Super Cool Online Magazine

Happy to say that I was contacted by the publishers of an online magazine to be featured in their premier issue. The magazine is called Dress It Up Magazine and features all the latest trends and tips for fashion.

I love the fact that they are geared towards artisan made accessories. The premier issue, which can be found here, features my triple stack gemstone sideways cross bracelets on page 15. I am  honored to have been chosen.

Some of the articles included in this issue are

• Why Accessories are important
• Trending Now
• Artist Interviews
• Necklace lengths and necklines. 

The Magazine also has a Facebook page that can be found here

Holiday Sale Through December 15th

The holiday savings continue until December 15th. Great deals on handcrafted artisan jewelry and accessories. Like these just listed.

Jet Black Crystal Bracelet Woven Wide Cuff Style

Wire and Bead Crochet Necklace

Gemstone Slab Necklace in copper

Small Business Saturday

November 24th is Small Business Saturday®, a day to celebrate and
support the local small businesses that boost the economy and invigorate
neighborhoods across the country.
Pink Sunset Jewelry Designs is proud to take part in Small Business Saturday, and we’re encouraging everyone to Shop Small® here on November 24th.
Plus, we’re having a special Small Business Saturday offer! Shop with us online at www.pinksunsetjewelrydesigns.artfire.com on November 24th and you’ll get 
30% off everything in the studio (excluding gift certificates). Use promo code SBS30 at checkout.
To learn more, visit ShopSmall.com.

Hardware Jewelry

I was shopping in Home Depot and had an idea come into my head when I came across some different brightly colored electrical tape. I'm always looking for new ways to make jewelry. I like to incorporated different items and techniques. I have always been fascinated by jewelry made from hardware items.

Hmmmm. What could I do with that? I grabbed some and then kept walking up and down the aisles. Clear tubing....sure. Some nuts....okay.  Something to connect the tubing.

This is what the finished product looked like. Just as I saw it in my head. How cool is this. Bangle bracelets. I have some fine tuning to do, but I am more than happy with the results. I think I might use the heat gun to "shrink wrap or even melt the tape" into position.

I also got some larger tubing and plan on using it to make some necklaces with leather.

Please comment and let me know what you think of these. 

Necklace lengths: Which one is right for you?

Necklace lengths: Which one is right for you?

Choosing the right necklace length is an important factor to take into consideration while buying jewelry. Jewelry can enhance your outfit or your body.

Do not underestimate the importance of size when buying jewelry Whether you're trying to find a necklace of appropriate length for a formal gathering, wishing to accentuate your best features, or wanting to deemphasize your flaws, you need to be armed with knowledge about how size affects the way jewelry looks. Use this guide to the terminology of jewelry size and the related tips to pick the perfect jewelry for you.

No matter what size necklace you choose, there are some things that you should keep in mind. If you want to look taller, choose a necklace that falls below the bustline. If you're 5 foot 7 inches tall or taller, a necklace of any length will look good on you. Long, thin necklaces will look good if you have a small bust. Women with larger busts should go with necklaces longer than 22 inches. If you have a long neck, choose a short necklace with multiple strands. Ladies with shorter necks look best in long necklaces.

 

Collar (12’’-13’’): Collar sits snuggly on the middle of the neck, and can be worn a

s single or multi-strand.
Princess (17”-19”): The princess length is very popular, lies just below collar bone.
Matinee (20”-24”): The matinee drapes on the chest.
Opera (28”-34”): Opera drapes extravagantly to one's mid-section.
Ropes (Over 45”): Recently popular, rope length necklaces are elegant, sensual and sexy.Ropes can be looped, wrapped or draped as desired. Ropes can also be used as double-strand necklaces or multi-strand bracelets.
Lariats (Over 45”): Lariats are long like ropes but have open, unattached ends. They can be loosely knotted in the front or wrapped around the neck.

Black Friday through Cyber Monday Sales

This Friday, November 25th starts the biggest sale weekend of the year and I'm going to play. My handcrafted jewelry studio, Pink Sunset Jewelry Designs will be having an unbelievable Holiday Sale.

I have a variety of jewelry including handcrafted Artisan necklaces, rings, bracelets, anklets and pendants. Crafted out of sterling silver, leather, Swarovski Crystals and pearls and semi-precious gemstones just to name a few.

Everything in the studio will be marked down 25%. But wait! There' more. I will also be including FREE shipping to anywhere in the US. And there's MORE. (Do I sound like an info-mercial yet?) I will also provide complimentary gift wrapping if you want.

You can get steals like this one, a turquoise magnesite gemstone slab and sterling silver necklace. Regularly $38, will be marked down to $28.50. That's a sterling silver necklace for under $30.

Or how about a handcrafted leather and gemstone triple wrap bracelet like this one:

Regular price already low at $35...will be $26.25

The sale will begin Midnight on Thanksgiving and will end Midnight on Monday November 28th.

Don't miss out on this fabulous sale.

 Wear Something "You-niquely" You

Give a unique handcrafted gift this Holiday Season!

Visit ArtFire to see more wonderful handmade items that will satisfy all your gift giving needs

Happy Holidays!

New Direction Sterling Necklaces

Sterling Gemstone Crystal and Pearl Neck...

Curated By: PinkSunsetJew...

ArtFire.com

Craft Tutorials

Competitive Pricing

Pricing my handmade jewelry at PinkSunsetJewelryDesigns.artfire.com has been an area of the business that always frustrates me. There are many theories and formulas that have been mentioned on how to price your jewelry creations, or any handmade creation for that matter.
I understand that we all want to make a profit on our items. So we figure in materials, overhead, our time etc. and come up with what we feel is adequate profit for us.  I've heard some say that if you price it too low, you are portraying your creations as "cheap". Still others have said that if you price your items too low, you are doing a disservice to other jewelry making Artisans. Others have said that if you price them too high, they will never sell. I, myself, believe that it is a personal choice. I have been told that my prices are too low for handcrafted jewelry, but nothing gives me greater pleasure that to see someone wearing my jewelry creations. So do I keep them low and watch people around me enjoy wearing my art, or do I raise the prices and let the item collect dust?
There has to be a happy medium. It is said that if you choose to price your items high, it needs to be something unique, that a small number of artisans make. Otherwise, savvy shoppers will opt for the less expensive version of the same item. The area of jewelry making is a very saturated market. It's difficult to create something so unique due to the sheer number of us out here on the web.
So my question is. Do you sell you items at a higher price, yielding a higher return (if you happen t sell it and it doesnt sit on a shelf for a year). Or do you lower your price to be competitive with  other jewelry makers.
I would really like for you to comment, honestly and weigh in on the controversy.

Broaden Your Customer Base with International Shipping and Metric Conversions

When I first opened my shop, Pink Sunset Jewelry Designs, on Artfire, I only shipped within the US. My initial worry was the cost. How much is it going to cost me to ship to, say, Europe or Australia. What about customs, fees, taxes. Those fears kept me from offering shipping to anywhere but the US. When a customer shopping on my Vintage store (Back In Time Vintage Jewelry), requested to know if I would be willing to ship to the UK. I admitted to her that I was very green when it came to international shipping. I did tell her that I would research it and get back to her. Come to find out, that was just the push that I needed. And, in the end, it was rather painless. I sell small/light items, most under 5oz.(142 gms) so the shipping around the world was less than I expected. The next day, I recieved a sale from a lady in Germany.

It opened another world, literally, to my customer base. The views picked up rather quickly when I added International shipping. Think about it, research it at the US Postal Service website.

The second thing I am in the process of doing, is adding product sizes in metric. I have seen this requested by some folks on a forum thread.  If Google is your search engine, you can just hover over the length or size and you will get a pop up with the conversion. But not everyone chooses Google as their browser. So I have been trying to update my site with the metric conversions in order to make it more informative for current and potential customers.

The bottom line is...listen to what potential customers say.