Heirloom Memory Necklace: August 2010

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: lotus blossom, tree of life, flaming heart milagro, and karma wave
materials: aquamarine, carnelian, turquoise, lemon quartz, prehnite,
iolite garnet, brown pearl sterling silver chain and wire, and gold filled wire

Wow I can't believe it's almost October! I almost forgot to post the latest design change to my Memory Necklace.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: lotus blossom, tree of life, flaming heart milagro, and karma wave
materials: aquamarine, carnelian, turquoise, lemon quartz, prehnite,
iolite, sterling silver chain and wire, and gold filled wire

I made one simple addition, and I feel as if the necklace has always been waiting for it. Like a character in a play that finally enters the scene and rounds out the cast, my Karma wave charm wire wrapped to iolite gemstone has become the perfect side kick to my Zen Lotus focal point.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: lotus blossom, tree of life, and karma wave
materials: aquamarine, carnelian, turquoise, lemon quartz,
iolite, prehnite, sterling silver chain and wire, and gold filled wire

The concept of karma varies according to the Indian religion you are studying, but the idea I gravitate towards is one that grew out of Jainism. Here is a description from Wikipedia:

"In Jainism, karma is referred to as karmic dirt, as it consists of very subtle and microscopic particles i.e. pudgala that pervade the entire universe. Karmas are attracted to the karmic field of a soul on account of vibrations created by activities of mind, speech, and body as well as on account of various mental dispositions. Hence the karmas are the subtle matter surrounding the consciousness of a soul. When these two components, i.e. consciousness and karma, interact, we experience the life we know at present."

The way I interpreted this idea was that our futures are the product of choices in the way we think and act. We have the power to create our karma in every moment. If I imagine myself as the Peanuts character Pig-Pen walking around in a cloud of karmic dirt, and each particle is a magnet attracting its perfect partner, then what do I want these fragments to look like? Every day I get to design the intention charging the particles that inhabit the sphere of my soul.

Memory Necklace 2010, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)
silver charms: lotus blossom, tree of life, flaming heart milagro,
bluebird of happiness, karma wave, and cross
materials: apatite, aquamarine, carnelian, turquoise, lemon quartz, iolite, peridot,
prehnite, garnet, brown pearl sterling silver chain and wire, and gold filled wire

Last month after completing my 120 day Bikram yoga challenge, I had several peak experiences where I proved to myself that I have the ability to create my karma simply by choosing how I think or how I react to a situation. It felt like hitting a home run, and afterwards I wanted to get up and do it all over again.

I've realized that it takes an enormous amount of patience, concentration, and a belief in the validity of my intentions. More importantly, no matter what comes, I know that it is exactly the thing I've been wanting to move me forward into the next moment.

May you enjoy the karma wave that is coming your way and moving you forward too!

Hello Gorgeous: Twenty Question Tuesday

Doesn't this picture just make you smile?

The first time I popped over to Hello Gorgeous and saw this pinup I just giggled my heart out. It's not surprising because the beauty behind Hello Gorgeous is Sue Hodgkinson, a woman who always seems to have something to funny say that gets a belly laugh out of me.

Sue Hodgkinson features a blog series called Twenty Question Tuesday, and today she added my answers to this growing list of artists. I love these list of questions because it always helps me gauge where I'm at in the present -- what is the same for me and what may have changed. I hope you'll stop by her blog and to check out her Twenty Question Tuesday series, meet other artists, and have fun answering them for yourself. Or try following her clever Wish List -- a series that makes me want to hire Sue as my personal shopper :)

Thank you to Sue at Hello Gorgeous for inviting me to answer these questions and helping me play more when things were getting too serious!

Hedgehog: Compassion for Defensiveness

Stickly-Prickly, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry):
silver hedgehog or porcupine charm

Don’t take it personally, if my quills puff up in defense of myself. For heaven's sakes, I’m a hedgehog. It’s my nature to be gruff and prickly. I’ve got to protect this darn soft, silly center. Though I may lack a certain warmth and graciousness, I come with a good instinct for self-preservation. Love me for who I am, and I’ve got your blind side covered for life.

Any Season Earrings: Tree of Life

Tree of Life Earrings, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry):
silver tree of life charms, sterling silver wire,
mixed green, yellow, blue, black tourmaline

I created these Tree of Life earrings while thinking of fall, but looking at them now, I'm guessing they could be worn at anytime of the year. I was imagining birch trees with their bright yellow leaves against a brilliant blue sky, but they could easily symbolize a sunny spring day with green leaves ready to unfurl.

Finding a timeless color scheme like this one tickles my fancy because who wouldn't want to wear a favorite pair of earrings year round. Usually turquoise is my any-day-of-the-week stone, but these mixed tourmalines I found buried in my stash are just too darn lovely to go unused. Do you have an any season gemstone or color scheme you like to use?

Behind the Scenes: Finding a Metal Casting Company

Sterling silver charm collection, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)

Everything was going swimmingly...I had developed a delightful business relationship with a company that was willing to take my silver metal clay charm models and cast them into sterling silver. For almost a year now I had been diligently building up my collection of sterling charm designs. Each month I was moving up my mountain of a project step-by-step. The momentum was thrilling and exciting!

Then last month the wonderful people fabricating my charms at Sierra Pacific Casting, Inc. made the difficult decision to close their metal casting business and transition to doing solely CAD design, prototyping, and mold making. They are now called Sierra Design Studios. Whoops!

Normally, this radical detour might have caused some panic and send me scrambling for a solution. However, I experienced something quite different this time, and I'm confident that I owe my response to my 120 day Bikram yoga challenge.

For the first time, I was able to feel sad about the loss of this business relationship and what this change might mean for the people at Sierra Pacific Casting, Inc. while also believing that something else must be on its way towards me. Feeling sad yet embracing happiness at the same time. This was a big step for me.

More importantly, I stopped worrying about what was going to happen next. I'm confident that I will find another company to fabricate my charms and that this business relationship will be just what I need.

Has this kind of thing happened to you before? You like a certain store or product and then they go out of business or modify their offerings. You have to change, be flexible, and adapt to a situation without getting lost in the attachment to something that is no longer there.

In managing Hint Jewelry, I have had to switch directions a number of times when suppliers go out of business or change products. Usually, I get cranky when these modifications happen because I love when life is running smoothly. I'm the person who gets excited when my favorite brand of toothpaste is still on the shelf because all feels right with the world!

This time I've chosen to be comfortable with the unknown. I can see how it's all going to work out, and I'm already grateful for the generous people offering suggestions as to where to head next. The underlying point I'm trying to make is that you can use your business as a means for practicing the process of adaptation. I've started to recognize that Hint Jewelry is teaching me how to sail with grace through rocky seas by having faith in the process of living.

I am still researching which metal casting company to use for my jewelry, but I am grateful for this list of resources that has been provided by a number of thoughtful souls. None of these companies come with an endorsement from me, but if you are looking to get your work cast I hope this list will help you along the way.

Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America Buyers Guide
Mesilla Valley Casting, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Larry Paul Casting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Carrera Casting, New York, New York
Mel Harris Casting, San Francisco, California
AU Enterprises, Berkley, Michigan
Art-Tech Casting, Scottsville, New York
Robert Snell Casting, Grass Valley, California
RaceCar Jewelry Company, Inc., Cranston, Rhode Island
Billanti Casting Company, Inc., New Hyde Park, New York

Raven: Seeing Truths

Shadow, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry):
silver raven or crow charm

Flying to the ends of the earth and back again, Raven whispers in your ear thoughts and memories of the world. Seeing through lies and polite polished selves, Raven lives words in the moment, stripping away doubt and speaking from the center of things.

Autumn Story Necklace

Autumn Story Necklace, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry);
sterling silver charms: tree of life, squirrel play, and zen leaf
gemstones: peridot, carnelian, citrine, brown pearl, ruby, apatite

I've been wanting to tell this autumn themed story for quite some time. I could spend all day looking out my window watching squirrels run around the tree digging for morsels while the leaves are gently falling.

Autumn Story Necklace, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry);
sterling silver charms: tree of life, squirrel play, and zen leaf
gemstones: peridot, carnelian, citrine, brown pearl, ruby, apatite

What a joy to finally put this cast of characters together in a necklace with some southwestern inspired gemstone colors that remind me a of sunny, warm fall day. What's your favorite autumn inspired story?

The Beginnings of a Mighty Oak

Hope, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry):
silver acorn charm, sterling silver chain, peridot,
citrine, amethyst, plum and brown freshwater pearl


Blessed fall color...bring it on! I'm ready for it. Aren't you?

Visiting The Detroit Zoo

Last month I had an opportunity to visit The Detroit Zoo while in Michigan. I hadn't been there in quite some time and was amazed by all the new exhibits and their stellar educational program. I was zooming around the park with my niece and nephew, but I managed to snap a couple pictures. I can't tell you what they are, but maybe you can! Could this one be a moth or is it a butterfly?

I think this is a butterfly in mid-flight.

Haha! Can you see how I was literally being tugged towards the next exhibit? The birds were strutting...I was on the move...everything was a wonderful blur of fun and excitement. I thought the color of these birds was so inspiring that I decided to share them with you nonetheless. Are they ibis? After working with Egyptian ibis sculptures I always imagined them to be white feathered birds. When I saw this scarlet color my imagination exploded!

Behind the Scenes: Selling Wholesale

Level Up! Wholesale and PR from I Heart Art: Portland on Vimeo.

Last month I attended the local Etsy I Heart Art: Portland workshop Level Up! Wholesale and PR. I've posted the video so you can see it for yourself; however, I've summarize some of the new things I learned during this class.

First off, I'm not ready for wholesale. Ahhhhhhhhhh :) This realization was actually a huge relief for me to acknowledge. I won't get into all the details, but the big picture is that I don't feel like I have all my ducks in a row. Needless to say, I will continue to diligently build stock in Hint Jewelry's sterling charms while coming up with a wholesale plan that works for me. With that said, here are some of the things that I found both interesting and refreshing to learn.

Happiness

Level Up! was presented by Amanda Siska of Bread and Badger, and I liked her immediately because she started off with the idea that most important thing is to "be happy in your business." Yahoo! I could gather from this statement that she had already experienced some of the pressure of supply and demand that I have been facing over the last year, and that she had come to some realistic decisions about Bread and Badger.

Salary

You need to pay yourself. Whoops! This is something I haven't done yet, but it has been a nagging notion in the back of my head. Amanda Siska makes the point that not only do you need to be aware of how much you are earning but how much you are wanting to earn. Definitely a shift in thinking for you and your business to thrive.

Grass Roots Advertising

Amanda Siska claimed that early on she spent a lot of time on traditional press releases that may not have panned out. She emphasized that focusing on blogging and sending short emails with attachments to editors of online magazines led to more visible results.

Wholesale

Amanda Siska said that she is most often contacted for wholesale orders through her Etsy shop rather then her web site, which made me realize that the investment in Etsy as a marketing tool is worth it.
She recommends that before you launch into wholesale to be sure that you are ready for large scale production. In her presentation Amanda uses a graph from Paul Gerhard's How to Sell What you Make to illustrate the point that you need to understand the limitations of your production and pricing. Questions to ask yourself:

1. Can I create enough product to make it pay off?
2. What are my physical limitations to making a profit? (i.e., can I really fabricate 200 necklaces in a month to cover all my costs if I sell at wholesale prices?)
3. Do I have my retail and wholesale pricing at the level to cover all my fixed costs?

Pros: fewer packages, limitless possibilities, spend less time making a product by contracting out, and generate sales in the off season

Cons: less profit per item, more work production, may have to change packaging, probably have to hire help, and might need more storage space

Another interesting tidbit Amanda Siska shared was that not all stores will reorder from you. She experiences only about 10% of her wholesale customers reordering. I found this idea reassuring because it made me realize that wholesale shoppers are a lot like regular customers. What someone might be interested in now might be different later on, and I don't need to get caught up in taking a wholesale business relationship personally if it doesn't lead to further growth.

I also liked how Amanda Siska strongly encouraged us to come up with our own payment terms instead of using the traditional method of Net 30. She most often receives payment up front from PayPal or a credit card and this eliminates chasing down a customer.

***********

I came out of this Level Up! Wholesale and PR workshop with the feeling that I am empowered to make decisions about how my wholesale business runs. I don't have to follow traditional guidelines for public relations or payment terms. There is no rule book out there that is going to ding me, if I decide that I will only take wholesale orders over $200. The most important thing is that I remain "happy in my business;" otherwise, everything else will fall apart.

I hope you take the time to watch this video if you are thinking about selling wholesale or you have an Etsy shop. Amanda Siska's experience selling her wares through Bread and Badger has been a great opportunity for me to learn more.

Fall Color & Persian Inspiration

Persian Fawn, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry):
silver charms: deer, zen leaf, and lotus bud
gemstones: carnelian, citrine, peridot, apatite, spinel,
moonstone, amber, tourmaline, sapphire

Fall is probably the time of the year that I feel most in tune with nature, and I've been longing to use my Deer Medicine charm in a necklace to celebrate the season.

Persian Fawn, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry):
silver charms: deer, zen leaf, and lotus bud
gemstones: carnelian, citrine, peridot, apatite, spinel,
moonstone, amber, tourmaline, sapphire

What a wonderful surprise when I looked at Art Bead Scene's September challenge and saw this illustration by called Persia by George Barbier. A wonderful example of a pochoir print, this illustration is definitely influenced by Mughal and Persian miniature paintings. I'm completely drawn in by how George Barbier used the repetition of a sinuous line in the woman, musician, fawn and tree branches to create an incredibly elegant composition!

Persian Fawn, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry):
silver charms: deer, zen leaf, and lotus bud
gemstones: carnelian, citrine, peridot, apatite, spinel,
moonstone, amber, tourmaline, sapphire

I wasted no time putting together imagery and colorful gemstones that remind me of this Persian styled print. Using my Deer Medicine, Zen Leaf, and Lotus Bud charms, I wired wrapped a plethora of tiny gemstones in orange, yellow, green, blue green, and brown to delight in the colors of fall.

Behind the Scenes: To Renew or Not To Renew in Etsy?

How often do you renew an item in Etsy?

When I first opened Hint Jewelry, I felt like a fish out of water. Relisting (or more accurately called "renewing" an item currently for sale)? What's that? Why would I want to pay to refresh an item in my shop that I just listed yesterday? Like a confused little fishy stuck in a spinning whirlpool, I watched other busy shopkeepers, got advice from friends, read articles and then after much thought dove into the Etsy renewing game.

Here's the story of how I became an avid Etsy renewer, what experiments I did that changed my mind about the process, how many items I renew daily, and what I believe may be some visible results.

In the beginning, I renewed a couple items once a day during the morning hours. I was a casual renewer. Other shopkeepers informed me that they considered their renewal fees an overhead expense and put it in the category of advertising. This was an awesome idea to me, and when I calculated it in my head 3 items x $0.20 x 30 days = $18.00 per month seemed pretty inexpensive.

Later I became more adventurous, and as other shopkeepers have advised, I renewed multiple items at various times of the day. This was fun for while, and I never really got hung up on when I renewed or how many. I'm guessing that at this point I was spending perhaps $30 a month on renewing.

The turning point came for me when I read this blog post in Etsy called The Numbers Game: Ratios and Your Shop's Popularity. Basically if you read this article, and then calculate the ratios for your shop you will be able to fill in the following statements:

I need ______ people to heart my shop before I probably make my next sale.
On average, I will get a sale when _______ more people heart my shop.
Historically, for every ______ persons that hearts my shop, I will then get one sale.

The number I filled in at the time was 3 (currently the number is 1), and the smallness of this ratio blew me away. All I needed was three people to heart my shop, and then boom a sale. I decided to test out this article and began a strategic renewal program that varied between 10 to 20 items a day for about a month.

From this experiment, I learned a couple of interesting things. The more you renew the more people find your work to include in a Treasury, which then takes your item and exposes it to a larger audience. Potentially this Treasury could hit the Etsy front page and share your work with even more people...are you seeing the vast opportunities here? The more I renewed, the more Treasuries I became a part of, the more business connections I made, the more shopkeepers helped me sell my work (I just won an advocate of my work at a mere $0.20! Someone who is going to market my jewelry for me while my artwork helps them build their own following), and the more people learned about my shop. Bottom line, the more I renewed the bigger my Hint community grew.

I also noticed that as I renewed more often, I generated more sales, and then consequently paid a larger Etsy fee at the end of the month. Nevertheless, this Etsy fee (including commission) has stayed consistently at only 5-6% of my gross sales. According to the experts less then 5% spent on advertising is not bad for a small business. Since my sales to advertising ratio has stayed constant, then I've assumed my renewing has had a positive influence on my business.

One last tip that I discovered is that if you have items in your shop that fit a seasonal theme or niche market you want to reach (i.e., yoga fanatics), then it helps to renew those items most often so as to draw the right people into your shop. For instance, during July, I started renewing all my lion charms for people shopping for a special Leo gift. This fall I will renew more sugar skull, moon, owl, and acorn charms. Even if someone doesn't make a purchase or even click through to my shop, my photography may have caught their eye, and they will file it away in their memory for next time.

Keep in mind that all this information regarding renewing is based on selling charms as beading components, which are small ticket items. I'm not sure if this experience would hold true for selling a finished piece of jewelry or bigger priced work of art.

Here's my last two cents on this process. Many people including myself are resistant to the idea that Etsy may be generating unnecessary money out of me by renewing. However, I have definitely proven to myself that in order to generate more income I actually have to let more money flow out into the world through advertising and marketing so as to build a bigger audience.

Welcome Home, Sierra!

It's been a long wait, but the right kitty found a home in us. Meet Sierra, our newest edition to the family. Championed by my husband's love for a tortie kitty, Sierra's sweet spirit has fit perfectly into the heart of our family.




Only four months old, Sierra, our rescue kitty, has seen both a tremendous amount of misfortune and love. Born during the spring, Sierra at four weeks old was abandoned along with her litter mates when her owners decided to relocate.

It was our good fortune, that Sierra was accidentally found by a kindly realtor before she passed away like the rest of her band of brothers.




Sierra's story starts out grim, but through the amazing loving hearts of two foster families, this beautiful survivor has developed an inner strength that has me transfixed.




Many thanks to the blessed soul who rescued Sierra, to the foster mothers and fathers who have patiently nourished and loved her, and to the Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals (OFOSA) for keeping her safe so she could find a home in us.

Gem Stories: Sapphire

Crescent Moon, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry):
sapphire, freshwater pearls, sterling,
and fine silver crescent moon charm

I love the deep blue sapphires in my stash and always feel a sense of calm after wearing them out around town. Come to find out sapphire is the Prozac of my gem collection, acting as a wonderful antidepressant and encouraging inner peace.

The birthstone for those born in September, sapphire is the wisdom stone, guiding kings and emperors while offering protection from the madness of falling love. Although I don't know why anyone would want to miss out on love's wild ride!

I definitely feel a kinship with sapphire and its sometimes mysterious ocean blue color. Sapphire feels like a reliable, steady-as-she-goes type of stone. Like our boys and gals in blue, a sapphire is going to show up for me and be there through the roughest seas and darkest nights.

Sneak Peek: Fall 2010 Charm Collection

Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry):
silver crow (raven), batgirl, hedgehog charms

I don't want to say too much because I have quite a view surprises to reveal this coming holiday season, but here is the first small wave of new charms that I will be adding to Hint Jewelry this week.

To kick off Halloween, I've designed a spooky little bat that is just the cutest thing. I've also been pondering hedgehogs over the summer, and at the last minute came up with this clever image using texture and contrasting shapes that gives me the chuckles whenever I see mama and baby trudging along next to each other. Finally, I've launched my much awaited crow (or raven) charm, which has been on my list for quite awhile. Luckily, he burst on the scene this summer after witnessing many of these lovelies hang out at our backyard birdbath.

I still haven't found the right words to describe these new beauties, but in the meantime I hope these animal spirits capture your heart as they have mine.

Will you be mine, Miss Kiki?

Miss Kiki, photograph taken by Sara Riddle
featuring Be Mine heart charm from Hint Jewelry

What a delightful surprise to have Hint Jewelry charms featured on the blog of Sara Riddle -- one of my favorite photographers. Isn't this the most endearing photo? Meet Miss Kiki, one of Sara's four-legged friends and morning wake up call. Here Kiki is sporting Hint's Be Mine heart charm along with all her other vital statistics.

I told Sara that I wish my cat wore a collar so he could have a piece of my heart around his neck every day! I'm just tickled pink that Hint Jewelry charms could be talismans for animals too :)

If you are a jewelry designer that wrestles with photographing your work, be sure to check out Sara Riddles post on Hint Jewelry, for she out did herself with some inspiring images and helped me see my charms in a whole new light.

Transitioning into Fall

purple coneflower

I'm back!

It was wonderful to have the last couple of weeks in August to enjoy the sun and catch my breath before the holiday season. I've been busy and am looking forward to sharing more about what I've been making, but until then I snapped a photo journal of my perennial garden transitioning into fall.

Perhaps many of you are still enjoying warm, summery weather, but here in Portland, Oregon we are back to crisp air and cold rain. For the first time I actually feel ready to enjoy the cooler months cuddled up with a cup of tea, a book, and a warm kitty by my side. It will be nice to watch the outdoors do its thing while I use the fall and winter season to get creative on the inside.

I hope you are doing well and have been taking some time out to enjoy the final days of summer. Have you seen some signs of fall in your corner of the world? Are you thinking of taking on any new projects for this fall and winter?

perennial garden

tickseed

catmint

catmint

Gaillardia aristata

parsley

basil

tomatoes