To compete in the handmade jewelry business you need to always be one step ahead of fashion and your competition. You have to create the most unusual and unique jewelry that will sell well. It’s great to be creative but if it doesn’t sell, it’s not going to help you succeed or pay the bills. There is no use making incredibly complicated jewelry and not being able to sell at a reasonable price. In this tough economy price counts, make unique jewelry and sell at a good price. It is better to appeal to a larger audience and reasonable prices are a good starting point.

Always aim to offer only the best quality. If people are happy with the quality of your handmade jewelry they will come back and recommend your handcrafted jewelry to their friends. Word of mouth is always your best advertisement.

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I personally think that taking good photos is more difficult than making our handmade jewelry! Everything has to be perfect to do justice to your handcrafted artisan jewelry. A picture is worth a thousand words if you’re a writer; a picture is priceless if you are trying to market your jewelry and unique gifts online!

Handmade jewelry photography is too important to leave to chance. Waiting for the sun to be exactly right is okay if you don’t have anything better to do but time is money and both are in short supply! You don’t have to wait for the cloud to pass or the direct sun to be on the left. Actually most of our pictures have been taken in the wee hours of the morning, once you get everything right it’s like you just can’t stop! If you are serious about taking great pictures you need a studio set-up. It’s not difficult and not too expensive considering the online marketing advantages.

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How do find your inspiration for your handmade jewelry, writing your blog or just plain living? Every one finds inspiration in their own place. We look to nature and the beauty that surrounds us every single day for our handmade jewelry designs. The colors of the sea, the greens of the leaves blowing in the wind, everything around us provides us with inspiration. We have even made earring designs inspired by buildings and architecture.  There is no lack of inspiration if you just look around with an open mind. We can all be looking at the same scene but what makes an artist is that we will all see different things and create unique pieces of handcrafted artisan jewelry.  I believe this is the most exciting part of the handmade jewelry process.  An open mind and observation are the key not only to making jewelry but also living life to its fullest whatever you do for a living.

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