Copper Wire Jewelers Welcomes Member #400 - Danette Steimle

Please join me in welcoming Danette Steimle, our 400th Member at Copper Wire Jewelers. A multi-talented Jewelry Artist  who creates dynamic and exciting pieces from her "little yellow house on a hill in the countryside of Brush Prairie, Washington.", Danette tells me much of her inspiration comes "from sitting and just looking out the window at my view."

Like me, Danette loves pearls and it's evident when you visit her new site Fine Windings . Touch of Lavender, one of her favorites and mine too is a cascade of lavender fresh water pearls and sterling silver which you can find right along side the equally lovely Gold Class with, you guessed it, gold pearls and gold filled wire. Yumm! But Danette's not limited to just pearls and incorporates stones, crystals and of course Copper in her work. Fine Windings is for her richest pieces but if you are on a bit of a budget, and who isn't today, you also need to visit her Etsy store Fine Windings on Etsy which features gorgeous jewelry for under $50.00.

Our 400th member is a life long crafter, creating with her hands since her teens. She has enjoyed "crocheting and knitting, stamping, scrap booking, painting, making jewelry, beading, sewing and decorating. Currently she's crocheting Shopping Bags and always has a project waiting to be worked. With a thirst for knowledge, Danette, strives to learn so that she can master, not just play, at the craft work she loves. I often warn people of the addiction that is wire wrapping and Danette's been bitten by the wire bug. She says, "It wasn't until last year that I started wire wrapping, and I instantly fell in love. I don't think a day has gone by that I haven't created something from wire since then (though not all of it has been admirable! lol)." Hard to believe with the beautiful examples I've seen. 
 
Hand made is a family affair at Danette's house. She creates from her home studio, complete with computer set up and jewelers bench, hand made by her husband, to her specs, not to mention the recent addition of a TV also courtesy of her husband. Now that is husbandly support, I tell ya.


"Our oldest kids have left for college and we have a daughter at home who is a 17 and a son who is 12.  Aside from Jesus, my husband, Matthew, is the light of my life along with my children.  It's a real blessing to be able to work from home and be here for my family, too!" and of her home she says, " It's just paradise here."

I predict great things to come for our 400th Member. With her creative talents, thirst for knowledge and the drive of a natural artist, she's sure to be a success. Welcome to Copper Wire Jewelers. 

Follow Danette on Twitter @FineWindings and Facebook Fan Page Fine Windings (Love her Welcome Page, check it out)

If you like making, buying or just drooling over Copper and alternative metals jewelry you might like to join Copper Wire Jewelers. Come on over and take a look! Copper Wire Jewelers where silver is the alternative metal. 


Visit A Beaded Affair for copper wire in 1/2 round, round and square plus unbeatable bead bargains. Lots more findings and beads coming soon!

Rose of Sharon Jewelry says, "Where are the sales?"

Rose of Sharon Jewelry wrote an article on her blog that got me thinking. "Where are the sales?"

What a good question? One I think all jewelry makers working to create an online presence have struggled with. We've been told by all the experts that we must Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, Fan Page and Flickr to be successful. I know I get lost online searching, following, writing and drooling. I love to spend my off hours, and truthfully, some of my working hours surfing, reading email, tutorials, shopping for more supplies and generally keeping all my Social Marketing Venues active and up to date. How much time do we devote to craft and how much to the necessary evil of marketing. I'm on the computer way too much but have generated a fair amount of business with my online time. I figured out early that jewelry sales online are tough and switched to supplies, a much easier marketing job as I'm targeting the people who I like to follow any way. I keep most of my jewelry for in person sales through shows.

I keep reading that you need to be online about 2 years before you will make an impression with a web site. You must brand yourself and become a recognizable member of the online community. It's a case of building a following that keeps returning and generating enough interest that your web ID goes up so you show up higher in the search rankings. But the market is so saturated with jewelers that getting noticed is almost impossible. And, to make it worse, everyone is doing the same things so you are competing in a saturated market, doing the same things everyone else is doing. From a marketing standpoint, that is a disastrous position.

Almost 30 years ago I attended a sales seminar and I wish I could remember the speakers name because he made a serious impression on me. He said, "Figure out what everyone else is doing and do the opposite or at least something different." The seminar was for Real Estate sales and I used that theory the entire time I was selling real estate to great effect. I think we need to do the same with jewelry. But what could we do differently and still make use of the tools like Twitter and Facebook?

I don't have the answers to that question yet so I'll keep on plugging away, featuring sellers, trying to find interesting information to post, making sure you know where to buy the best copper wire (shameless plug) and generally trying to support other artists in their quest for online nirvana, a jewelry sale.

Got an idea how we can do it differently? Post it here. I'd love to see your ideas.

Stop by Rose of Sharon Blog and her Etsy Shop or her Artfire Shop for a real treat.

Lois
Copper Wire, Beads and Findings http://www.abeadedaffair.com
Best Copper Jewelery Group on the net http://copperwirejewelers.ning.com