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September - October - November - December 2009 |
An Experiment in Pricing Featured Ring Weave Diagram |
Color Palettes Autumn Classes Newest Supplies |
Happy Autumn, fellow chainmaillers!
Welcome to our 20th issue of the newsletter! The first issue was written in November 2002. The double-sided blue sheet of paper was delivered by U.S. mail to 14 Chicago-area subscribers. A lot has changed since since then! When that issue was published, I was teaching three classes, and selling five sizes of sterling silver rings. Now, Blue Buddha has three instructors teaching 24 classes that cover 50+ patterns, and we sell nearly 50 base metal sizes and more than 40 sterling sizes. Our customers come from all 50 states and 28 countries, and more than 1,000 people receive our electronic newsletters. Whew!
Throughout our growth, I'm thrilled that the company has been able to continue to embrace compassion and excellence as two of our top values. We may be larger, but we still care about each of our customers individually. As we continue to grow and seek to hire a 4th full-time employee, we're working hard behind to scenes to handle the growth, to make sure that no matter how many departments our company has, each employee is 100% devoted to our mission of bringing joy to people's lives. We work hard, but we have fun doing so, and hope you always have fun making pieces with our products!
Believe it or not, we're actually already gearing up for holiday season. We're planning some special sales and new kits/instructions before then, so stay tuned.
Until next time, much happy mailling to you all! —Rebeca
A Pricing Experiment
In mid-July Rebeca and her fellow Chicago Craft Mafia members conducted an interesting exercise at their quarterly Craft Racket. Here are Rebeca's thoughts on the experiment.
Whether you craft to sell or to give items as gifts, it's important that you know the value of what you're making. Equally important is educating consumers so they, too know the value of handcrafted items. None of that can be done, though, if folks don't know how to price their work!
At a recent Chicago Craft Mafia we decided pricing would be a great topic for one of our Rackets, and we wanted to make it as interactive as possible. We proposed that attendees bring one item that they'd made. These items would be displayed along with a brief description of materials or techniques used. Everyone present would anonymously choose a price for the piece. We suggested that they actually list two prices: one price indicating the lowest price they'd expect to pay for the item, and the second price showing highest price they could imagine if the piece sold at a chic boutique or art gallery.
Click on the image at left for a PDF spreadsheet of the items and results. It's not a fancy spreadsheet (and there are no photos), but it's packed with information. You'll find a description of each item, along with the range of prices given, the average price and the actual retail price if the crafter provided that information. As you can see, there was a huge variety in pricing for just about every item, with the high price being two to ten times higher than the low price. The average price sometimes matched the actual retail price, but usuaully it did not.
This leads me to believe, with a slight chuckle, that most people don't have a clue about pricing! However, it's not necessarily a bad thing. It presents a great opportunity for crafters to educate each other as well as consumers about what goes into their products. For instance, some materials are hard to find, or are 100% American-made. Both of which drive up the value, and both of which can be great selling points for the piece. (Obviously, if you're not from the U.S. you would want to utilize as much local labor and materials as possible.) Some pieces require meticulous craftsmanship, as most chainmaillers well know. One artisan at the Racket who works in felting spends about 20-30 hours on a single piece! If consumers don't know how long it takes you to make a piece, nine times out of ten, they will underestimate the time involved and thereby underestimate the price as well.
Crafters need to not be shy about educating consumers. Handcrafted items carry higher price tags than mass-produced stuff. Don't try to get around it. They should cost more. However, the actual cost to the American economy and environment is often far less for handcrafted items. What I mean is that all the money spent at big-box stores supporting outsourced products means less money spent here to support local workers. Sure, everyone likes to save a buck, especially when the economy is tight...but if outsourcing increases, U.S. factories shut down and domestic unemployment goes up. Additionally, many imported items are made in factories that have few environmental regulations. It is difficult to keep track of the cost to the enviroment for producing such items, but saving a buck now is not going to help us if we have to spend the buck later to create landfills, improve air quality, or treat illnesses caused by contaminated products. It is also often theraputic for the artisan to make crafts, and frankly, if everyone engaged in theraputic activity on a regular basis, we would be less stressed and the world would run a little smoother!
Whether you create to sell or simply for pure joy, the benefits of handcrafting cannot be denied. Bringing up some of these considerations at the Racket caused a few crafters to remark that they would be raising their prices.
Overall, most of the average prices guessed by attendees were lower than the actual retail price. It doesn't mean that everyone was underpricing, but some people definitely were. On the flip side, sometimes the actual retail price was higher than what was guessed by attendees. Usually, these were items by establised artisans, which is a good indication that if you want to make it in the world of crafts, you DO need to charge appropriately! For instance, I let folks know that I would not be selling a particular piece for $20 (the lowest guess) because the materials cost alone for that piece was more than $20.
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Here are some final tips for pricing your items high enough to cover your costs and make a profit:
1) If you're selling to friends, feel good about charging them. You can certainly give them a discount—figure out what the retail price would be, and tell them that, and then let them know that you'll give them a 25% or 40% discount (or however much you want to give). It'll make them feel great about getting such a good deal, and you'll feel good because they'll know the full value of your piece. Additionally, if they tell all their friends and suddenly you have orders for 3 bracelets, you won't feel resentful for having to make them at the "friend" price; you can sell them at full retail price and get paid what you're worth! 2) If you're selling as a serious hobby or part/full-time profession, price your jewelry for wholesale and retail sale. See the pricing article in the FAQ for more information on this topic. If you don't do this, the craft as a whole is devalued. Additionally, no galleries would want to sell your work if customers could go directly to your website and purchase it for less. 3) If you're uncomfortable charging full price for some of your items, or you don't live in an area with enough approrpriate outlets or markets to do so, then consider selling products under two company names. It's more work, but you can sell more accessible items on Etsy and to local folks under one name, and you can sell higher-end items at full retail price through galleries and your own website. 4) Create a mini brochure, postcard, or some other marketing piece that gives customers a glimpse of how the work is created. Emphasize anything that requires a particular skill, as it increases the value of your products. 5) Support fellow artisans, buy handmade as much as you can, and educate others about the benefits of handmade goods! |
For more information:
See the Chicago Craft Mafia article on pricing (coming soon) along with various other Craft Racket tip sheets on the Chicago Craft Mafia's website.
Read Blue Buddha's article on Pricing Your Jewelry in the FAQ
Featured Ring - F19 EC
| This month's featured ring is F19 Enameled Copper (and silvered enameled copper). For more information about enameled copper, please refer to How do I select a metal? in the FAQ. | |
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F19 EC
*The gauges for Enamaled Copper are a bit wacky (mostly because the wire manufacturers measure the
wire before the enameled coating is added. The coating certainly adds to the thickness of the wire.
You may see other suppliers calling this 18 gauge. However, because we
recommend combining Enameled Copper mainly with base metal, we're using the same gauge system that our base metal uses.
The final measurements of the wire after the coating has been applied make it very close to what our 19ga base metal (SWG) would be.
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| Check out some of the weaves you can make with F19 EC: | |
| Weave Name | Rings Per Inch | Snazzy photo | Where to Find Instructions |
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5 row European 4-in-1 (Mesh) |
33 |
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Mesh & Rosettes DVD Vol I |
| Rosettes | 23 |
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Mesh & Rosettes |
| Shaggy Loops | 18 |
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Shaggy Loops instructions available as PDF or hard copy |
| Wiggle (Möbius) | 16 |
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Wiggle instructions available as PDF or hard copy |
| Byzantine (3-connectors) | 28 |
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Box/Byzantine PDF (currently in sale section) |
| Byzantine (alternating 2- and 3-connectors) | 26 |
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Since the 3-connector version shown above can be a very tight fit, you might prefer to alternate the number of connectors (so one plane
has 3 and the other plane has 2). This creates a more flexible piece that is easier to weave. |
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5 row Open Round (Inverted Round) |
24 |
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Open/Turkish Round PDF (currently in sale section) |
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5 row Turkish Round (Turkish Round) |
36 |
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Open/Turkish Round PDF (currently in sale section) DVD Vol 2 |
Thanks to interns Jen, Angelique and Sky for weaving these samples.
Quick Weave Diagram - Barrel
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The Barrel is an easy-to-learn weave that looks great in two metals. You can even do it in three metals, as shown here. If your Aspect Ratio is lower, the weave may still possible; try using one ring instead of two doubled rings in steps 3-4 (the blue rings in the lower photo at left). This pattern makes an eye-catching neck chain. Happy weaving! |
Prerequisite: No experience necessary
Base Metal Ring Size:
I18 ALUM, JBRS, COPP, BRNZ or SSTL (18g 13/64" / 5.2 mm)
Rings per inch (and for 7.5" of material): I18 x 18 (135)
These base metal sizes will also work:
E20 (may be too loose in ALUM), N16, and H19 EC (coming soon!).
Sterling Silver Ring Size:
J16 (16g 1/4" / 6.4 mm)
Rings per inch (and for 7.5" of material): J16 x 16 (120)
These sterling sizes will also work:
D21, E20, F19, G18.
 1. Scoop two rings on one open and close the open ring. (If you scooped up two raw rings, close the raw rings now).
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 2. Double the first ring by passing a new ring through the same rings. You now have a small chain of 2-in-2.
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  3. Smoosh one set of rings so that they aren't exactly side-by-side—you're trying to create enough space to fit a new ring in between the smooshed rings as shown in the photo. Add a new open ring through the path and close it. |
 4. Double the ring you just added. |
 5. With a new ring, scoop up two closed (or raw) rings. Before closing.... |
  ... you'll need to weave that ring into the tiny "eyehole" made by the smooshed rings. The eyehole is indicated by the red arrow; yep, it's that tiny glimmer of white space! Once you get it through, close the ring. (Make sure it is going through 4 rings: the 2 you scooped, plus 2 "smooshed" rings). If you scooped up two raw rings, close them now. |
 6. Double the ring you just added. |
 Your piece should look like this. You're now ready to smoosh the end two rings again, as in step 3. Make sure you smoosh them the same way! In the photo, notice how the top copper ring has been pushed back, and the bottom ring is pulled out toward you. Both sets of copper are doing this, and for the rest of the weave, I will continue to "smoosh"in the same direction. |
5. Add another two rings, as in steps 3-4. Your piece should look like this. Add new rings, as in steps 5-6, and repeat steps 3-6 to the end. |
 This pattern is very easy to finish. Simply add two new rings when you're at step 5. However, do NOT scoop up any extra rings. Just add one ring and close, and then a second ring and close. Those final two rings form your end point, and you can add your clasp from there. In the diagram above two smaller rings (D18 in base metal) were used to attach the weave to an economy toggle. |
 Here is an I18 Copper barrel bracelet. |
This variation is called spiked barrel. To create it, every time you get to step 3, smoosh the rings in the opposite direction as you did for the previous set. This gives the piece a more jagged look. Size H19 EC was used to create the samples above; this is a new size coming soon to Blue Buddha! |
Color Palettes
Here is the Blue Buddha Anodized Niobium Interpretation of the fall 2009 / Winter 2010 fashion color report. Underneath the main palette are several mini-palette combinations to inspire you and to encourage you to mix colors that you otherwise might not have used. If you're hesitant to use contrasting colors, a great way to test them out is to pick a dominant color for your piece, and use the other colors in the mini-palette as highlights. You can also view the original color forecast on FashionTrendsetter.com.
Fall/Winter 2009-2010 Fashion Colors
modeled by Anodized Niobium
top row (l to r) coffee, smokey topaz, metallic, green tea, silver lining
bottom row (l to r) rose, magenta, midnight, teal, emerald
suggested combinations
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Autumn Classes
We've updated the class calendar for September and October, and have several November/December classes posted as well.
 at Ayla's |
 at Briolette |
 at Blue Buddha Boutique |
 at Caravan |
 at Blue Buddha Boutique |
Contact the specific store or gallery for a schedule or to register for a class.
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Special Guest Instructor Scott David Plumlee — September 19 - 20 We're pleased to welcome artisan Scott David Plumlee to the boutique for a weekend of classes that show you how to combine chain and beads in innovate ways. Join him for four workshops and purchase autographed copies of his new book. For more info and to register>> |
Newest Supplies
Lots of new goodies for you guys! First off, we were able to negotiate some new rates for some of our findings, so some prices have dropped, especially for the bulk items.
Once we're done with the Bead&Button show, we'll have our niobium anodizer all set up, which means we'll slowly be able to offer more sizes in niobium, and also more findings, such as earwire and perhaps even headpins.
Some recent additions to the Supplies section:
 Tote / Door Caddy A convenient way to carry your rings and keep them organized. |
 Enameled Copper Toggles These handmade toggles were created to coordinate with anodized aluminum and enameled copper pieces. Available in two sizes, small (15-18 mm) and a dramatic large 26 mm size. |
 Digital Calipers Use digital calipers for accurate and easy-to-read measurements for your rings. Convert mm to inches with the touch of a button. |
 Anodized Niobium Earwire Yes, we've had the earwire before, but now we have them in all 20 colors, to match the niobium jump rings we sell. |
 Chain and Bead Jewelry Creative Connections In Scott David Plumlee's second book, you'll learn new ways to incorporate beads into a variety of chain-mail weaves. |
Feel free to contact Rebeca as always with questions or comments.
local: 773.478.3767 toll free: 866.602.RING (7464) rebeca@bluebuddhaboutique.com
Happy Weaving!
All content written by Rebeca Mojica, Blue Buddha Boutique artist & owner.
