Celebrating products made in the USA!

A year and a half ago, Blue Buddha Boutique began the process of manufacturing our own Anodized Aluminum rings (our highest selling product) and making them 100% made in the USA – from metal, to wire, to rings, to anodizing.  We are 94% of the way there: out of 130 different batches of rings (colors/sizes), we only have eight more batches to go, mostly size F20, before the transition is complete.  Not only are the new rings made in the US, but they are also a superior product. We receive compliments nearly every day about the shine and quality of these rings.

It was our long-time desire to begin making 100% USA made products because we just felt it was important to do.  The more we learn about the national economic benefits of buying products made in the USA however, the more we realize just what a huge impact this choice can have.

We are incredibly proud to offer these 100% USA-made rings and are exploring other products we could manufacture completely on US soil.  Read more about our 100% Made-in-the-USA Anodized Aluminum rings here.


Learn more about the effects of buying American-made products by visiting ABC World News’ “Made in America” page and check out this great video which offers some information about the impact of buying products made in the USA.

Just for fun!

Here at B3, we love sharing fun (sometimes silly) links and photos we come across. I love getting a little gem in my inbox from one of the other B3 team members and thought I’d share a couple on the blog today.  Sometimes Mondays need a little brightening up…here’s hoping these brighten up your day as much as they did mine!

RE: new use for U12 RUBR

Jason‘s ingenious use for U12 RUBR rings…..status markers for D&D miniatures.  To indicate wounds, being under a spell, and the like.  Ha!





RE: Something Silly

After a discussion about chainmaille for animals (customer request *grin*) Nadja was reminded of this cat armour and chainmaille by talented metal artist Jeff De Boer.


Learn from the experts: how to price your crafts!

Calling all Chicago crafters!  Interested in knowing how veteran crafters price their goods? This Wednesday, April 20th come on out to the Chicago Craft Mafia’s Spring Craft Racket and hear from the experts. Step out for an evening of socializing, talking shop, and sharing a snack or two with fellow crafters at Beans & Bagels on Montrose.  Make sure to bring one of the products you make/sell, as well as the story behind why you created it. The Mafia will lead an informative exercise to help you see how the value of your work might be seen in the marketplace, and what you can do to ensure you’re getting paid what you’re worth.  A few years ago, the Mafia conducted a similar pricing exercise, which Rebeca wrote about in the student newsletter.

CCM CRAFT RACKET – Spring, 2011

Wednesday, April 20, 6-9 pm


Beans & Bagels
1812 W. Montrose
Chicago IL
Cost: FREE!
Please RSVP by emailing [email protected]


For those of your that can’t make it to the Craft Racket because you, oh say, don’t live in Chicago *wink*…here’s some information on this subject from Rebeca, B3 Ambassador Kat Wisniewksi, and recent “Ask an Artist” contributor, Melissa Banks.  Feel free to post additional questions on this subject in the comments section of this post or ask us on our page on facebook.




Rebeca’s advice on pricing your crafts from Blue Buddha’s FAQ section:

http://www.bluebuddhaboutique.com/faq/58_Crafters.php




Kat’s advice on how to price your jewelry

(excerpt from “Ask an Artist: How can I get started selling my chainmaille jewelry?” – for even more advice, read the full article here.)

Pricing is so important to my business because it is the perceived value of my work that indicates how exceptional it really is!  I calculate the wholesale price in such a way that I still make a livable profit on each item, even if it’s sold wholesale and not at the higher retail price.  The math is relatively simple:

True materials cost + The hourly wage I want to earn + Small % of overhead costs + What will get reinvested in business** (MULTIPLY this total by 2 to get your retail price.)
(**this includes money to buy more materials, packaging, office expenses.  If you are a new or a relatively new business then anywhere from 15% to 20% of each item you sell at wholesale rates should be reinvested.  If you are a more stable business with more of a steady flow of income than this amount should be higher & could be up to 40%.)




Melissa’s advice on this subject

(“deleted scene” from Melissa’s “Ask an Artist” article – read the original article here)

Always have a formula for pricing your work. Always. Then you will be sure you are paid for your time. With chainmaille, it’s all about labor! And don’t short-change yourself! I started out WAY underpricing my work, even though I did have a formula (this was engrained in school). Then when I realized I needed to increase my prices as my time became more valuable, and even though I am confident in doing so, I always worry about customer response. Best to set your prices correctly to begin with.

This is the simplified version of what I do:

Labor x hourly rate + materials = Wholesale price
Wholesale price x 2.2 = Retail
This is what I’ve read you’re SUPPOSED to do:
Labor x hourly rate + materials + overhead + PROFIT = Wholesale price


So…..when I design a piece, I will make a second one and time it from start to finish, at a normal pace. That’s my labor. Now set your hourly rate. (Using my formula, you have to include overhead and profit into your hourly). I started out giving myself an hourly rate of I think $20? Sounded good to me at the time, but wow – you can’t live on that as an artist!  Remember, you’re not getting paid for a 40 hour work week, guaranteed. You might work 80 hours a week but only sell/make money for 20 of those hours, AND you have to run a business (overhead) AND pay yourself a wage. Forget it. So the hourly I give myself is now much higher, but after overhead and how many hours I put in, it’s not nearly my actual wage – who pays me to do paperwork? Oh right – nobody.  So you have to try and keep everything in perspective when you consider your formula, and don’t skimp or your overhead and/or lack of profit could be your downfall.

Then….there are some pieces where “perceived value” comes into play, and that’s something you will learn over time. I may make a necklace with a very simple design that I can make very quickly, but am I going to really sell it for $20 according to my formula? No way. I’ll sell it for $60 because that’s what people expect to pay (perceived value), and I still sell a ton of them. That’s just a bonus profit margin, and might make up for other extra costs/expenses. Hint: If people are constantly telling you your prices are too low, then your prices are too low!

* On a side note, I like to mark up 2.2 for retail because many stores don’t like to just double the wholesale price to get their retail price, they mark it up a bit more. This helps keep all pricing consistent as possible, so a customer that sees my work at an art fair, on my website, and at a store will see pretty much the same price! Easy, no confusion, and you want to avoid hearing, ”why is it (this price) here, and (that price) at the other place?” And FYI, the term for doubling a wholesale price to get retail – straight x2 markup – is called “keystoning,” something I didn’t learn for quite a while and would be a good word to keep in your business lexicon.

Also, I cannot stress enough the importance of having both a wholesale and a retail price that will make you a profit!  You cannot formulate your prices at retail first and disregard the need or possibility to sell to a brick and mortar store at wholesale, you are working backwards. In fact, that hurts other artists! When I see people selling crafts for $12 it kills me because it brings the selling margin down (#1) and it also becomes very confusing for everybody, most importantly for customers, if they see your work for double the price at a store because the store has to mark it up (#2). So your wholesale and retail price cannot be the same – I see it happen – stop doing it, people!  😉

A good thought to end with would be this:  It would be much easier to maybe come down on your prices a bit if your pieces don’t seem to be selling well (not that I’m promoting overpricing your work), than to keep raising them if you find out you are underpricing your work.  Best to start with a formula that makes sense that you can stand behind and feel good about – so be confident in the value of your work, and just as important – your time!  You’ll find you are going to put in much more time that you realize once the business moves ahead, and bottom line is you have to be compensated for it.  Good luck!

Cool people and jewelry at Bead Fest Wire 2011!

I’m just settling back from a great weekend in Pennsylvania at Bead Fest Wire 2011 by Interweave Press.  Here’s a quick wrap-up of the folks I met there, along with some of their projects.  Enjoy!

Joe and Anat Silvera with Joe’s recently released book – Soldering Made Simple: Easy techniques for the kitchen-table jeweler, currently on the best-seller’s list on Amazon!

And of course, chainmailler Sue Ripsch, long-time instructor at this show and author of her own best-seller, Classic Chain Mail Jewelry: A treasury of weaves.

Instructor Kaska Firor was new to me.  Her chainmaille designs caught my eye (obviously) but really, I completely fell in love with her wirework, in particular the Ocean Waves Necklace (shown on her website, and also visible in the center bottom of the photo below).  Pictured is Kaska on the left and her daughter on the right.

The final chainmailler at the Meet the Teacher’s reception was John Fetvedt. I bought one of his instructional CDs, and if I like it, you might just see Blue Buddha carrying them!  (Unfortunately, they are only available for PCs….and being a Mac/Linux fan myself, well, you know.  *grin*)  If you know you’d be interested in the CD, leave a comment–that’ll also help us determine if we want to stock ’em!

A major highlight of the weekend was meeting some customers face-to-face, especially those I’d never met before.  Here is a long-time customer wearing a scale necklace she made (using plain aluminum and iridescent gunmetal scales).  Of course, I spotted the scales before I spotted the person.  heh.

Another highlight was talking with Denise Peck, editor of Step by Step Wire Jewelry.  We brainstormed ways to make the chainmaille projects in the magazine even better….and came up with some great ideas.  Stay tuned for more info–and submission requests, because I know a lot of you have some awesome projects that really should be in the magazine!  In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment with any chainmaille-related requests you have for magazine projects or topics.

And finally, the person who touched me the most over the weekend was Maryann Corey, founder of The Portable Playhouse.   I saw her at Bead&Button last year, but we didn’t get a chance to talk, so I didn’t get to find out exactly how cool of a lady she is. The Portable Playhouse is a non-profit organization dedicated to art therapy.  As a fundraiser, she is working on the worlds largest necklace (shown below). Please visit LongestBeadedNecklace.com for more info and to make a donation.  For only $1, you can have a bead added to the necklace and help raise funds and awareness for her amazing organization.  So yes, you really can make the world a better place one bead at a time. :-)

Kits Now Available for “Galdriel’s Cuff” by Chainmaille Artist Vanessa Walilko!


Kits are now available for chainmaille artist Vanessa Walilko’s recently published project, Galdriel’s Cuff (Elf Weave). Invented by Johnny Nilsson (known online as Nadrendion), Elf Weave is a dense, intricate pattern from the European family of weaves that it is incredibly fluid and has a lovely weight in enameled copper.  The floral clasp for this project makes a beautiful focal point and the perfect finishing touch.  (And yes, stay tuned because we will be selling the clasp in several different finishes—including gunmetal!—by the end of April.)

Learn more about Vanessa, the artist behind this kit, by visiting her website, liking her page on facebook, or following her on Twitter.

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Instructions for this project are available in the April/May 2011 Issue of Step-by-Step Wire JewelryHowever, weavers beware – the magazine lists the wrong size!  Use size H19 enameled copper to make this piece.


Did you know Blue Buddha has supply lists and precious/base metal conversions for more than three dozen magazine chainmaille project? Check out the page, and save yourself the time of doing the calculations yourself!  After that, use our Ringpicker page to get everything on your project shopping list.



Also in this issue of Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry…check out Sara Richarson’s review of Rebeca’s book, CHAINED on page 62!
Sara concludes, “If you’ve been resisting making chainmaille pieces, Chained will definitely convince you to break out of your shell and try it.  Go on, break out your pliers and make this beautiful jewelry!”