CheapTweet Blog

This week we talked to Shelly, founder of Go-Girl, a line of “on the go beauty products for the diva in all of us.” Shelly was raised in Los Angeles, was an event planner for 10 years and then left event planning to start Go-Girl. Go-Girl has been featured in dozens of fashion and beauty magazines and blogs. Check out Go-Girl’s store and follow Shelly on Twitter.

And just for CheapTweet readers, Shelly’s offered a discount code for 10% off! Use code ‘GOGIRL’ when making your purchase.

How did Go-Girl get started?

I started Go-Girl after I created the lint on the go sheets.  They became such a success I decided to create more problem solvers. These include products like the smudge-sponge that removes deodorant smudges from clothes, oil blotting sheets, doubled-sided apparel tape and lots more practical beauty items.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I have always had a creative niche to me, hence the event planning.  It really just hit me one day after pulling hair off my clothes… why doesn’t someone create lint sheets?

How do you market or promote your store?

Through blogs and magazines primarily. I am in contact with all the magazines’ editors and inform them of our latest products and remind them that I’m here. Each month it gets better as I get more editorial coverage.

How do you use Twitter to help with your business?

I make contact with lots of fashion and beauty blogs and that seems to have spread the word considerably.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone just getting started with her/his own business?

If you have an idea, just go for it.  No matter what the obstacles are, just do it at your own pace.  Don’t listen to negativity – just do it.

This week, we interviewed Theresa Cole (@michiganhemp), the owner of Michigan Hemp, an online hemp jewelry shop.

Theresa is a Michigan-based hemp jewelry designer. She is almost 33 years old, married to the man of her dreams, mom of two boys, step mom of three boys, and is pursuing her bachelor’s degree through Oregon State University’s online program.  A few of her favorite things are sunsets over water, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the smile of a child. Theresa sells hemp jewelry though her Etsy shop. You can also find her on Twitter, Zibbet and her blog.

How did you get started making jewelry and other kinds of artwork?

About six years ago, my husband and I went to an arts and crafts show where I fell in love with an adorable little hemp necklace.  I was ready to buy it until I happen to look at the price.  It was way too expensive for such a tiny, simple necklace with only wooden beads on it.  It was at that moment that I realized that I could make better items from better supplies and offer them at better prices.  On our way home from the show, we stopped at the craft store and I have been making hemp items ever since!

Tell us a little bit about your artwork. What sorts of pieces do you specialize in?

Hemp jewelry is what I would consider “my specialty”, but I also make keychains, and my favorite: “Soulful Sandals”, which are hemp barefoot sandals.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Each and every item that I make is inspired by the beads that I find.  Lampwork pendants and beads are one of my favorites, as well as natural stones.  The color and feel that the beads give off generally control the color and braid pattern of the piece.  I also try to use handmade supplies as often as possible, and my goal is to make high quality, affordable hemp jewelry so that every hemp lover in the world can purchase their favorite item without feeling guilty.

How do you market or promote your work?

The  main way that I promote my work is through the Etsy forums.  There are so many wonderful artisans on Etsy that are willing to feature your items and help you out any way they can.  I absolutely love the Etsy community!

How do you use Twitter to help with your artwork and your business?

Twitter is a wonderful tool to help get to know fellow artists and get the word out about your business at the same time.  I usually tweet at least a few times a day and have met some great people on twitter.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone just getting started selling her/his own work?

Ask lots of questions!  When I first started selling my jewelry online, I had no idea what I was doing.  Over the last five months, I have learned a tremendous amount through asking questions in the Etsy forums!  If you are wondering about ANYTHING, the people there will help you through every step!

At CheapTweet, we’re always interested in talking to people who have their own stores or sell handmade or unique items. We’re looking for sellers and retailers of all kinds. Email us if you’re interested in being interviewed for a future post.

This week, we talked to Karine Large (@saronti), a director at Saronti Books, a unique personalized book seller based in London.  Karine says Saronti is all about making families giggle.  They take photos from your family, your school or even your favorite football players, cut out the faces and stick them on storybook illustrations. Their books make thoughtful and unique gifts. In addition to their online store, you can find them on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

How did you get started making personalized children’s books?

Saronti Books began in 2002, when Sandie’s youngest son yelled “Mum, make me a book”.  Having been writing her own stories for a couple of years, Sandie (Saronti books’ author) adapted one to include him and his brother. This grew to include all the family. He took the book into school and the next day she was mobbed by people wanting to know where they could get one. She thought, “Mmm, I might be onto something here.” It’s now some years later and here we are. We get enormous pleasure from seeing children, parents, and grandchildren enjoying seeing themselves in one of our books. There really is no better gift.

Tell us a little bit more about your work.  Do you make items other than children’s books?

As far as we know we are the only company in the world making books personalized with faces of a whole family (or preschool). There are other companies making books with a child’s face in it, but not the whole family. We are working on games and other great products with the same concept, but can’t tell you yet!

Where do you get your inspiration?

It’s easy. Sandie can write on demand! I think she gets up at night with some new story ideas.

How do you market or promote your business?

We try everything. We have a very limited budget so we tend to focus on social media, mass mailing, link exchanges, reviews, etc…

As a bit of viral marketing, we recently created a Family Fun section on our site with kid’s online games, music, recipes, kid’s jokes, printable coloring, funny videos, mum’s gossip and more!  Customers seem to love it!

We have profiles on the usual MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, BT Tradespace and of course, best of all, Twitter.

We’re constantly looking to grow our list of resellers and to create partnership with new photographers.

How do you use Twitter to help with your business?

We started Twitter thinking we’d increase sales, but we were wrong. But the amount of people we met has been an absolute delight. We met really interesting people from different areas, exchanged ideas, learned a lot! Twitter is also fab when it comes to asking customers’ opinion. When I make a change on the website, for example, I just tweet to ask what they think. It’s amazing to get such a close connection with potential customers. Tweeting regularly about fun stuff, making people giggle and promoting the “Family Fun” section on our site has increased traffic dramatically! Twitter is such a powerful tool.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone just starting her/his own business?

Get a site up – even if it’s simple. Don’t spend too long on it – no point having a good site if no one knows it’s there. Loads of hosting companies will give you a site builder (even e-commerce) for free. Spend your time and effort on PR, viral marketing, social media and advertising if you can afford it. Let the world know you exist! If that works, then spend some more money into redoing a more professional website perhaps.

Today’s interview is with Vera Battemarco (@getglam). Vera Battemarco was born in Brazil and grew up two blocks from the beach, so the sun, the ocean, the sand and the big open sky have always been a source of inspiration for her. She has been designing and teaching others how to make jewelry since the 1980s.  Currently, she sells both her own designs as well as re-purposed vintage pieces. You can find Vera’s jewelry in her Ruby Lane store and in her Etsy shop, and get to know Vera better through her website, her blog and on Facebook.

Tell us a little about your background.

My academic background is in Architecture and the Arts, but jewelry has always been my passion.

In the early 80s I moved to New York City and immediately felt as if I had found a new home. I worked for Lisandro Sarasola and designed jewelry for his fashion shows. He was then as famous as Carlos Falchi for his beautiful and truly inspired purses and accessories.  Once Lisandro branched out into clothing, I became his Showroom Manager. We sold over $1M of his high end ready to wear that year, a first for his label. Our clients included stores such as Bergdorf, Saks and Neiman Marcus to name a few.  It was a wonderfully fun and exciting time.

As I had a child to raise and did not want him to grow up confined to an apartment we moved to Philadelphia where I continued to work on jewelry and sell to the local boutiques. I also taught basic jewelry making. The classes were small but always packed. It was very rewarding to be able to share my knowledge which is almost entirely self taught.

Upon our return to New York City, the option to bring my business to a new level presented itself. Participating in several different wholesale shows including the JA Show, Accessories and Fame opened new doors. Met wonderful store owners and buyers including the Buyer for the Philadelphia Art Museum, who commissioned pieces, first for the Salvador Dali exhibit and more recently for the Frida Kahlo one.

We are now in a rural area near the Pocono Mountains. The unending year round beauty that surrounds me, although very different from the beaches in Rio, is nonetheless my home and the inspirational source of my new collections.  It also allowed me to revive my passion for vintage jewelry and components.  It seems that the vintage jewelry collection on my site continues to grow and expand. As most of my designs are one of a kind and cannot be reproduced I have rekindled the re-purposing of antique and vintage jewelry and findings.  Many times I will re-purpose a piece of jewelry that cannot be repaired and give it new life incorporated in a new design of my own.  The response to these is tremendous and they sell almost immediately.

How did you get started making jewelry?

My mother always had a wonderful appreciation of hand made things. She is the best seamstress I have ever known. I would always tag along to all the different classes she would take and she took as many as she could. We attended classes from knitting to oil painting. There was always something new to learn. A friend of hers taught her jewelry making and to keep me occupied she handed me pliers, beads and wire and I haven’t stopped since!  When I was 14 we walked into an accessories boutique in Rio. The owner happened to be there and admired my necklace, asking where I got it. I responded that I had made it.  She asked what else I had designed and could I bring it in for her to see. That second meeting resulted in an order for 144 necklaces which sold out in two weeks!  I knew then I had found my calling!

In addition to making and selling jewelry, what are some of the other ventures you’re involved in?

Currently I am an active member of JewelryRing and JewelryCollect, both are groups dedicated to research of Vintage Jewelry, Costume and Fine.

Tell us a little bit about your artwork.  What sorts of pieces do you specialize in and where do you get your inspiration?

Re-purposing feels so right to me now. I have done it in the past but because I now carry Vintage Jewelry on my site, I have great new sources and resources. It’s also a very strong trend in my opinion as we as a society have finally woken up to the fact we can’t just keep using up the planet as we have. With repurposing there is no waste, what would have been deemed useless some years back becomes the foundation for something totally new and unique.  I know I am not alone as the response to the collection has been tremendous.

How do you market or promote your work?

Always have professional business cards with you is the number one rule. I have my website which is optimized for search engines and acts as the HQ for online operations. I participate in forums, have two blogs (one is geared for collectors and the public at large, the other to designers and crafty people like me), Twitter, Facebook, exchanging links.  We also do art shows and even the better flea markets like GreenFlea, on Sundays at Columbus Avenue and 76th Street on the Upper West Side in Manhattan.  I started my current business there 11 years ago and many of my first clients have become wonderful friends.  Love seeing them!

How do you use Twitter to help with your artwork and your business?

Whenever a new item or design is added to the site it is tweeted, whenever we have a special promotion, I post it on CheapTweet.  Informational blog posts are also tweeted and I started a Twibe.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone just getting started selling her/his own work?

You have to be passionate about what you do, really passionate. Believe in yourself and your work. Be smart, focused and be persistent. And learn, learn, learn. As my mom always says, knowledge does not take up any space!

At CheapTweet, we love to talk to people who run their own businesses and sell things they make. If you’re interested in being interviewed for our blog, please send us an email!

Our next interview is with Jenifer Bryan (@lucybluestudio). Jenifer is an artist and designer from Austin, Texas who loves the idea of making wearable and portable pieces of art. She sells her artwork on Etsy. You can also check out her blog and find her on Twitter.

How did you get started making jewelry and other kinds of artwork?

I’ve always been a maker. My grandmother and I would spend the summers making dolls, sewing props for games and drawing on every piece of scrap paper in the house. My dad got me interested in dollhouses and bought me my first package of polymer clay. My interest in miniatures eventually morphed into jewelry making. Throw in a couple of degrees in graphic design and photography and a love of travel and you have a mishmash of experiences that had to find an outlet. I think design school gave me the hand skills I needed to be comfortable making things I felt would stand up to everyday wear and tear, so in 2006 I finally started up Lucy Blue Studio.

Tell us a little bit about your artwork.  What sorts of pieces do you specialize in?

I specialize in belt buckles but also make rings, pendants, business card cases and cuff links. Basically, I create images, either through my photography or digital illustration/collage, and use jewelry blanks as the frames for my artwork. While I have a lot of art on my walls, I prefer my art to be functional, to be able to go places, to be out in the world.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Like most artists, my inspiration comes from everything around me. I am an avid reader and sometimes the way an author words something brings a particularly vivid image to mind or evokes a certain emotion that I feel is worth capturing. I am also very inspired by my dreams and find that my subconscious is much better at processing everything that has happened that day.

How do you market or promote your work?

I try to blog on a semi-regular basis. I also have a ball on Twitter. I relist and post new work and try to wear my pieces where ever I go. I have also recently hired someone to help me focus my efforts and market my work more effectively on a local level. Sometimes I think I am too much of a fluttery artist type and need help with the practical business aspects.

How do you use Twitter to help with your artwork and your business?

I use Twitter to share any specials I am running and announce new designs. I also use it to connect to other artists and just stay connected to the creative community. Twitter has been a great tool to find out about new artists, techniques and venues to show work.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone just getting started selling her/his own work?

My advice is to just be yourself. People can sense when your work exists for the sole purpose of making money. So I advocate making things that are true to you and keep you smiling. Being genuine goes a long way. It is also very important to be a part of a community. The more people you know and are involved with, the bigger impact you can have with word of mouth. Be original and exciting and people will want to help you and tell their friends about you. Also, be professional. Keep deadlines, have exceptional customer service, stand behind your work. Pay attention to details. If you make jewelry, keep the back side as clean and finished as the front. People do look.

At CheapTweet, we love to talk to people who run their own businesses or sell things they make. If you’re interested in being interviewed for our blog, please send us an email!  And check out our other seller interviews.

Our next seller interview is with Sharon Paradiso (@seedlingstweets), who designs and sells the jewelry at  Seedlings: Jewelry Because.  Sharon says she designs and creates jewelry as an escape. She’s been involved in website design and creation since the mid-1990s, after getting a degree in music composition. You can find her jewelry on her Seedlings Jewelry website and on Etsy. She also has a blog and is on Twitter.

How did you get started making jewelry?

I started making jewelry for myself because I was interested in the process and thought I could do a comparable (or better) job than what I saw at retail stores. When people started asking me where I bought my jewelry and I was wearing pieces I made, I would usually just give them what I was wearing or make them a pair. Friends and family started insisting on paying me and Seedlings was born.

Tell us a little bit about your jewelry.  What sorts of pieces do you specialize in?

I feel like a kid with too much candy at the moment, so many ideas and all of them begging to be created! However, I’m drawn to silver and copper, pearls, shells, glass (love me some sea glass and recycled glass such as krobo beads from Ghana), and amber. I love making custom pieces from random ideas too and get a lot of requests to just ‘whip up something in orange.’

I adore earrings and that has been my focus for awhile but the challenge of bracelets, necklaces and more is just too strong of a lure. This month I’m rolling out rings, stitch markers, maybe a tiara…who knows! I also recently did a custom order for a wedding that was a fun project so I plan on expanding specific designs for brides.

Beyond learning about as much as I can for materials and techniques — including metalsmithing, chainmaille, lampworking — my goals include using recycled metals, fair trade or ethically sourced materials, and using less toxic chemicals for my processes (more important now that I’m getting into metalsmithing).

Where do you get your inspiration?

Typically it will start with a particular material such as some cool amber beads I found recently that look like little tree trunks. My brain will noodle on different ideas and I’ll either sketch out what I want to try or I’ll attempt it with craft wire first. Sometimes it will be the reverse i.e. the ‘make me something in orange’ request so I’ll start piecing together what I have on hand to see if anything just jumps out at me.

I’ve found that usually what I think is really cool, I’m the only one who does! It’s always my happy accidents that are popular with everyone else (like Peas and Carrot earrings). So I try to just let ideas flow out of my brain and not worry about what will happen.

How do you market or promote your store?

Everywhere and in every way imaginable! I have a huge network of family and friends that help with that too by passing along information about the website, passing out cards, and wearing my jewelry. I try to thank them as much as possible with test pairs (plus having a group of folks who give honest feedback is fantastic).

Social network sites such as Facebook have been great to stay in touch with customers and I use that plus a monthly e-mail newsletter to let them know about special sales or promotions ahead of the rest of the world.

I recently joined an Etsy street team, Team NorGa, that has been amazingly supportive and helpful in a variety of ways. Working with other folks who are going through the same things as myself and learning from their experiences or being inspired by their words is invaluable.

How do you use Twitter to help with your jewelry-making and your business?

At first I was very skeptical of how Twitter would be helpful or even interesting. I remember had a long conversation with my mom where I told her straight up I would never use Twitter…oh how that makes me giggle now. To be sure, it still seems a bit raw in how a lot of folks use it and for those people who are just, ‘here’s my ad, buy this, buy more, oh and this too,’ hopefully they quickly learn that is not the way to do things.

I primarily use Twitter to meet other crafty folks, get exposed to what they are doing, and just generally be helpful and share what I’m doing. The neat side effect is that it has had an impact on my business. I am just myself and typically pretty silly but I’m having fun! I do post links to what I’m working on and when I have new designs up, when I have weekend specials, that sort of thing.

Do you have any tips or advice for someone just getting started with her/his own store?

Find an active street team or guild based in your area or around your focus (such as eco-friendly) as it can really make a difference. You won’t feel like you are stabbing in the dark on so many things!

Set aside specific time to focus on your craft and separate it from the business end of things. When you find yourself more worried about your blog rather than your latest designs, it’s time to rethink.

Hopefully you are in a position where you don’t have to worry about sales, so don’t. Take the time to get your shop set up with good information, good photos, a consistent brand or design, and then get busy — take the plunge!

Talk to as many people as you can about their experiences and listen to what they have to offer for advice. Be friendly and helpful in return when you meet people who are going through the same as you. Give back as much as you can either monetarily (to your favorite cause — mine is Heifer International) or by sharing what you know, which includes tutorials or by featuring your favorite artisan’s work.

At CheapTweet, we love to talk to people who run their own businesses and sell things they make. If you’re interested in being interviewed for our blog, please send us an email!

Today marks the beginning of another CheapTweet blog feature – a weekly interview with a local or independent seller or small business owner.  We’re always looking for new people to interview, so let us know if you’d like to participate!

Our first interview is with Tracy Owens Chasteen (also know as @polishedtwo on Twitter). Tracy designs one-of-a-kind pottery shard jewelry, vintage-inspired earrings, and whimsical accessories in her Austin, Texas studio and sells these affordable handmade items through her online Etsy shop at http://polishedtwo.etsy.com.  You can also find her on Flickr and MySpace and see all of Tracy’s deals on CheapTweet.

1. How did you get started making and selling jewelry?

I started making jewelry about 10 years ago. I had been doing crafts ever since I can remember so it was just a matter of time before I got my hands on some beading projects. I tend to see interesting things in boutiques and think “I can make that!” I started out stringing beads on elastic just to make colorful stretch bracelets, but I had my eye on bigger and better projects. I really wanted to make chunky necklaces with big, bold pendants. I did some research on materials, read a lot of beading magazines and tutorials, and took an instructional class led by a jewelry-making friend. Meanwhile, I amassed large quantities of beads in every shape and color!

In the past decade, I’ve made thousands of pieces of jewelry. Selling these creations was just a natural extension of my hobby since I couldn’t possibly keep everything I made. My online shop opened less than three years ago when I realized I needed a venue that would accommodate my busy schedule with the added flexibility to sell worldwide. I still show off my creations to my family and friends and always hope they’ll buy from me, but my Etsy shop offers greater selling potential.

2. Tell us a little bit about your jewelry. What sorts of pieces do you specialize in?

I call my jewelry colorful and eclectic—with a bit of whimsy—but I really specialize in statement pieces. I’m a big fan of chunky, bold necklaces and love using large, colorful pendants as a focal point. I was drawn to Ming Dynasty pottery shards when I saw them on truly unique necklaces in a local boutique years ago. The necklaces were exceptional pieces that were out of my price range, but my “I can make that!” mindset set me on the path to make my own jewelry. I love to work with these colorful porcelain pieces because I can lay them in a pile of bead strands and see the designs emerge. Other designs come out of my own needs—like wanting to have a different pair of earrings for any outfit in my closet—or thinking of ways to recycle vintage pieces and parts from abandoned or long-lost jewelry collections that have been hidden away in a drawer for decades.

3. Where do you get your inspiration?

I’m often inspired by shopping trips, especially a long day at a big flea market. I have to bring a notebook with me! I’ll see lots of great vintage materials and find inspiration in their history. I have to jot things down so I’ll remember how I want to use them when I get back to my studio. I love working with vintage buttons and jewelry parts – giving them new life in a modern piece of jewelry. The quality of vintage materials makes them great for recycling into new designs. I really like to mix old and new, so I’ll combine vintage parts with new materials to get my latest inspired designs. I also get inspired by the chaos of life. Some of my best necklace designs have sprung from a wild mix of orphan beads on my desk after a long, busy week when I haven’t put everything away. It may look like a mess to someone else, but I tend to find the most interesting and unexpected color combinations in an intermingling, wild pile of beads!

4. How do you market or promote your store?

My best promotional tools are new designs and great customer service. I find that personally thanking each customer, offering quick and affordable shipping, and making sure I always have something new in my shop has kept my customers coming back. To get the word out and attract new customers, I generally rely on social networking resources to promote my store. They’re free to use, so I am able to keep my designs affordable by not having a big marketing and advertising budget. I do this by being active on the Facebook, MySpace, and Flickr communities.

5. How do you use Twitter to help with your jewelry-making and your business?

Twitter has been an amazing resource for my business as a whole by opening up a new community of networking. Twitter offers immediate information without filling anyone’s email account. I use Twitter to show off my new Etsy listings as I add them to my shop—and also to give a sense of my personality. I let people know what I’m up to and how my day is occupied, even when I’m not making jewelry. Before I discovered Twitter, I had opened up a traditional blog site, but I never felt like I was interesting enough or had enough time to write compelling content when I really just wanted to be making jewelry. Twitter is great because I can always answer the question “What are you doing?” and keep it short. I can make a quick connection with my network—posting what I’m doing and reading a few posts to see what others are Tweeting about—then run off and make something!

6. Do you have any tips or advice for someone just getting started with her/his own store?

My number one piece of advice would be “Do what you love!” I say this because when you open your own store, you are going to work at it more hours than you ever imagined. This is true with starting any business of your own. But if you love it, you can put your time in and personally feel the rewards of doing something that makes you happy. One other piece of advice would be to gain a true understanding of your target market and what speaks to them. If you want to sell what you have in your store, you have to be where your customers are. People who appreciate handmade are shopping on Etsy, so that’s where you’ll find me. And handmade buyers are active and vocal all over Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter—so when I’m not working/making jewelry, I’m interacting in those communities as an extension of my store. Be active in the communities where you find your shoppers and become a part of their networks. People like to buy from people they know, so making these connections is an important part of successful selling.

At CheapTweet, we love to talk to people who run their own businesses and sell things they make. If you’re interested in being interviewed for our blog, please send us an email!