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I spent eleven hours typing last Thursday.
It was the first day of applications for the BUILD A LINE CHALLENGE:
 | | Jewelry Designers and Artists: Be Part of the Build A Line Challenge; The B'sue Story |
I accepted 42 that day, and I'm so excited about it. We have ALL SORTS of great ideas and everyone is anxious to get to work. I will be stepping the members of the challenge group into a special Facebook page where they can ask questions and have discussions. The reason to separate it from the rest of the Creative Group is simply because if I didn't, I would miss a lot of important posts. It's a busy group and the feed rolls over fast.
THERE ARE THREE SPOTS LEFT (class will be SIXTY, max). I am no longer accepting any sea life, Steampunk or pretty assemblage floral lines, we have plenty. No one chose an animal or cat line yet, which is a great seller. I have only ONE all-brooch line. Brooches are coming back!
If you want in, contact me ASAP at [email protected] watch the video first as there are some requirements you need to know about.
You must be a member of the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group and you must have an active, up and functioning blog. You must be able to meet the THREE BLOG HOP dates, Jan 23, Feb 20 and March 20. B'sue Boutiques materials must be used prominently (but not exclusively).
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We have another very worthy challenge for everyone else to work on for the rest of this month and next month, if they would like!
NEW YEAR/NEW LOOK
Get out those old tired pieces that no one is buying and make them over! Why waste the components? Sometimes a little re-thinking is ALL they need.
Here's a video about it:
 | | Repurposing Your Own Jewelry Designs Into Work That Sells with B'sue and Donna |
For this challenge, please be sure to take a BEFORE photo as well as an AFTER......show us what you can do with some of that B'sue Doofus you have in your workshop!
And come upload your pix at the Creative Group and show us all how CLEVER YOU ARE! This challenge will go on all the rest of this month and next....so why not repurpose A BUNCH of your own old jewelry and work along with those of us who are in the special challenge?
NEW YEAR.....and NEW IDEAS will be FLOWING!
These are the pieces I remade in that video....the two in the middle sold RIGHT off!
Let's see YOURS! And hang on to the ones you re-do as we are going to add on to the new look you created with it in MARCH!
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BUILDING YOUR CONFIDENCE.....With Magazine Submissions
Here is a lovely necklace made by Cindy Cima Edwards, former member of the B'sue Boutiques Design Team. Cindy has written some very nice tutorials for our site, as well....
Find them here:
http://www.bsueboutiques.com/Articles.asp?ID=252
Cindy has submitted work for publication and been accepted many, many times. Here is her most recent submission to JEWELRY AFFAIRE magazine:
What a gorgeous layout!
The colorization technique she used is from this video:
 | | Making Cameo Jewelry: Use Gilder's Paste, Paints to Add Color to Resin Cameos with B'sue |
Actually I didn't even come up with the idea......Miss Kate did (Kate Mulligan, from Mulligan Stew Jewelry) and we did the video together on one of her visits.
Gotta tell ya......our resin cameos have never been the same! Not for me, anyway. I ALWAYS add color, now!
Cindy demonstrates a perfect magazine project in the photo above. She has acknowledged her source of inspiration, components (the magazines require this) and has set up an excellent tutorial that anyone could quickly learn and put together.
Have you ever thought about submitting your work to a magazine?
Crafts magazines have submission rules on a page toward the back of the publication. Keep in mind what subjects they suggest on those pages and what color palettes interest them for which issues. You could send in wonderful work and yet be refused because it doesn't fit with their color palette or the theme of the magazine. Don't expect to be paid for a submission; some magazines require you to send postage with your submitted piece in order to get it back. Expect that they will have your design for 6 months at least, even up to a year! The reason they may hold on to it is because they like it, but they have to wait til it fits in with their issue theme/color scheme.
Being published in a magazine is a real rush. It's something to share with creative friends, family and others who take an interest in what you do. It bolsters your confidence, develops discipline and use of time. Keep in mind, they mean business when it comes to deadlines.
In short, it's a good exercise for all artists and something you will want to try.....especially if the idea of being published fuels your creativity.
Those are the pros.....
There ARE cons:
Can you deal with disappointment and stay the course? There is a real possibility that it may take you several tries to get it right and be accepted for publication. And it may take a year or two---or more!
I have been published a number of times and there is nothing like the feeling you get when your comp copy arrives in the mail and there you are, in print!
I have also advertised in almost every jewelry crafts magazine you'll find on the stands. I did it for quite a few years. Some of our ads were large and had pictures of not only product, but things I had made.
Nary an editor took any notice of those things, many of which were customer favorites, using all the most current techniques. All were exceptional pieces.
The ads did little to promote our business. I will be quite frank and tell you I did it against good advice. It was money wasted. I doubt I will ever advertise in print again.
WHAT DOES WORK?
Go where the people are!! People are not buying magazines or looking at them as much as before. Why?
PINTEREST allows you to develop a project, tutorial and PUBLISH it yourself, ALL ON THE SAME DAY. No submission process, no waiting around. Recently posted tutorials are the LATEST NEWS in the creative world. You can ride the crest of that wave by working social media every day.
BLOGGING along with Pinterest (pin your project posts and how-to's there!) will get your name out there and get you sales as well. THIS is the way to develop a real following and make the money you need to become a self-supporting artist.
You will almost always sell the piece from your magazine article quickly, and maybe even a few more. BUT: You will reach FAR MORE PEOPLE and make a lot more money by being extremely active in social media.
I couldn't believe it: my most recent G/A (Google Analytics) showed that nearly half of my newer 'hits' were coming from PINTEREST, not even from Facebook, not this newsletter, not even my blog.
ALL of those media, however, go hand and hand. READ ABOUT IT. BE CLEVER. Work the REAL marketplace......and see your name recognition, brand and sales increase!
I don't spend time on submissions any more, although I would be happy to consider participating in a book project or write an article if approached.
For me, time is better spent developing my blog, working with my groups at Facebook, and giving my time to new artists and their dreams. I don't even think much about writing a book anymore.
For me, looking you in the eye and talking to you via video made that very same day is much more effective. I think being SHOWN a technique is better instruction for many new artists, too. We are a visual bunch!
Joan Williams of Lil Ruby at Etsy has been published numerous times as well. Here is a new piece she just completed:
We had a thread on this very subject at the Creative Group yesterday. Joan remarked that she loves to submit her pieces, and feels it's such a privilege to be selected for print. She also feels the process has given her great confidence, helped her to meet deadlines and learn how to best present a project.
AT THE SAME TIME, she agreed that you can do all of that, and yes your piece will probably sell, and your recognition as an artist may increase. She feels that hers, has. But she also mentioned that this is not a substitute for working social media.
It is still necessary if you chose to do regular submissions, to pin, blog, work the many avenues available to us on the Internet to augment and increase your efforts and make the money you need to keep going.
For me, I guess that's bottom line. There are only 24 hours in a day. Time IS money, and there are a lot of vendor bills to pay over this way. For me, my marketplace is and continues to be social media.
If you use B'sue Boutiques products and send in your work to magazines, let us know like Cindy did, that you've been published! We would all love to celebrate with you!
It would also be great to show your photo on the group, in my Gallery of Inspiration at the website, share it at Pinterest, etc.... hear about your experience!
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There are always perks to shopping at B'sue Boutiques. Special perks are always called out in our newsletter on Sundays, on the RIGHT HAND SIDE, middle of the column.
Our brass stampings are second to none because we offer STELLAR precious metal and artisan-inspired finishes, many based on vintage looks. Some of them you will not find anywhere else.
We're also committed to teaching you HOW to use what we sell, for free. You can look forward to more and more videos on unique uses for the things we offer:
http://www.youtube.com/user/bsueboutiques
Our shipping prices are VERY LOW, most orders ship out for 3.95 area. Over 100.00, shipping is FREE.
When your order goes over 100.00, the site AUTOMATICALLY gives you 10% off. You can enter any coupon or promo codes you may have from us and still get the extra 10% off when you make a larger order of 100.00 or more.
Please subscribe to our newsletter and to our You Tube Channel
Do you have video ideas that would incorporate items from our website? Let me know! We might just take you up on it and make one!
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Subscribing to this newsletter is fast and easy....just put your email in the box below.... and CLICK! NOTE: We NEVER sell or share our subscriber list with other companies.
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TWO won giveaway muses last week. Just drew the names today:
GLORIA ALLEN from Wings and Beads
and
SUSAN BOWERMAN from
Woodside Wireworks
PERKS THIS WEEK:
YAY!!! It's FREE STUFF WEEK!
I've got a whole basket of FREE STUFF packed up and ready to send out with your orders for 50.00 or more.....**JUST BE SURE TO ASK*** for one in the memo of your order. You gotta ASK!
(I don't have free stuff every week now, so you need to watch the newsletter for it so you can ask for it when we have it!)
ALSO:
Any order of 50.00 up at the B'sue Boutiques website may use the FIVEBUCKS coupon and get 5.00 off their order! And then.....
if you go on up over 100.00, the site AUTOMATICALLY gives you another 10% off AND FREE US SHIPPING, even **with** the coupon code!
(If you are outside the US and your order is over 100, you may request a 4.95 rebate when you place your order...please be sure to do this in the memo of the order)
The GIVEAWAY MUSE this week is FULL of GREAT STUFF YOU WILL LOVE TO USE!
Any of this look good to you? There is FIFTEEN FEET of vintage pearl chain.....and two of the French / English LOVEMETER spinners.
Have you ever tried one? They are amazing.
LOTS OF BRASS STAMPINGS.....the big cresecnt, luggage tags, fancy big pendant hearts....and tools! a bracelet bending bar and a pair of our famous metal shears.
Don't worry if you have a pair already. I have THREE and no one is allowed to touch any of them, here. I can misplace them ALL BY MYSELF, thank you! LOL
HERE IS THE WHOLE THING...over $200.00 worth of brass stampings and goodies!
There are TULIP BEADS, highly detailed owl stampings, flying bird pendants, spoons, forks and knives in brass.....what fun! a jumpie tool, microbeads, and layers deep of beautiful raw brass and brass ox stampings and charms! And ALL THAT CHAIN.
I also threw in three pieces of B'sue jewelry I had out front in the shop---the WINNER can re-do them for the Jan and February challenges! There is an amazing inked flower pendant, a purse pull on a long chain with lots of cool charms on it you can strip off ...and a nifty resin cabochon pendant on a very long length of our famous brass ox bead and link chain!
TO WIN:
ANYONE who logs a qualifying order of 35.00 can win, no matter if you're in the US or an international or Canadian customer.
EVERYONE also receives FREE SAVINGS COUPONS when they order at the website OR Etsy!
Will announce this week's winner in Sunday's newsletter and on the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group
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THE B'SUE BOUTIQUES COMMUNITY BEGINS with YOU....is all ABOUT YOU....and is FOR YOU.
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at B'sue Boutiques Creative Group
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Don't forget to check out the weekly new offerings in our ETSY 'backroom' shop, bsueboutiquesupplies
Have a wonderful, creative week!
XOXO
B'sue
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