Wordless Wednesday - Aspen

More shop tinkering

Tonight I’m taking a tip from Timothy Adams and adjusting some of the prices in my Etsy store. I raised the prices on several items and lowered the price on a couple others. Timothy points out that people will gravitate to a medium priced item in most buying situations. How do you raise your median price? By significantly raising the price of a few items to create a new “ceiling.”  I probably fall in to the trap of pricing my items low, thinking no one will buy them otherwise. So many of us undervalue our work. I still think my prices are low, but I have a greater range now.

As a reverse experiment, I took a group of nearly identical items, my men’s chokers, and reduced the price on one of them by $1. By making one item look like an accidental value, it should be more attractive. I’ve tried so hard to keep prices consistent in my store that perhaps there hasn’t been any incentive to buy one piece over another. I’ll be interested to see if I notice any changes in sales from this.

A new look for an old listing – Spring cleaning for your store.

I’ve slowly started taking new photos for old listings that need an update. This Sodalite bracelet is one of the first items I listed in my Etsy store.  The listing only had two product photos and I wasn’t 100% happy with how the photos looked.  I think the pink just didn’t reflect my own taste, to be honest. 

I’ve kept the pink photo in the line-up, but my new main photograph is clear and simple. The background does not distract from the colors of the stones or try to convey a specific mood. The bracelet gets to be the star. In addition, it’s more in line with the other photos in my store. I will admit, my store doesn’t have a fully consistent look, but I’m trying to steer toward that goal. I have two more of these Sodalite pieces to update, and then the pink will be gone!

Another key to updating a listing is to tweak the Title, body text and tags. I actually found an error in the body of this listing that had been there for a year! And then I saw that I was only using eight tags!  It’s so important to use all 14 tags if possible so that you show up in Searches.

Now I feel like this is a new listing instead of an old one. It’s modern and updated and I feel proud to call it my own. How’s your store looking? Is it time to do some Spring cleaning?

Vote for my photo!

I entered this photo in Timothy Adam's product photo contest on his Handmadeology blog. I'd sure appreciate your vote, so here is the link! http://timothyadam.cheddrmedia.com/iframe/310-Etsy-Worthy-Photo-Contest/entries/1635-Chunky-Green-Bracelet.html

Wordless Wednesday

Cow in downtown Anchorage.
Copyright Bonnie Stotz 2005

Moss Agate and Cross Earrings

I just wanted to share my newest creation. I didn't realize until I finished them that the diagonal wire wrap on the agates match the binding on the cross charms. Sometimes design decisions come from subtle clues!

These have just been listed in my Etsy store.

Rainy Day Deer

Our Spring storm has so far dumped more rain and slush than snow, but that will likely change overnight! I caught these deer in my backyard around 6 p.m. enjoying a soggy evening romp. Usually I only have six deer, but this time I counted eight!

And the winner is…

I’m happy to announce that Judy Richards Shubert is the winner of my Tax Relief Earring Giveaway!

You can find Judy online everywhere, but be sure to visit her blog, Food Gratitude, and her Etsy store, Edna Alice Designs. Judy also has a real interest in genealogy and cemeteries. Judy has won her choice of the earrings in my giveaway.

A big Thank You to everyone who entered my Giveaway and stopped by my blog in the last few weeks! According to comments, the favorite item in my Etsy store seems to be these Moss Green Earrings. That’s interesting since I gave away a pair just like this in my last Giveaway! I love them too, and these earthy flower beads are some of my favorites. But I also love hearing which of my “lesser known” pieces get noticed by certain readers. It’s nice to see that every piece has it’s fans!

Well, I hope Tax Day was kind to everyone this year. The good news is, we don’t have to do it again for another year!

Success!!

The graphics card for my new monitor finally arrived and now my 22" widescreen looks fantastic! The colors in my photos, like the one below, are really popping now!

Installing the card was super easy and once I got the drivers downloaded, bingo! I have so much more S P A C E to work on my photographs now. Yay!
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Now remember, my GIVEAWAY ends 4/15/2009!!!
Click the link below to enter now!
http://boutiquebybonnie.blogspot.com/2009/03/tax-relief-giveaway.html

Photo: Pewitt's Nest near Baraboo, WI. Copyright 2008 Bonnie Stotz

What I Made Today

Today I made these gorgeous Kambaba Jasper Earrings! I’ve always loved this stone, especially in the soft square pillows that I used here. One thing I like about these earrings is the contrast. The shape of the round hammered hoops contrasts with the square stones. Also the shiny texture of the silver contrasts with the camoflauge pattern and color of the Jasper. The end result is both exotic and elegant!

Today I also made this simple necklace which could be worn by woman or a man. The pewter pendant is lead-free and the necklace can be worn with or without the glass accent beads. I’ve always liked pewter and got some of these pendants a few weeks ago. They make wonderful casual necklaces like this one.

Both of these items have just been listed in my Etsy store.

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Click HERE to enter my GIVEAWAY!

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I also did some "retakes" for items already in my shop that needed a fresh start. Good photos are so essential, and sometimes you just need to put a new face on old listings!

Spring Sunshine – at last!

I finally feel like Spring has arrived because I’m doing my favorite thing – sitting on my back deck in the sun listening to the birds. The cats are out with me and there’s a slight breeze in the air. The hectic work day is already a memory and all that remains is to relax and be still. The flowers aren’t up yet and last week’s snow is stubbornly hanging on in the shade, but none of that matters. What matters is this glorious sunshine. Driving home around the reservoir with the sunroof open and “Cecelia” on the radio is about as close to pure happiness as you can get.

Humans are strange animals. Why is it that a song or the weather can have such an effect on our moods? Outside influences have so much power over us. Take this perfect late afternoon and add just a bit more wind or a neighbor using a leaf blower and it would be ruined. I suppose that’s why I appreciate the perfection so much. I know that it is short-lived. I know that I need to absorb every moment and store it up against the not-so-perfect days that always come. So I’ll sit here just a few minutes longer and soak up the first day of Spring. Right now, at this moment, life is good.

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Looking for my GIVEAWAY? Click here! http://boutiquebybonnie.blogspot.com/2009/03/tax-relief-giveaway.html

Welcome to Widescreen

My new 22” widescreen monitor arrived yesterday! I wanted more screen area for editing photos and decided one widescreen would be sleeker than a two monitor setup. I decided on the Dell 2209WA because it’s affordable and has an IPS panel. Yes, I had to learn a couple things about LCD monitors. I found out that most monitors have a TN panel, but for photo editing an IPS panel provides better color rendition. Maybe I should have done even more research because since hooking it up I’ve discovered (surprise) that my seven-year-old computer does not have a graphics card to support the widescreen resolution. As if I know how to install a graphics card, or know anything about power supplies or AGP or PCI or all these other terms I’m coming across!

I will not panic. I can do this. I will find the solution. Hopefully that solution won’t be buying a whole new computer. I’m still satisfied with the performance (mostly) of my old one. For now I’ll just enjoy the wide open spaces of my new screen.

Looking for my earring GIVEAWAY? Here it is: http://boutiquebybonnie.blogspot.com/2009/03/tax-relief-giveaway.html