Thursday, February 23, 2012

Barbara Lewis - Painting with Fire Artwear: eCourse Introduction: Studio Walkthrough

My friend and mentor Barbara Lewis is offering on line tutorials for all of us who just can't get to one of her classes. She is funny and talented and generous to share all her knowledge with us. Knowing her has changed my artwork forever and I appreciate all her support over the last year. SO GO WATCH THE VIDEO! The video shows her shop set up..we would all love to have one like this. A whole giant room...vs a corner in the basement! I'd be like a kid in a candy store if I got in there. She would have to check my pockets to make sure stuff didn't magically disappear when I left. hee hee



Barbara Lewis - Painting with Fire Artwear: eCourse Introduction: Studio Walkthrough: Over the past year, I've received requests to teach Painting with Fire Workshops from so many nice people across the country. I wish I coul...

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

What it is like to sell handmade on line....

I'm in a few groups on line and everyone always gets frustrated about why nothing is moving from their shops.  You get lots of traffic and views but almost no sales.  This doesn't mean what you make isn't nice/pretty/well made etc.  As I thought about it I came up with this:


If you've ever done a show think about how many people walk right by your booth and don't stop...they see you but don't want what you sell...then there are the ones who stop look at your stuff and act like it is poison and burns their eyes..then there is the one who stops and looks at everything you have and shows you a stretchy crystal bracelet she bought for $2 at the Dollar Store and wants to know if you have anything like it...then the next one looks at and tries on everything and walks away or buys the one pair of $5 earrings you marked on sale. If you are lucky a few people come in, love your stuff and buy a few things and then goes to get a friend and she buys some stuff too. And maybe, MAYBE they look for you at the next show and bring another friend who loves what you make too ....if they don't get sidetracked at another booth first and spend all their money.

That is what selling on line is like too, but multiplied by thousands of other booths!

So don't get discouraged.  When I first started to make and sell things I was one of a few now I am one of many.  I RARELY get a sale in my stores.  My best customers love to pick up, try on, touch and talk to me about the pieces I make.  Once I do sell on line to someone they will buy again, but getting that first sale is the hardest thing to do.  Think of what you are trying to do like the tortoise and the hare..guess what we are all the tortoise!  

And as Dori the fish said...Just keep swimming!

Monday, February 13, 2012

What's Happening

So, I have made a few things out of my bead soup beads, but you won't get even a hint here about what.  You will have to check back on reveal day.  I challenged myself and did a new technique with some of it.

Yesterday I had two really great things happen.  I woke up to get ready to go to breakfast and an antique show with my friend Paula Provenzano.  We were having breakfast at First Watch then up to the Cintas Center at Xavier University for the first Cincinnati Indoor Antique Market.  I got a few bargains and found a jewelry box to use as part of my display at shows.  I have been looking for unique items for jewelry display and loved the way this one opens to reveal several levels and drawers.  It will make it easy for me to do a mini trunk show at the salon I work at as well.  Just open it up and show off jewelry to potential customers.  I love poking around and looking in all the booths and bins for bits and pieces to add to my jewelry designs as well.

Like I always do, I opened up my email while I drank my first giant cup of coffee to see that I was featured on a blog by Barbara Lewis of Painting with Fire.  She had sent an email with some questions awhile ago and life got a bit too busy for me to respond.  I sent her an apology and once the first of the year hit I sat down to answer her back.  I was really honored and surprised to be asked.  I mean, I'm just Lynnea in Cincinnati making stuff...who'd want to read about me?  But, I answered the questions and as I did I realized there are people like me all over.  Making stuff....not sure where they are headed.  So I had to say....Why not me?

I've been doing a lot of reorganizing and restructuring my webpages and blogs and stores as my work has evolved in the last year.  I have a few close friends who insist I call what I do art, so I have in fact started to use that word more when I describe the creations I make. I was looking thru an old photobucket album and realizing that what I sold even 3 years ago is almost unrecognizable as my work today.  My friend Paula said maybe that whack on the head in my car accident was a really good thing!  I had to laugh, but could have really done without that whack thank you very much!

I really appreciate all the support I am receiving from my family and friends and the arts community both local and virtual.  I never dreamed that I'd be doing what I do now and have anyone notice it, let alone someone who wrote a book know who I am!  I'm looking forward to 2012 and seeing what I create and how my work continues to evolve.

As I said in my interview....there is no wrong in art!  Make what you love.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Is It Soup Yet?

Well, I got my bead soup ingredients the other day from my partner Mandi Ainsworth.  We sent our beads out on Monday.  Here is what I got:

 A black and blue glass focal bead by Crystal Gilbert Lampwork Design, coordinating strands of beads and a dragonfly clasp (I happen to love dragonflys).  She also sent me a beaded pen that she made. 
 I have been browsing thru my favorite inspiration sites to figure out what I want to do with my stash.  Bracelet? Earrings? Necklace?  All three?  Guess you'll just have to check back and see on the Bead Soup Blog Reveal Day.  If you want a sneak peak at what we all got..here is the list of participants:


1.  Adlinah Kamsir (Kingdom of Bahrain) and Hajer Waheed (Singapore)
2. Adrienn Lukacs (Hungary) and Agata Grygiel (Poland)
3.  Agi Kiss (Hungary) and Carolien Muller-Genger (the Netherlands)
4.  Agnes Asztalos (Hungary) and B.R. Kuhlman
7.  Alicia Marinache (Canada) and Dita Basu




15.  Bonnie Coursolle (Canada) and Fay Wolfenden (Canada)
16.  Carmel McGinley (Australia) and Tracy Stillman (Australia)




21.  Cheryl Brown (Canada) and Diana Ptaszynski
22.  Christina Stofmeel (the Netherlands) and Eva Kovacs (Hungary)
24.  Cilla Watkins (Canada) and Elaine Robitaille (Canada)
25.  Sabrina Straub (Switzerland) and Kathy Combs




32.  Dee Elgie (UK) and Joanne Lockwood (UK)
33.  Dian Hierschel (Germany) and Eniko Fabian (Austria)
37.  Doris Stumpf (Germany) and Eszter Czibulyas (Hungary)
39.  Elke Leonhardt-Rath (Germany) and Marjolein Trewavas (UK)



41.  Erika Nooteboom (the Netherlands) and Giorgia Rossini (Italy)
45.  Ginger Bishop (military, Okinawa) and Martina Nagele (Germany)
48.  Helene Goldberg (Australia) and Karen Vincent




54.  Joanna Matuszczyk (Poland) and Julianna Kis (Hungary)
55.  Joanne Tinley (UK) and Michaela Pabeschitz (Austria)




65.  Kristina Johansson (Sweden) and Penny Neville (Canada)
66.  Krisztina Erlaki-Toth (Hungary) and Nicole Keller (Germany)




76.  Lori Finney (Canada) and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp (Canada)
78.  Marta Kaczerowska (Poland) and Milla Starchik (Canada)





83.  Michelle Jensen (Canada) and Sandra Young (Canada)



92.  Rosa Maria Cuevas (Mexico) and Tejae Floyde
93.  Sabine Dittrich (Germany) and Sally Russick
95.  Shanti Johnson and Tracy Mok (Canada)
97.  Sonya Stille and Traci Zeller (Canada)
98.  Stefanie Teufel (Germany) and Tania Hagen (New Zealand)

Reveal day is March 3rd...

Mandi is a fantastic seed bead artist, but I didn't send her any seed beads.  If she is like me she has a large stash of them just waiting to be put to use.  I did send her a lamp work heart focal bead with matching beads and an embossed key charm (I made all of them), assorted glass pearls and crystals and I added some copper chain and findings and sari silk.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with!