How did you promote your art and your online presence?
I really concentrated on creating an online presence this year...
- opened my Etsy shop
- started my blog
- occasional contributing author on the Etsymetal blog
- opened a flickr account
- was accepted onto trunkt
- invited member on Handmade Contemporary Jewellery
- joined facebook, crafthaus and twitter
- launched my new website (still working on some glitches)
- mailed postcards to craft show retail customers, informing them about my new website, Etsy shop & blog.
- answered a few blog interviews
- upgraded my lup rocks designer account (this happened at the very end of the year...but it still was 2008!)
- advertised in NICHE magazine and the Buyers' Market of American Craft's show guide
- participated in co-op advertisement in American Craft magazine (with 9 other artists)
- participated in co-op advertisement (for Etsy) in BUST magazine
- participated in co-op advertisement in American Style magazine (with 3 of my galleries)
- participated in co-op advertisement in New York magazine (with CBL Fine Art)
- blogging / a tiny bit of html
- refined my digital photography and Photoshop skills
- I added both retail & wholesale customers to my mail list...but I no idea how many.
- Frank Stankus of the Jeweler's Resource Bureau (via emails)
- Brian Clarke : amazing master silversmith (via smithing workshop in Ireland)
- Steve Midget : mokume gane jeweler extraordinaire (via Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show)
- several members of the Etsymetal team : always supportive, challenging and an invaluable resource for knowledge and inspiration!!!
- I helped Alyson1234 and many others on Etsy with wholesaling issues, resources, etc.
- utilized new logo (which was designed 11/2007) on business checks, address labels, invoices & letterhead
- developed a tagline
- logo promo stickers (for jewelry boxes, envelopes, etc.)
- stock # labels w/ logo (for wholesale orders)
- postcards ( as mentioned above)
- sinking & crimp raising
- crimp raising
- opened an Etsy shop (I was concerned that my work would not fit in and that my wholesale customers would not be happy that I was selling online)
- several small monetary donations to various charities
- National Museum of Ireland (the Archaeology & Decorative Arts sections)
- The Georgia Museum of Art (The Ring Shows: Then & Now and Putting the Band Back Together)
- Gem Show in Asheville, NC & several suppliers that were exhibiting there
- I also discovered many resources that I haven't used yet, such as ponoko...
How did you improve your studio habits?
- didn't
- Craft in America, PBS documentary series
- not a book but a blog: Jewelry Business Guru
- not a book but a blog: Wholesale Matters
- not a book but a blog: Ask Harriet
- attended Brain Clarke's silversmithing workshop
- didn't
- Etsymetal !!!!
- ACC (membership only - no active participation)
- Southern Highland Craft Guild (membership only - no active participation)
- 2008 NICHE Awards Finalist (in 2 catagories)
- INDESIGN magazine, “neck and neck” July 2008
- INSTORE magazine, “men’s jewelry” June 2008
- NICHE magazine ,“Sparkle, Dazzle and Shine” Spring 2008
- Jewelry Resource Bureau website, "What Works: Selling Your Goods on the Etsy Craft Site" written by Frank Stankus
- and several blog nods....
- NICHE Awards
- Saul Bell Design Awards
- I cut back on hired help (regular employees and sub-contractors). For the first time in 7 years, I had only a few weeks of hired help . This was a good and a bad thing...
- I opened my Etsy shop! As I said eariler, I was worried and doubtful about Etsy. However, it ended up benefiting my career in many ways:
- I sold well above my goal on Etsy
- I received a few engagement ring / wedding band commissions through Etsy
- I gained a great wholesale account through Etsy
- I discovered and was accepted into Etsymetal (an invaluable resource of information, inspiration and friendship)
- learned about blogging, trunkt, flickr, twitter and crafthaus; all via Etsy or Etsymetal
- I was interviewed by Frank Stankus of the Jewelry Resource Bureau about my experiences with Etsy
7 comments:
Thanks for sharing your accomplishments Danielle, you are always an inspiration. Also, thanks for sharing those blog links, some great ones that I didn't know about.
I will have to try listing my accomplishments out too, that's a great idea. I'm always beating myself up for not working on things every waking breathe. (Therapy has taught me to take breaks and relax. Still trying to get better at that without feeling guilty.) Thanks Danielle!
You got a lot accomplished this year!
i dont really have "goals" i go with the flow... i mean i have goals in life which dont change but i switch back n forth with things but never give up on the things or ppl i love..
Your jewelry is awesome! I really love the contemporary look. It is very different from the work I do.
Impressive! ... and inspiring. I think I'll be keeping better track of my accomplishments now. It's amazing all you were able to get done in a year. Keep it up!
-beautiful work, btw.
Its definitely about time I concentrated on my accomplishments instead of all those things I wish I had done. Thank you :)
You were buzy in 2008!
Thanks for the mention Danielle.
Hopefully 2009 will be the year when people start to "get the idea behind the HCJ Project", giving artists more time at the bench!
If you want a tip for 2009 I would recomend Google Friend connect. Which is basically a "bolt-on" social aspect for your site: but more than that, as people carry the same profile across the web with them.
You can impliment it easily here on blogger, but I would recomend that you make your domain the base URL and then add the blog as an additional URL, as that gives you more control over the canvas (full page view).
You can see Google Friend connect implimented on the HCJ Project. If you don't "get it" or need help adding it then just ask.
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