awesome project a month beading calendar for Christmas. Even if I can't find the same exact beads, I want to do something as similar as I can every month. She also got me some subscriptions for some beading magazines for my birthday, and my mother-in-law, Diane, got me a few magazines for Christmas too!!!


8. Not letting my work consume my life. While running my jewelry shop requires dedication, time, and work to get business coming, I don't want it to take up all my free time when I could be enjoying other hobbies and my family.

Happy New Year!!!