Trend Alert

Back in style for the coming Fall is Long Pendant Necklaces exceeding 24".

What to Look for in Earrings for the Fall:

• Long and linear earrings are typically 2-6 inches long and stick straight in design. They can be sterling silver, gold, stainless steel or even mixed with color gemstones or pearls.
• Don’t ignore mixed materials, such as yellow gold with sterling silver; they pair well in this trend.

Also According to the JA report a resource for the professional jeweler look for:

Jewelry Trend Fall 2012: Bow Jewelry

Looking ahead to fall trends, one of the top jewelry trends jewelry retailers should snatch up for their showcases is bow jewelry! Feminine and whimsical, bow-tie jewelry will be everywhere this fall, but it's not just for the super sweet. Seen in a variety of styles -- from Stainless Steel to diamonds, and traditional to free-form designs -- bow jewelry appeals to a range of customers, from young girls and to mature women. 

Jewelry Trend: Spring 2012 is Hot for Gemstones

This season, gemstone rings and necklaces will be ubiquitous in jewelry accessories. The more natural and/or opaque, the better! Our in-house trend experts at Jewelry Information Center advise jewelry retailers to showcase these key gemstone trends: organic-looking gemstones -- like opals, rutilated quartz and moonstones; sultry opaque gemstones -- like hematite, lapis lazuli and labradorite; and gemstones that pop with color.
  advise jewelry retailers to showcase these key gemstone trends: organic-looking gemstones -- like opals, rutilated quartz and moonstones; sultry opaque gemstones -- like hematite, lapis lazuli and labradorite; and gemstones that pop with color.

Green Jewelry and Art

Once we as a human race, finally figured out we are basically killing our home, going green became less a tree huger thing, and more of a survival thing. Green everything is now on top of most peoples list of what to look for when buying products and services. Now that green living is a standard, fads have popped up everywhere. It is now cool to make your own detergent, upcycle, recycle, and reuse. I personally love these ideas as I have been "upcycling" for years and just didn't have a word for it..lol. One of the big fad popular from teenagers to retires is pop tab or can tab jewelry fashions and art. If you are creative enough you can do things with the whole can. I make jewelry and sculptures from the tabs and make wall art from the rest of the can. I have also started using other recycled items instead of canvas for my paintings. Many small business jewelry owners and using recycled gold and silver. upcycleing old jewelry into new hip styles. If you have the imagination for it nothing is trash anymore!!

Give us a shout out and tell us how you green! Don't forget to check out my budding new green line at wild ivy design

FREE STUFF !!!!!!!!!

It is time for a little Christmas in July.

 I am giving away to 2 lucky winners this ring. http://wildivydesign.storenvy.com/products/383568-rosette-ring-any-size-2-15

All you have to do is go here http://www.facebook.com/wildivydesigns
The contest is at the top of the page. Just like, share and comment and your entered. Contest ends this Friday.

I will be adding new ring designs to the store soon. One lucky winner will receive one  by winning this contest! 

Have you heard of...Storenvy?

So I have had my business at Storenvy for about 5 months now and have realized that there are still a lot of people that have never heard of it. To be perfectly honest neither had I before Christmas time last year. So I thought I would devote today's post to Storenvy, and introduce you all to this great marketplace. I asked a set of questions to several of the store owners on Storenvy  on Facebook the other day, to give you more of a round table view of this place. These are their responses.

  

My first question was. How long have you been selling with Storenvy? 

Storenvy Veteran Cody Nations of Lu and Ed 

replied she has "been on Storenvy since they were a baby. When I joined there was less than 500 users."

To quote her blog "Storenvy now has over 15,000 launched stores and is one of the fastest growing e-commerce sites out there" (http://luanded.blogspot.com/2012/06/my-monsters-at-storenvy-hq.html)

So any advice I get from her I put in my Storenvy bible, she is definitely my go to gal for Storenvy info! 

Dianna Holder  of Tinkers magical junk trunk

is new to the scene having been refereed there by a friend and tired of problems with Ebay. 

My next question was what made you decide to choose storenvy?

Some were refereed there by friends, and the perks are what made them go for it.  Danielle Moore Strong 

of Squshies said she loved the idea of no fees and customizing you can do there.

I wanted to know, Do you sell on other sites and if so what is it?

 

 Cody replied "I would never ever dream of selling on another site. I love Storenvy too much. :)" Talk about loyalty ! 

Dianna sells on Facebook some and Danielle uses Etsy some. 

Next I asked What do you suggest for new store owners to do to increase their sales and views?

More pointedly I ask Cody Do you suggest investing in an advertising campaign of some type?

Cody Nations As in paying for one? It depends on your target market and if you, yourself, can reach them. That's something each indie business owner has to determine for themselves. I do almost all of my marketing myself though. I spend $11 a month in advertising space.

Dianna's advice is "Word of Mouth,advertise all ya can..Sales and promotions."

As for me I do all of my advertising myself and I get around 400 views daily or at least till I got sick I did, time to get back on the advertising track again.  My advice is don't give up, most new business does not do good the first year, but if you keep plugin away and find your niche you will be OK.  

And don't forget to check out these great stores for something unique and fascinating.  

Lu and Ed 

Wild Ivy Design 

Tinkers Magical Junk Trunk 

Squshies 

Storenvy V/S Etsy

Storenvy vs. Etsy

I used to sell on Etsy at one time a few years ago and I never really made any sales what so ever but 

I’ve had several people ask why I switched platforms and how I like Storenvy so far. So, here’s a few reasons why I like Storenvy so far:

1. Storenvy is free! During some months on Etsy, I was paying a lot in fees on top of PayPal fees. With Storenvy, the only thing I pay for is $2.99/mo for special coupon code discounts- which are awesome by the way! No fees means more money at the end of the day!

2. Smaller marketplace = better chance of my products being seen. At Etsy I felt like my pieces were buried in the mass of product listed there. On Storenvy, I can search one of my keywords and see one of my items pop up in the first 10-20 results.

3. Customization. My store looks like its own website instead of blending in with all the other storefronts.

4. The community! The forums, “following” aspect, and the interaction with the people behind Storenvy is great. They are actively talking with shop owners and seem to genuinely care about users. (Ex: their Twitter.)

Overall, I am really happy with Storenvy 

http://wildivydesign.storenvy.com/

Are any of you thinking of making the switch? 

Do you sell there already?

What do you think about this?

Jewelry trends of 2012

Jewelry ... This Season

It's all over the place - stay classic with pearls!

This Summer jewelry is all about making a big statement. Be it with a necklace, a bangle or a oh so big cocktail ring. From ethnic beading, to exotic stones, to avant garde pieces, the one thing is constant: it must be big and bold, and colorful...

Nature Calls...

Lots of emphasis on natural colors. Also materials such as stone and wood are big this season in jewelry. The natural feels are a organic and botanical looking beads is a big trend especially in pendants.

Bold and Big - a must in Jewelry this season

Large stones, gemstones and seed beads are still front runners, "over the top in size". Natural gem stone jewelry pieces are kept big and bold just as last spring.

Pendants, Charms and Single Stones

Is one better than multiple? Single large stones that hang in a pendant configuration are in .... Women will be wearing bright and somewhat larger charm bracelets, and necklaces this season .

What's Up With Colors!

Natural to bright - anything goes this spring. The bright colors of nature, think vibrant sunset or soft seascape.

Metals

There is always and always will be room for metals in beaded jewelry. In medals think sleek and modern designs. Look for an even mixed with natural materials like wood and stone beads mixed with medals. This season the medal piece's have taken on a more modern look.

Silver and Gold

Silver is as always hot! But this season gold is making a good comeback. You will see the two metals mixed , to create some wonderful jewelry piece's. Charms, pendants and larger jewelry beads are what what's seen on runways in the spring lines...

A Day in the life of a Designer

Wake up....*grumble* stumble to the coffee, pry eyelids open.

Feed the kids

Do the dishes

Do the laundry

Check email, store, ebay, twitter, ect,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Lunch 

spend a little time with the kids

Process and package sales

research

Dinner

Spend time with kids

Design and create

Advertise

Finish cleaning house

Do any homework

Sleep 4 hours and repeat

This is my life in a nutshell of course I will be adding classes back to the list in a few weeks. How does your day go as a designer?

http://wildivydesign.storenvy.com/

And,,,, I'm back again! after a brief interlude.

So after being in the hospital for the past few days I am beck at home!! What an ordeal! A case of strep throat turned into pneumonia + tonsil lesions and thrush! I may not ever win the lottery but when it comes to getting sick I hit it big and all at once. Still not 100% but I am back trudging away. The one plus about the hospital? I picked up a few new clients and I will be selling a medical jewelry line for nurses and other medical staff. I also think once I am back on my feet I will be cleaning out the store a bit by way of a big SALE!!!! My next semester of school starts next month and I would like to have new products up and going by then. Oh so many Ideas and so little time to accomplish them all. Getting kiddos ready for back to school with check ups, getting the apartment back in order, getting well and several new lines of jewelry to design and make, not to mention find time to blog advertise, package and ship products!!!! How to you all get it done, are you very organized or are you more of a fly by the seat of you pants type? Also any one looking to do a posting as a guest blogger while I am recuperating and for future filler pieces hit me up!

So what am I plugging today? is it art is it craft? It is some of both for today I am plugging me!!! http://wildivydesign.storenvy.com/     Time to get back on my feet, a few days down is killing me in the sales dept. so help a small business owner out and pass our link around and buy what you like! And remember I always do custom sales for anyone that ask.

Thank you all lots for reading my blog and checking out my shop

WILD IVY DESIGN

To Steampunk or not to Steampunk that is the question?

Anyone doing design today knows of the Steampunk sub-culture.

I have always been drawn to the steampunk aesthetic even before I knew it had a name, however just by adding steampunk to the name of a piece of clothing or jewelry can automatically double it in price now, whether it is steampunk or not. Quite A lot of people are under the guise that if you slap a few gears on it, it is steampunk.

So do you Steampunk?

If so do you do it for the aesthetic or the price inflation it brings with the name?

Steampunk - referring to an era of steam power in 19th century Victorian Britain.  It is sub-genre of speculative fiction and fantasy where objects are presented in an idealized light.  Various modern mechanisms transformed into a pseudo Victorian style.  Steampunk often is inspired by a historical period where the industrial revolutions has already begun but electricity is not yet wide spread so an emphasis is on steam or spring propelled gadgets.  Steampunk also heavily borrows from a hypothetical future of fantasy world, yet preserving the appropriate materials (such as polished brass, iron, wood, and leather) with design elements and craftsmanship consistent with the Victorian era.  Because of the ever growing popularity of steampunk, there is a growing movement towards establishing steampunk as a culture and life style.

How do you Advertise?

I have had Wild Ivy Design for about 4 months now and we are doing a little business, not much but a little. Now I know that business take a while to take off, however there are some that seem to do it automatically. Like they are always one step ahead. I advertise on Facebook, Google +, Tumbler, twitter, cafe mom, pintrest,  and I do it daily, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day. product by product. I have sales, and giveaways. So where do you advertise? I am considering buying some advertising next month I have not decided yet. I need some input on how to get more customers.

*Art Of The Day*

More like Artist of the day today. A man who is not only a great artist but a great husband as well. Today's art of the day is from my husband Andrew Shepard. Check him out at his blog http://andrewshouseofmadness.blogspot.com/

The return to Handmade

OK so I hope all of this comes out coherent. I have had strep throat for 3 days and have been in and out of fever induced sleep where I was talking to Abraham Lincoln while he played in the cast of Hairspray....Yeah My fevers are pretty kick ass. However being sick like this brought on the thought about buying handmade and all of the effort we put into it. The hours we spend crafting and packaging even when we are sick. When I was in school you were made fun of if you wore handmade things, now it is all the rage finally and people can really appreciate the quality and love that go's onto each and every piece. Of course there are still plenty of people with the view that mass produced is better I blame this on several decades of advertising. That advertising has been designed to brainwash us into rabid consumers, perpetually several purchases away from happiness. There is a list here for 101 reasons to buy handmade that I think is pretty interesting. http://poppytalks101reasonstobuyhandmade.blogspot.com/

Check it out!.

So do you buy handmade original items?

~*ART OF THE DAY*~

As I said in a previous post I am not feeling to well today so this will be short and sweet. 

Check out one of my favorite artist Skottie Young An Amazing Geek Artist.

http://geektyrant.com/news/2012/7/3/akira-geek-art-by-skottie-young.html

https://plus.google.com/u/0/101577379472917990111/posts

Is Linkedin a waste of time

Ok so today has been a rough day. I as sick with the flu or something, I had cleaning around the house to do, and work on the store to do. Not to mention it is this late and I am only now just blogging. So the post I give you today comes from a post I saw on Google + today. So do you link in and if so do you feel it helps you with your business any? Do you use it socially?let us know

Isn't LinkedIn just a complete waste of time?
I have always considered #LinkedIn   just a professional network. I don't want to post my day to day thoughts there. To me it isn't for that. I have read articles that claim LinkedIn is an amazing place. But when I go it seems like an also ran Professional (not quite) Social Network. There I make connections to people I have worked with or met in my professional career in hopes of building a network that I hope to never need. I don't want to be unemployed and I hope to not have to use my LinkedIn Network to find a job. I have met some interesting people over there. But I have met so many more over here at #GooglePlus . I have been contacted by two headhunters from LinkedIn. But I am not sure why and it all happened in the same week. But I am not looking for a job. Occasionally I look at LinkedIn and see people who have perhaps not really thought things out and have attached their Twitter accounts to it. I am not sure telling us you are out bathing your dog is job candidate worthy except it shows us you have some regard for cleanliness. Agree or Disagree?

https://plus.google.com/u/0/100464883028553990111/posts 

~Art Of The Day~

I ran across this artist the other day online and was absolutely astounded by her work. Lisabeth Sterling does glass engraving, a form of decorative glasswork that involves engraving a glass surface or object.

Lisabeth Sterling studied at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, University of Minnesota and Pilchuck Glass School.
For her glass engravings, she uses a diamond-tipped tool. She regards her work as lucid dreams on glass.
Her work is included in such permanent collections as Wheaton Museum of American Glass and American Interfaith Institute and has been exhibited nationwide.

Product of the week!!!

Once a week I will be taking a product from my store and putting it on Special Sale for one week only.
So this weeks product is..............Lady Of Winter original painting on stretched canvas 8x10
http://wildivydesign.storenvy.com/products/319983-lady-of-winter-8x10-painting

Was $15.00 now $12.00 for this week only. Also remember use the code "kickoff" to get % off at checkout

*Art Of The Day*

My art for today has been a favorite for a very long time and that is Indian Mehndi tattoo art. Mehndi is the application of henna as a temporary form of skin decoration in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and many other places. Mehndi is a ceremonial art form which originated in ancient India. Muslims also use it as an up coming of age. Intricate patterns of mehndi are typically applied to brides before wedding ceremonies. The bridegroom is also painted in some parts of India. In Rajasthan, the grooms are given designs that are often as elaborate as those for brides. In Assam, apart from marriage, it is broadly used by unmarried women during Rongali bihu, but there are no restrictions on its use by married women. 

Honestly I just love all of the intricate designs and patterns. I have been drawing these designs for many years now and it is a zen like experience for me to get lost while drawing these.

For a Cleaner Greener World - Up-Cycle!

 Up-cycling - is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.

*Art Of The Day*....or maybe craft?

Today's art of the day is focused on fiber art! There is a debate to whether something wearable is art. In my opinion if someone took the time to design it and make it, it is therefore art to someone. Where does art end and craft begin. Whether it is art or craft the art I picked for today is these totally cute handmade slippers from Junes Pretty Things. Feel free to comment I would love to know what do you consider Art and what you consider Craft.

*ART OF THE DAY*

I have decided to add Art of the day and what better day to promote a random artist than Independence Day!!! Also if you are an artist and want to have a piece on my Art of the Day drop me a line.

 

I am a Hugh Wonderland fan and I ran across this Mad Hatter fan art and fell in love it is by GravihK  
on Deviant art.

Independence Day

It's July 4th the time we we celebrate freedom and the birth of our nation. Independence Day is the time that people gather with friends and family to drink and blow shit up......er.. I mean Bar-B-Que and fireworks. For me and mine it was a chance to stuff yourself till you almost pop and then be lazy. So today on my Lazy day I will tell you about one of my Favorite stones Amber.  

Amber is actually fossilized tree resin not sap. Because it originates as a soft, sticky tree resin, amber sometimes contains animal and plant material as inclusions.Real amber is also millions of years old. Imagine the history you are wearing when you wear amber.

As far as Metaphysical properties there are many. Amber is said to have magical healing powers.Amber is excellent at removing self-imposed obstacles, it also imparts a positive attitude that is fueled by self confidence.

It has been used to guard against impotency & promote fertility. Helps the body heal itself by absorbing and transmuting negative energy into positive energy. Helps to calm the nerves.

Aids in the making of correct choices. The "good luck" stone brings the purifying, revitalizing force of the sun and the absorptive, transmuting energy of the earth together to create a powerful tool. Draws disease out of the body and transforms it. Clears negativity. Amber is said to be a very strong healing stone allowing the body to heal itself. It takes negative energy and turns it into positive energy and releases the energy giving a bright and sunny feeling. It helps one in the art of manifestation; helping you realize your desires into reality. Amber has said to bring good luck.

Opens solar plexus Chakra for mental clarity, mood balance, confidence.

Excellent in use in rituals for enhancing your beauty and attractiveness. Helps to attract love and stimulates happiness and pleasure.

Used for both good luck and as protective talismans and amulets.

I hope you enjoyed this little bit on Amber 

http://wildivydesign.storenvy.com/products/401080-sterling-silver-amber-ring-size-8-5

Moss Agate

 I am a collector of Stones and herbs and a believer in the wisdom that they were put here by God to help us live a better healthy life. So mixed among my collection of odd post maybe you will find an interesting nugget of information, something you did not know before that will spark an interest....or you'll just find it all crap..lol

HEALING PROPERTIES

Moss Agate strengthens in times of stress.

It is helpful in relieving sensitivities to weather and pollution. Midwives use it to assist in successful birthing. It is used to speed up recovery, conteract long term illnesses, cleanse the circulatory and elimination systems.

Moss agates are considered the most powerful of the agates. It was the agate of warriors. Moss agate is the most powerful of the agates that helps balance emotional energy. It helps the user to let go of anger and bitterness, so the emotions are balanced. When used in jewelry the moss agate is believed to bring the wearer health, friends and riches.

Moss agate enhances concentration, persistence, endurance and success in one's endeavors. It is an abundance stone.

http://wildivydesign.storenvy.com/products/400863-sterling-silver-moss-agate-necklace

What is this blog about???

So you want to know more about this blog? It is Strange at heart, full of idea's , nature of the beast,A bit nutty a little gritty, nuts and bolts, pith, point, punch line, quintessence,  significance, soul, spirit, stuff. It is substance and then again it is not. To boil it down, it is whatever I want it to be.