Loading ...
By contributing columnist aka Haffina Creations
As a jewellery maker, one of the items I love to use the most is Artisan Lampwork beads. There is a very talented Handmade Lampwork Bead Artisan who happens to have a studio on ArtFire. Her name is Jamie Rose and she is the incredible talent behind her ArtFirea> studio is always worth a visit, with new items added regularly. I wanted to know some more about workings of < so I asked Jamie some questions, which she kindly answered.
What will people find when they drop into your studio/store? What types of items do you sell?
I sell mainly Artisan Lampwork beads. I also sell some jewelry and some stained glass pendants/necklaces.
How did you come up with your studio/ shop’s name?
I wanted something unique. Most Lampwork sellers use their names, but I wanted something different, unique and that would be remembered. Not sure it’s that easy to remember, but I think if someone knows my work and they see my name they’ll say, “yes, I remember her”. I wanted to use the word Glass and make that a one-of-a-kind name, so Glasstastic was created from Glass and fantastic. Also, since I was completely amazed by what I could do with a torch, I wanted to use the word Treasures, because to me every bead is a treasure.
How long have you been selling online?
Wow, three years now!
What lead you to join ArtFire?
I heard about Etsy on TV one day when I was home taking a vacation day. I looked it up on the internet and thought it was perfect for me. And it was, for a while. Then, simply by being online you hear of more venues to sell on, and ArtFire was brought to my attention. I waited for quite a while before I moved there and I’m so happy I did. ArtFire is my favorite selling venue.
What is your favourite feature on the ArtFire?
Everything! But if I have to choose just one thing it would be coupon codes. It is so easy to offer my customers a coupon code so they can receive their discount without waiting for a refund. I believe in making shopping easy for my customers.
What tips/advice would you give to others considering joining the site?
You can join for free and get a basic account, however, in my experience, once I moved to a Pro Seller I almost immediately because more visible on Google and other internet searches. If you can swing the monthly fee to start out you won’t be sorry.
How do you want people who visit your studio/shop to feel, what mood are you attempting to create?
I want to lift spirits and bring smiles to faces. My tagline is: Has your heart smiled today? Come see me, you’ll see what I mean.
What types of things do you do to try and create that feel/mood?
I make fun and whimsical beads. I make characters with smiley faces and love to use bright colors.
What is your favourite tool or material to use at the moment?
My favorite new glass is CIM, Creation Is Messy. The colors are bright and vivid, and very unique.
Are there any skills or techniques that you would like to learn, or materials that you would like to work with, aside from what you already do?
Right now I use soft glass which has to be kept warm so the beads don’t crack. However, I’d love to use Boro glass, a harder glass, which isn’t so temperamental outside the flame. You can get much more freedom to work with the glass without it shattering if it’s not in the flame.
Are you still selling the same kind of items as when you started selling, or has it changed with time?
Pretty much. Once I started making fun faces and whimsical character I just couldn’t stop!
Which part of being an online seller do you find the most challenging, and what do you do to deal with that?
Marketing is very challenging. It’s so time consuming, and can be costly. However, there are many website that make it easy to post listings and pictures of your newly listed items to one site, or multiple sites like Twitter, facebook, Plurk, Plaxo and other networking sites. Facebook has a great application called RSS Graffiti which will go into your websites that have an RSS feed and pick up newly posted items. Anything like that makes marketing so very easy! Ping.fm is nice because you can add a toolbar to your browser and with just a couple of clicks you can shoot out info about one of your items or your shop to multiple websites.
How do you balance your online and offline life?
Balance? LOL! Well, my kids are grown and it’s easier for me to spend my free time marketing. I love making Lampwork beads, so for me that’s easy because I run to the torch whenever I can. Marketing is something I do while I’m watching TV at night. I’ll list new items and shoot out links through all my networking sites, and chat with my friends on Plurk. My husband bought me a laptop for Christmas so I wouldn’t be stuck in the back room with my desktop all the time.
What kind of supplies do you always seem to buy, even if you do not really need them?
Glass, glass, glass and more glass!! There are many different manufacturers and so many colors to try out.
I really do recommend dropping by Glasstastic Treasures on ArtFire, it is well worth a visit.
Now at 
Our next Smiles Coupon Campaign will be a multi-useful coupon. We will be featuring a 20% off discount with redemption of our coupon code. However, we will allow interested indiepreneurs to offer 10% off, free shipping, buy one get one free, or any other discount they desire. Simply sign up for our 
