Personalised Ring Stands.

New Ring Stands Now For Sale

I am pleased to bring you these personalised ring stands.

You can find full details by clicking HERE

They can be personalised with your own logo or name. A fabulous idea for those who display their goods at craft shows, galleries, shops or simply want an eye catching stand for their photos.

Monty Python Cuff Links

A recent commission inspired from Monty Python's "The Quest for the Holy Grail"

Here is part one of the step by step process used to make the cuff links







The first step is to use some jewellers wax, a small square setion was cut from this.











After cutting the required small rectangle, the edges were filed so they were fairly smooth.









Some measurements were made and the rectabgle was given two sloping tops.










Here you can see that I have now carved out a hollow inside the shape.









Getting there. Here four small wheels have been added to the shape and detail has been engraved onto the sides to represent the wooden planks that the rabbit from the film is made from.








You'll have to pop back to see the next step, in making the cuff links......coming soon.

Resizing a ring , when you are not sure of the gemstones!!

This is an age old trick when you want to solder a ring, but you are not sure the stones will take the heat.

This ring was bought into me to be re-sized. So Having cut the shank, reduced it down 2 sizes, I am ready to solder. The gemstones are suspect and I don't think they will take the heat (1,000 deg c ish). So I grab a lid and fill it with water. Ideally this should be metal (mine is plastic as it was all I had to hand. Obviously if you are not carful, plastic and 1,000 deg don't get on too well. LOL

So the gemstones were immersed into the water using tweezers and the ring was fluxed. Thewater will naturally draw heat away from the ring, so a large and very localized flame is used to do this solder as quickly as possible.

The water will get warm (40deg c) whilst you do the job, but it ensures that the gemstones are not affected by the immense heat required to do the solder job.

Now all you have to do is file, sand and polish.

Making moulds (molds) for the Lost Wax Casting Process.

A little tutorial on making your own moulds (molds) from which you can cheaply make duplicate waxes for the "Lost Wax Casting Process"

It all starts with you wax model. I hand carved the little textured heart. This was then attached to a sprue. For those who don't know, the "Sprue" is the branch to which the wax model is attached.

Here is a close up of the homemade mould box.

These are simple to make. I just cut 3mm acrylic sheet to my required size. I use little triangles underneath to re-inforce the structure and a little block with a hole drilled in the middle, into which you can insert your sprue.




The sides ate then attached with some large elastic bands. The top of this little homemade box is left open.

















You need some very accurate scales. These scales above are accurate to 0.1g.

Foe my mould box I need about 90g worth of rubber. I use this silicone , two part mixture. I use paper cups to mix in, so I can just throw them away. I weigh out 90g of the liquid rubber from the tin. The hardener is added at 20:1 ratio. So 5% is required. I slowly measure in 4.5g in weight.

This stuff will start to set in 20 mins, so you need to act fairly fast.

I use an old screwdriver to mix the compound until the colour is uniform (above right)













The liquid is then placed into my vacuum chamber. This extracts the air from the liquid. The photos above show the liquid in the chamber starting to bubble. It raises in volume as the air is extracted, then it will suddenly drop back down.

I leave the liquid in the chamber for about 6 mins. Until there is very little bubbling going on.

The liquid has now been de-gassed and when it is poured into the mould , it will make a nice solid lump of rubber.














Thsi liquid is now poured into the waiting mould case. You require the rubber to cover the model so that there is at least 1cm of rubber on all sides of the model.

The silicone will now cure over night and in the morning will be ready to be worked further.












In the morning the elastic bands are removed and the sides of the mould. With a little wiggle, the mould will now come out of the mould box.

The image above right, now shows the solid rubber mould has been cut open. I use a simple , very sharp scalpel blade. It really isn't rocket science, but just be careful as you don't want to cut your fingers.

Cut down the sides of the rubber mould, You want to split it nicely into two. Follow the sprue down to the model , then just cut around the middle of the model until it can be easily freed.

On the above mould you can also see that I cut two "buttons". These help to locate the mould back into place when you close it togeter.

I leave the back of the mould uncut, so it acts as a hinge. This will also ensure that you never lose one of the halves.

Here is the low tech wax injector, otherwise known as a cheap syringe.

I melt some injection wax (special wax that has great properties for flowing into moulds in a liquid state.)

I simply put a small amount into a heat proof jug and microwave. This wax melts at about 70 deg c.

As you work, using this method, the wax starts to cool and starts to set. So just keep popping it back into the microwave. Just be careful as it is hot enough to scald.

With the wax at the correct temp. I simply such up a small amount and , holding the mould in one hand. Inject the liquid wax into the mould.

You get a feel for doing it after a while and this method can produce fabulous waxes.

Wait for the wax to cool in the mould (1-2 mins), then open up and remove the "new" wax.

If it is perfect, pat yourself on the back, if it is a bad one, pop it back into the melted wax jug and do another.

Typically 60% of mine come out perfect, but it is so quick to make another that I don't mind.


I would normally be holding the mould with my other hand, but I didn't have any one to take the photos!!!!!






Here is the finished cast piece.

Polished and oxidised.

Bloggers resource.

Found this great bloggers resource, which has enabled me to edit this current site into a 3 coloumn version. So I am just in the process of changing the settings for this blog and then normal service will resume.

Bloggers Resource

Action creates chances..........

This post will hopefully be of interest to Etsy store holders.

I stumbled upon Etsy and without any research or forethought I set up an account and listed some things. That was 31st Oct 2007

I wouldn't say that I am a runaway success, but I am pleased with my sales so far. My sold items have ranged from $20 - $135

I have sold:

Nov 8 items
Dec 13 items
Jan 32 items

So what do I account for my modest success in the first three months?

Here is what I have learnt:

You don't sell anything, nothing, zip, zero, zilch - if you don't get traffic.

TRAFFIC to the store is the MAIN goal.

It then comes down to your products desireability. Lets just say that you make a "primplepropplepapple"

Not everyone wants a "primplepropplepapple", so you may find that only 1% of visitors would actually part with cash for their very own "primplepropplepapple"

Statistically, you need to drive 100 people to your store, for the chance to get the one who will buy your "primplepropplepapple"

At the same time as getting your 100 people to the store, you are also getting nosey etsy shop owners, (like me). Shop owners who are doing market research on price points, colours, techniques. Exactly like you probably do. These nosey people will generate 100 views.These people will never buy, but they give you a lot of visits. So now you need 200 visits to get your one who might buy.

I say might buy, as the one person in a hundred that arrives at your store, might not be in a position to buy that day. They may be broke, about to go on hols, about to move house, just broke up with their other half......

So whilst they were the person who wants your "primplepropplepapple", they just can't buy it today.

So now you need another 100 views to get the next person, then they might be in a simialr position......

So your product might actually require 50, 200, or 1,000 views before it sells.

The only way to getthese views is to drive traffic to your store.

Forums

I didn't find the Etsy forums until 22nd Nov, so my shop was in quite a shabby state and in hindsight I can't believe I made any sales that first month.

I then started to read forum posts, in particular the Crafting and Business section. It seems the best advice is located here.

So not only was I learning about running a better shop, but each post generaated a visitor or two.

Etsy Chat Rooms

I have picked up a lot of views and a lot of hearts, just by being in the chat rooms and joining in. I also like to look at the shops of other members in the chat rooms.

It is this kind of exposure that will drive traffic, which then hopefully drives sales.

Blogs

I opened a blog in April 2007 and never did anything with it, after reading some posts in the forums, I decided to resurrect it, so I started posting again Nov 25th 2007.

I am still not the best blogger in the world and I blog much less than I should do. However my blog has now received over 6,000 hits.

I try to keep my blog restricted to my work, Etsy, and running a craft business. I don't want to blog about family etc.

I can also see from my hit counter that some people have found my blog via search engines. Some of these will then be curious enough to visit my shop.

Storque

I have delved in the Storque and whilst I should explore it further , it has provided some good advice. I was again quite late in finding out about the Storque and I am still not using it to best effect.

ShowCases

I spent a small fortune in Dec on showcases to see if they worked. I spent probably $100 in total. I thought that they did work but i think my sales came in that period came from items being featured in Storque articles, Treasuries or via Stumbleupon. It is impossible to find out where traffic is coming from, but if it is featured in an article, you get a lot of views and with that comes the sales.

Photographs and descriptions

A lot has been said about good pics and good descriptions. I do not profess to being an expert on these matters, but I started giving these two subjects some considerable thought.

I realised that the only thing that will sell an item is the photo, and once that has stirred an interest, the description will nail the sale.

I have seen some lovely work, which is accommpanied by a description that is lacking. It leaves me with so many questions about the piece, I wouldn't bother contacting the seller.

Profile, Shop Announcement

Icing on the cake. again there is much written about these two subjects. Suffice to say, I think the shop announcement should be short, if nothing else, so that the surfer can see the three featured items stright away.

The profile is then used to introduce the surfer to the artist, and give details about shipping, refunds, packaging and other buying related questions. The more you can do to put the buyer at ease, the better.

Again, I do not suggest mine is perfect, but it is better than it was and I will continue to tweak these things as time progresses.

Avatar and Banner

I didn't even know what an Avatar was until Dec. I hadn't given any thought to them and had quite poor pics in place. It then dawned on me, that with frequent posting in the forums, the Avatar is a powerful selling aid in its own right.

The avatar pic should arouse an interest and at the same time, give a flavour of what can be found. the question is:

"If you saw 10 thumbnail avatars, which one would you click on first?"

If yours is the eyecaatching one, you are already doing something to drive traffic.

I was also convinced by a helpful Etsyian that I should have a matching banner and avatar, to give the shop some form of professionalism.

Flickr

Very late onto the scene with Flickr. I have a basic account and my next step will be to upgrade it, tag the pics and participate in the groups I have joined.

http://flickr.com/photos/chris-parry/

I can see the use of Flickr in promoting your work, past and present. I am not an active member yet, but have set this as one of my goals.

Stumbleupon

A useful tool to use. It is similar to ; digit, delicious, and I am sure there are others as well.

These sites allow you to give a webpage that you have found a "thumbs up". Other users of the service will then be directed to that page, who in turn can give it a thumbs up (or down).

It drives traffic, which yet again is the main goal.

I don't use this religously yet myself, but I intend to.

Pricing

I could go on forever about this subject - so please read this page and the links within it for lots of info. There is also a free spreadsheet that you can use to calculate your retail and wholesale prices.

http://chris-parry.blogspot.com/2007/12/free-spreadsheet-for-pricing-your-work.html

Suffice to say that you need to understand the money you are making in running your business, so that the business will support itself and you in the future.

Packaging

A simple aftersale "WOW" factor. Quite a few of my feedbacks, comment on my packaging. It is another small step to endear you to your customer. I care about the itmes I make and how they are packaged.

Newsletter

Only just started one of these on my blog the other day. I was pushed into action when an Etsuain said that she has a great SNS (Sat Night Sale). She informs those who sign up to the newsletter of the upcoming promotions.

I haven't used this form of marketing yet, but I will.

Goal Setting

I posted about goal setting here .

http://chris-parry.blogspot.com/2008/01/goals-or-hopes.html

Mine are simply evrything above. Done regularly and consistently.

My daily aims are to

List an item
Improve pics
Improve descriptions
Improve profile
Improve shop announcement
Blog
Flickr
Chat Room
Forum Post
Stumble
Read Storque article
Improve Packaging
Answer queries quickly



The above is not exhaustive and I am sure I have missed some of the things I do. I hope however if you have read this far, you will see that it is important to be driving traffic to your store. It is the traffic that will bring the sales.

So those are my goals and in Jan I have not done each of them every day, so you could say that I failed to meet my goals. However, what I did do, has generated enough traffic to sell 32 items in the month of Jan and I still have so much to improve...............................

Goals or hopes ?

The Etsy forums are full of Etsyians saying such things like

"My goals this year are 100 more sales."

Well, that is not a goal it is a hope. A goal is something that can be achieved via a course of action. A hope is something that you have no control over.

So I am sure you can all understand what a hope is "My hope is that I win the lottery. Yes I can buy a ticket, but my odds of winning are out of my control."

So what is a goal and how do you define it as such?

A goal is a task that is set down on paper with 5 qualifying criteria.

I have simplified this method, there are others , but for my blog I am going to introduce you to S.M.A.R.T.

Stands for
S - Specific
M- Measureable
A- Achieveable
R- Realistic
T- Time Bound

A written goal therefore needs to have these 5 criteria met for it to be achieved. A simple example follows

It can't be a vague goal such as I want to start a blog. It has to be SPECIFIC - which is - I will ask for advice tomorrow about which Blog I should start and I will join and get my free account up and running by Sunday.

This is now also a MEASUREABLE task as you have given a day by which to complete. It is either done by Sunday or not.

The task has to be ACHIEVEABLE - so, is it feasiable to get some feedback about blogs, and then decide, log on, and create a free acccount in the next X days? If I was going to say that I want to climb Everest by tomorrow afternoon, this is just not ACHIEVEABLE.

IS it a REALISTIC task? For instance, is it a simple enough task , that you , with your skills can complete? In this case, yes it is. Signing up for Blogs is idiot proof. (I am a good example - you are reading my blog afterall)

IS it TIME BOUND? Again we accomplished that one by saying "by Sunday". If we forget to mention a timescale, beit a week, month or year, the task is meaningless.

As I mentioned earlier, there are other methods for composing tasks, and this is not meant to be a definitive article on task setting - you could write a book on that one.

So how do you set SALE GOALS?

You don't.

What you do , is set goals that are S.M.A.R.T. and once performed, they have the potential to deliver sales. Such tasks to set that "might" influence sales would be...

Better Photos
better Descriptions
Better use of Tags
Starting and regular use of a blog
Writing for other peoples blogs
Creating Treasurys
Posting on the Forums
Listing daily/weekly etc
Starting a Flickr account
Sell wholesale
Sell in Galleries/Shops
Joining an Etsy Team
...................there are many, many more activities which will increase your exposure to the world. These activities will hopefully deliver your dream of more sales.

It is vitally important that you understand the difference between a hope, which you have no control over, and a task that can be achieved following the S.M.A.R.T. rule. When you read your written goal (yes yo have to write them down) you should be able to tick off the 5 criteria.

Hope the info helps - any questions - gt in contact.

Ring Stands

Beth Milner posted a great tutorial for making earrings stands. Click on her name to see the post on her excellent blog.

It reminded me of these ring stands that I made about 7 years ago for an exhibition.

They are simply made from steel binding wire and the uppermost end was balled up under a flame.

They were then painted with enamel paints.

I wanted them to have a shabby look, so I left the wires slightly crooked, and only gave them one thin coat of paint.

Magnets !

This is a great tip if you work with a dremmel or a pendant motor.

If you are like me and are forever changing the burrs, drill bits and other accessories then read on.

I purchased some niobium magnets (also called rare earth magnets) 6mm x 3mm. You can see several of them stuck to each other in the front of the photo. They are little round discs, not dissimilar to watch batteries.

On a convenient part of your workbench, simply drill some 6mm diameter holes 3mm deep. Then push into this perfect hole, one of your magnets. These magnets are so powerful, that when you drop one of your drill bits onto them, they stand to attention. You can even see my hand piece spanner on one of the magnets.

So when you are working away, they are easy to pick up, easy to distinguish which one is which and this is just an overall fab idea.

Let me know your workbench tips and I will post any good ideas here.