List Love

Lists on my desk this week

Home

1. Clear out walk in cupboard which hold pots, dishes, laundry centre and miscillanious items. At the moment things are being strateigically placed so they don't fall on the floor instead of being neatly away. I have to get this sorted this week before I break something!

2. Get all my pictures up on the living room wall in a cluster type collection. I think I have about 15 pieces to go up and I am fed up looking at the canvas thingy I did years ago and looks unfinished.

3. Write some letters. I have 4 people in my life I want to send a lovely letter too this week.

Jewellery Shop

4. Work on some new brooch designs, in metal and fabric. I have so many ideas floating about and don't really know where to start, so I know I just have to start making and see where I go.

5. Make up some Christmas Gift sets. I would like to offer a package with earrings, a bracelet and a card. I plan to have at least 2 listed by next Monday.

Papier Delights

6. List the new ACEOs I made this weekend. Looking at my photographs of these is making me think I should re take some of my other ones and keep the feel the same. I plan to list a new ACEO a day over the next few weeks and if the sun breaks through the clouds tomorrow I'll re take some snaps.

7. Do more doodle embroidery. Instead of watching TV at night I have been stitching away. They can maybe end up as cards but for the moment I'm just trying to sew for an hour a day.

What are on your lists for this week?

the leaves are falling

winter leaf charm bracelet

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."

Emily Bronte

some other leafy inspiration:

mystify print by Sherri Conley on Etsy

leaf the place to buy leaf teas online

leaf mobile tutorial - design*sponge

Weekend

It has been a lovely lazy weekend.

Saturday I started working on thank you tags for my shop packaging which meant emptying out my collage box and finding lots of things I had forgotton about. Having been inspired by lobster and swan a few weeks ago, I decided to use here 'washing line' display technique to share some of the loveliness I found.

washing line #1

A little while ago I had a collage frenzie and make up lots of little pictures and ACEOs to add to my other shop. But I didn't ever get round to listing them. I think deep down I knew there were a few I wanted to keep for myself, so put them into a folder. The fist picture hanging on my line is a small collage using a piece of recycled cereal box, book and old atlas pages and lovely printed papers.

So after finding these pieces and I got to work on some tags and come up with a new design for the gift boxes I use to post out my designs. I wanted something simple yet special and am happy with this.

And yesterday was spent eating breakfast in bed, reading the paper and snuggling with Pablo. Just perfect.

New Jewellery

Cream, Gold and Topaz Brooch

Copper and Topaz Wire Wrapped Ring

Some new designs inspired by my "Golden" post the other day.

The sun is shining today so everything on my desk looks sooo shiney and bright. I'm going to spend the rest of today working on some more brooch designs and some new bracelets with new supplies which arrived this morning. Oh, I love it when the postie rings the bell, I know then that he is holding a package from foreign lands with shiney things inside!

Something a little Bit Different

My New Collection of Wire Wrapped Delights

I have been working on this new collection since last week and am in the process of listing them all in my shop today. All my newletter subscribers should all be opening my very first newsletter with a little treat inside!

The idea for these rings came from a friend who wanted a special commission for his wife. It has been a long long time since I worked with wire so I was a bit nervous at first. Lots of scraps of wire now sit in a pile on my desk from designs that didn't quite work, but that is sometimes the way!

I am really enjoying working with my semi precious stones and sculpting designs which compliment my other jewellery, plus I'm getting new ideas for earrings, so it is win, win, win for me. I am working my way along stedily to reach 100 listings and Tweeting as I go. I have found so many new interesting folks to follow. So I'm balancing my time between making, twitter, the forums and listing.

I ot some exciting news the other day, one of the galleries who I sell to is taking my jewellery to the Scottish Homes and Interiors Show! I'm hoping to head along and meet up with them and maybe make some new contacts. I aim to find another 2 new wholesale contacts before the end of September. Have you read this great article by Plumeadore? It's a must if you fancy giving it a try.

A New Look

So, what do you think of my new look packaging?

When I first opened my Etsy shop, 2 years ago now, I wanted my packaging to be simple and stylish. The kind of wrapping that was like a gift and something a bit special. So I hung my jewels from blank greetings cards, with my shop sticker on them, popped them into a plastic sleeve with another little sticker to close, and then wrapped each one in layers of tissue paper and ribbon. So many customers got back in touch to say how beautiful the packaging was or that they had sent the piece on to a friend and they said how great it was!

But things took a shift when I was filling my orders from the Etsy Weekend Deals promotion. All the jewels were made up and ready to package, and I realised that this system while fancy and smart was taking me ages to do and was there for costing me in time and materials!

So I decided to think of another way of packaging my designs which would still be a delight to open, have all my shop info, be protective to the jewels, be easy to put together and most of all be economical. This is where my new look idea sprung from. I found lovely boxes, designed an insert on Illustrator and printed them off on card. I spent last Saturday night printing out and cutting up 100 of them to go into each box and now they are ready and waiting. I love it when I find a solution to my business problems, and this one has saved me 20 mins per package!

This weekend I spent lots of time working on new designs, and had great fun creating some new earrings. I seem to go through phases, and for a while all my ideas were for bracelets, but I seem to have come round to dangly designs again. I am still working on getting over 100 pieces in the shop and balancing getting some wholesale orders away. I want to have a varied selection in stock for Christmas time and know from experience I need to be doing it in August.

What are your earlybird plans for Christmas this year?

My Etsy Experiment

This necklace, "Evening Garden" is going to be listed tonight in my Etsy shop. It is a beautiful gothic inspired design, using a row of 5 beautiful semiprecious moss agate cubes. The neckalce chain is a fine gunmetal and measures 18".

It's priced at $20, but for all you lovely blog readers, it will be $10! Just type "EG09" into 'notes for seller' and I'll refund you through Paypal. I only have materials to make 5 of these and when they are gone, they are gone!

I'm still working on my new range "Let me tell you a story" an eclectic mixture of my collages and jewellery. I'll be launching the jewels on Tue 7th July at 8am GMT and reopening "Papier Delights" then too.

But now a little insight into how my Etsy experiment has been going, what has worked and what just has not! Brace yourself it's a long one, maybe grab a glass of cold juice.

Week 1 25.05.09 - 01.06.09

My starting stats:

75 sales,

605 hearts

a -10% drop in visits on my Google Analytics report

opening my shop on 1st Oct 2007

I decided on that day that I was going to invest £10 / $16.40 into listing new items and renewing excisting items. And that I was going to read everything I could about selling on Etsy including the Etsy seller handbook, forum posts on marketing, and all the articles in the Storque. This as you can imagine took time, lots of time, but I feel it has really paid off.

*ESH - http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-etsy-seller-handbook-all-our-how-tos-about-selling-2383/ . I decided on my goal for the experiment - a sale a day. (This always helps to keep me focused.)

Then I decided that if I was going to list 3 new items a day 5 days a week that I better start making! I made up 15 new picecs and started photographing them. It was at this point that I decided I needed to find a new background and retook all my shop listing photos for continuity.

I signed up for Twitter http://www.titter.com/laurabaillie and started looking for some interesting people to follow and started posting little random snippits of infor about my day, and commenting on other peoples posts. I posted a Tweet when I listed a new item and found my item views jumped from 0-5 to 10-15 depending on the time of day. My biggest tip here is not to post links to your shop all the time. It gets dull for your followers and I have found myself unfollowing people who do this.

This led me to look more into my GA stats. I could see there that there were definate times when I was getting more visitors to the shop and decided to capitalise on this, listing at these times. For me here in the UK this meant a few last nights! I could also see more clearly how people were finding my shop, by keywords and referring sites. This allowed me to adapt my tsy listings tags and put more effort into the places people were finding me. Read more here http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/google-analytics/ to get the most from your GA stats.

This was where I invested my time in week one, keeping a daily note of all the promoting I did, hearts and sales. And I made 3 sales in my jewellery shop and 4 in my other etsy shop http://www.laurabailliedesigns2.etsy.com so that was 7 sales in total.

My shop hearts had risen to 646 (up by 41) and my GA view % was up to 200%

Ok, so a lot of work for only 7 sales, but for me this was amazing. It was working out as a sale a day which is my new goal and I was delighted!

Week 2

02.06.09 - 09.06.09 I carried on with the same amount of listing, renewing and kept up with Twitter and my GA stats. I went through all my listings and sorted out their tags. Making them more rlevant to the piece. This article really helped me out -http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/guidelines-tips-tagging-on-etsy-281/ .This week I made another 13 sales. That is almost 2 sales a day! By this point I was dancing around with every new sale! My shop hearts rose again to 670.

Week 3 10.06.09 - 17.06.09

I made 3 sales, a dramatic drop. This was around the time Etsy changed the way the search engines found our shops. I'm not going into all this here and now but I saw a dramatic drop in views on items, and visiors to my shop. I made a decision this week, there have to be ways around this and good uses of my time just now while things are slow. I dropped the amount of new listings I was putting up and renewing I was doing. This was a difficult decision to make, I wanted to keep myself at the top of categories but at the same time wanted to keep within my budget. I felt a bit discouraged this week, things had been going so well and the SEO thingy just seemed to be messing up my experiment. So I decided to turn this negative to a postive and come up with some new designs and started working on my new range "Let me tell you a story" (launching on 7th July) (shameless plug!!!). My hearts this week rose again to 690.

Week 4 18.06.09 - 25.06.09

Again this week things moved really slowly, another dramatic drop in my views, visits and all round interest. I am totally aware of how things go up and down in retail and the effect the SEO was having on lots of sellers, but again I did not give up. I did still keep listing and renewing to 3 or 4 a day just a my highest visitor times. I kept tweeting and finding new people to follow. So many interesting folks out there, well worth a shot. And generally just tried to keep my spirits hight and focus on the bigger picture - my goal - a sale a day.

This week I made 10 sales. A huge 7 to one customer who found me on someones blog who featured my paper shop and this led them to my jewellery shop. This proved to me how when I keep positive and focused things do happen. Again I spent more time planning my new range and found some new consignment/ wholesale customers. My hearts at the end of this week were 725.

Week 5 26.06.09 - tomorrow

This week has been different to the past 4, I have had computer trouble, which is sorted now. This threw me off a little but meant I have been focused more on making and planning. All systems go again with my internet and I have been listing more and renewing. I am still Tweeting, but definately less than weeks 1 -3. I have spent quite a lot of time this week exploring new venues to sell on, new boutiques to contact (inspired by Plumeadore's forum post http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6201294) And planning my for the launch and my next rough 4 week plan. This week I have made 1 sale and now have 742 shop hearts. This week I have seen quite clearly that when I step back from the intensive promoting and listing new designs, I get less views.

I'm going to carry on this method and will keep posting updates every Friday on my blog http://www.laurabailliedesigns.blogspot.com. Trying new things and tracking what is working and what is not. Overall I have learned some valuable things:

1. The more time, energy and commitment I invest in my Etsy shop the more sales I get.

2. Not to let myself get drawn down when things hit a slump. Use this time to refocus, make and plan.

3. There is so much help and advice aound, taking the time to read it and use it pays off!

xoxox

Discoveries on my journey

"Moondrift" bracelet in the shop

Just a little update to let you know that my experiment is going so well, 1-2 sales a day!

I am twittering, commenting on blogs, reading everything on Etsy's Resources section and listing 1 or 2 new items a day. This is me now into week 2 so at the end of this I will have a fair idea of what is really working. During my reaserch I have found some really helpful tools, this one in particular, an Etsy Fee Calculator. On this site you can work out how much your fees are costing you, along with your time and materials allowing you to work out the base line selling price for your items. It was a real eye opener for me for some of my listings, so I have them sorted now!

I would like to say a big thank you in this post to MrLB, Stuart. Over the last week he has stepped into the role of delivery man for me. Last night he even stuck postage labels for me so that we could watch a film together. He is so supportive of me and my business, always encouraging me and his practicle mind finds simple solutions for my problems.

Things to do today

make soup- lentil and carrot (MrLB came in with a 1kg bag last night!)

hang out another washing - must make the most of sun in Paisley

make 2 new pieces of jewellery - wedding themed I think

photo, fix and list them - just after dinner

source some new findings - I have an idea! (I'll fill you in when they arrive)

do the dishes - my least favourite job at the moment

What is your least favourite job to do today?

x0x0x

Big Thank you!

A big thank you to everyone who came along yesterday and visited the shop for "Fancy Friday". It was a great success and a lot of fun! This afternoon I am trying to make up some new designs, but the sun is streaming in the windows and we have friends coming over for tea, and the house is a tip. My studio for once is very orginised and tidy, but everywhere else ............

So I think I have no choice but to get Daisy (the hoover) and a duster out and get stuck in. Maybe inspiration will strike while I am doing the dishes.

I almost forgot, 3 new little birds came into my life last week, and aren't they sweet? The 2 little blue and white ones came from a dear friend of my Mum's, Christina. And the soft pink one hanging beside my button heart was from my dear friend Holly. (She also made the button heart!)

Fantastical Friday

I have had a lovely quiet day today, it started a bit rough with a sore throat and runny nose but things got better after an afternoon snooze then a visit to my Mum to fix her kitchen lights and MrLB's Mums' to set up her wireless router. (MrLB is a good man!)

But on to the important stuff, I know it is a bit last minute but tomorrow I'm having a

FANTASTIC FRIDAY in the shop

12am-12pm GMT

All necklaces will be reduced to $17 / £10.50 for Friday only. And a little bonus for all my friends in blogland I'm offering you FREE SHIPPING. Just leave the code "FF01" in the message to seller box and I'll refund you the shipping costs! Spread the word and the code if you like!

I'll go now and make up some new necklace designs so there will be a couple of new delights for you to chose from.

x0x0x

Who is coming to tea?

A Fanciful Twist has sent out her invites for this years "Mad Tea Party" on the 27th June 2009. Would you like to join us?

I am loving all things Alice at the moment so I will be having a themed party right here on the day. You can join in by visiting her blog and registering and then on the day post up picstures, video or words about your very own tea party. And you get to stop by all the other Mad Hatters' blog who are joining in.

The desk clearing is still in progress but already looks so much better and now feels so much more enticing to creative ideas. [I'll post up some before and after pics tommorow!] I am going to finish off today and get started on the shop revamp too. I have some beautiful new creations waiting to be listed.

Two sides

I have just finished making up another wholesale order and took some time this weekend to do some more mixed media pieces. After waiting and really looking forward to it I was kind of stumped at first by what to do, then after all day Saturday doodling and layering papers I had a break through on Sunday. "Call me" I don't know where I'm going with these maybe more phones, old radios, clocks? But I'm having fun doing them anyway.

"Eilidh Rose Necklace"

Today I have been making up some new designs for the shop and loving using some of the new beads I got through the other day. My favourites at the moment are the tear drop Amazonite stones. I love the colour and who they shimmer.

I have a huge list this week of things to so that I can have a work free weekend. It is Pablo's birthday, our 2nd wedding anniversary and Valentines day all in one weekend. I got my bo this fantastic print from EyaWeissbein's etsy shop. It is called "House down the street".

What's on your list for this week?

Its cold out side

Just been out for a brisk walk with Pablo and it is really chilli! I need need need to find my favourite hat. It is a real mystery, I wore it last on Friday afternoon and I am so sure I hung it up next to its other half ( a lovely tick, warm and funky scarf), but now it is nowhere to be found :( On the plus side, isn't Pablo looking fine after his strpping session? I think he looks like a diferent dog.



Now I feel I must explain my blogland abscense, and no I can't blame the lost hat. I have in fact been very busy. I have been making lots and lots of Christmas cards, which will be being delivered out to customers tomorrow and Thursday. After much deliberation and experimentation I found that birds are still my inspiration.

I have been making lots of new jewellery too, I love these necklaces and have made this one just for me! You can see the rest of my new creations in the shop.

I also went on a grand thrift shop last week and it was heaven. I got these two beautiful old frames which I have grand plans for. I bought a whole bunch of these old books and a set of leather bound Charles Dickens too. Time was not on my side, my bo, who had nipped away on his lunch break to help me carry things home, was putting me under pressure. So we are going back on Wednesday to collect a beautiful dark dresser, table and more frames! Maybe even a rustic old brass mirror which I love, but really have nowhere to put. But I don't think I'll let that stop me!

What have you bought yourself that you really didn't need but just had to have?

xoxox

Crafty Monday Night

Photo from Etsy Lab 09/09 page- designer not known

My mini book template

Last night I stayed up late and joined in a virtual Craft Night in the Etsy labs. The project for the evening was 'mini books'. So while I sat at home in my Pj's folding paper, a group of keen crafters were sitting doing the same and discussing their dinner plans in the Etsy labs in Brooklyn!



Last night I made my fist mini book using a magazine page and stuck white stickers on it to write on. But during the night I kept waking up and doodling in my notebook all the ideas I could use my mini book for. So this afternoon while putting some new goodies in the shop I worked on Illustrator designing my first of many.

I am going to use these as little flyers to hand out to people showing them my jewellery and include them in with orders. But of course I can't stop there, tonight I am going to work on another special mini book for all my lovely blog friends! For the moment you'll just have to imagine what delights I have in store...........

Inspire me Thursday

Wardrobe

This is another piece from my Dancers collecion, and I have been brave and started to list them as prints in my shop. I have also been using them for cards which a going down really well, even getting me a whole sale order from a very special shop.

I am really enjoying this way of working, and they are a subtle contrast to my playful birdie cards, which are the child in me, he he he.

Well I am going to be busy for the next week so I have decided to run a little competition!

I am looking for new artists to discover, so leave me a comment with an artist that inspires you and one of my dancer prints will be heading for a wall near you!

I'll draw a winner on Sunday 23rd August 2008.

Good luck x

Update:Mon 18th August

"Doorway, Old Aberdeen" by lornasmithstudio

Something strange but delightful happened the other day.

I got chatting to one of my neighbours the other day, and you will never guess what, she has an Etsy shop! Her name is Lorna and her shop is lornasmithstudio, where she sells her beautiful art work. She studied Craft and Design at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen and also has a MA (hons) in History of Art. What a talented girl! And how lovely it is to have found a kindered spirit on my doorstep. Plus she is a mean cook too, we went round for tea the other night with her, Mr LSS and their little poppet and we laughed and chatted into the wee small hours. She is in the beginnings of making a nest in blogland too, so I want to wish her lots of blog love, and I'll be keeping an eye on her blog too!

I think something is brewing

Meet marie, she was born yesterday while I was taking a break from the commission I am working on this week. I am really enjoying doing tis, so much so I ordered some felt to make up little accessories for them! Maybe when I have refined my designs they will make their way to the shop?

I am also pleased to report that I am filling my journal pages with little bits and pieces and am nurturing lots of new ideas but I am not sure quite where they are leading me yet, but the journey is exciting! I found this site the other day called 43things, where you can list your lifes goals and people can join you and share your goals. I have opted to keep mine private but have printed off a list, yes another one of some of my goals for 2008. It is quite fun to look and see what other people are aiming for, there are another 4381 people wanting to become financially independent! Happy weekend to you all x

Day 7 - How I got my groove back

My creativity seems to come in waves, some days I can come up with 100's of new ideas and others it is just the same idea over and over again. Over the last few days that has been the Yibbles, but everytime I try the computer shuts down. Now as you have read over the last few posts this has become a pattern. Yesterday, I just sat, and looked at the screen for about an hour and it came to me. I love doing Yibble doodles in my journal, I really love making the fabric ones and I have made quite a few now for family and friends and they are happily in new homes. So, I have decided that their adventures will continue as doodles in my journal and the fabric dolls will be liberated. I am having a Yibble Liberation! So I'm going to set them up in the shop and find them new homes and adventures aroung the world. I have a few to finish today, so later I'll let you see who's who and set a date for a shop update.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours making up birthday cards and pulled out the beautiful fabric remnants I got from starlitnest and decided to work on my birdie collection, and I had such fun. I am going to work on a little range and I'll let you see them finished. Happy Friday :)

Etsy Sale

Well, that is me I have finally reached my 100th post! So in honour of this I have opened the sale in the shop. I have also added a few new bracelets and there are new earrings to come this week. I have spent most of today photographing them and getting the listings ready to add over the next few days. I have also decided to change the way I name my items and have gone for French girls names. This way they take on more of an identity and are a little more exciting sounding. What do you think, something a bit different or simple description?

"antoinette"

"aurore"

Happy Tuesday evening, off now to tidy my desk and read my book!

Midnight Sparkles

Just aded these and some other little delights to the shop, I love them and have just finished a pair for myself too! I have used fresh water pearls, hematite cubes and black diamond swarovski crystals, and they really do sparkle. Sorry this is short one, but busy busy busy with a huge list of things to do.

Chocolate inspired

One of you, and you know who you are, suggested making some chocolate inspired earrings, so here they are!

These "Topaz Triplets" are in the shop now. Well I'm going to go now and turn this computer off and set up my desk to make some new charm bracelets. I was looking through the shop today and realised how bracelety bare it is, time to bring in some fresh sparkles. And if I have time I'll work on Stefan....... a new Yibble perhaps?