By Contributing Columnist Amy McCarthy aka AmyOrangeJuice

One of the things I have been most impressed with since joining the Folksy community is the quality of the printed items available. I don’t mean prints of original fine art paintings (though some of these are lovely) but lino cut and wood cut prints, each an individual work of art in its own right.

Printing is a very satisfying art technique and its simple to achieve striking, good quality work with few tools;  so here is my guide to Lino Printing. Why not have a go?

You will need:

Lino Cutting tool: Otherwise know as a gouge, is readily available from art supply shops and on the internet. I got a set for around £ 6 so they are not an expensive buy.  Lino cutting tools come with a handle and several different size cutting blades which fit into the handle, each one makes a different mark and depth into the lino.

Lino: Inexpensive to buy from art supply shops and on line, comes pre-cut in manageable squares.

Roller: Again, printing rollers are cheap to buy from art suppliers, but you could also use a brush.  If using a roller you need a flat, clean surface to roll the paint onto. I use an old piece of reinforced glass from an old coffee table.

Ink: You can use water or oil based printing ink or Gouache/thinned poster paint. All easy to come across and inexpensive.

Paper: Lino can be printed onto a wide range of papers. Specialist printing paper is lovely to use, but a wide range of paper can be used. Why not experiment?

Shopping done? Lets get started!

First of all you need to prepare your lino. It comes with a slightly rough surface, so with a couple of drops of water and a piece of wet and dry sand paper give it a light sanding (should only take a couple of minutes). This will give a strong printing texture. Without preparation the surface of the print could look grainy. Try not to get the hessian backing wet as it will make the lino unstable and soggy!

The next thing to do is prepare the design and cut the lino to the desired size with a craft knife. Remember that the parts you carve away will remain white (assuming you are printing onto white paper). You can draw straight onto the lino or trace a design from paper onto the lino. Remember that when printing everything will appear in reverse on the paper.

Now you are ready to start mark making! Hopefully you have tried out your tools and got a feel for what marks the different blades make: some deep and rounded, others shallow and triangular. Hold the handle of the gouge in the palm of your hand with the blade outwards between your thumb and forefinger and push the cutting edge into the lino, keeping the blade and handle close the lino surface and push along the lino; you have made your first cut!

SAFETY NOTICE: Always cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear of the cutting blade!

When you have cut away all of your design you are ready to print.  Having protected your surfaces with old newspaper, roll the paint out on the glass/slab/flat surface till you have a nice even layer of ink/paint. Now place the lino block with the design facing upwards on a clean surface and roll the ink onto it until you have a nice even layer of paint on the design (or dab the lino with a loaded brush until all of it is evenly covered).  Lay your printing paper carefully on top of the lino block and burnish the paper with a spoon or with your fingers. Peek at the paper by lifting a corner until you are satisfied with the print.  You have made your first print~well done! Lay flat to dry away from pets and kids (I have had hand and paw prints everywhere before!) and repeat as many times as you want, or until you run out of paper!

This is the first stage of lino printing, in part 2 I will show you how to use the reduction method to create prints using several colours.

Photo courtesy of A. Deegan

One Shop or Two?
by contributing columnist Ashley Pahl aka AshleyPahl

Having an Etsy, Artfire or Folksy shop can sometimes be a very time-consuming activity. Why would a person want to open a second shop? There are many good reasons for making the decision to have two stores, and sometimes it is the right choice. Some good reasons for opening a second shop include:

1. Introducing a new line of items or a different style.

2. Selling handmade if you own a supply shop, or vintage if you own a handmade shop, etc.

3. A shop appears cluttered and is overwhelming to shop browsers.

4. Separating the popular money-makers from the more serious art forms.

5. Dividing a wide range of prices into two so that shoppers can focus and better compare products.

Buyers may have an easier time focusing on the items they are looking for if they are separated from the additional miscellanea that you sell. For example, if you mostly make knit hats, but also have your handmade earrings peppered in your shop, it may be too distracting for shoppers who came to your shop looking for hats. Alternatively, if you have a shop that specializes in sterling silver jewelry, it may help a shopper to focus on what they really want if the more expensive pieces are separated from less expensive “silver-toned” pieces.

Having a second shop may even get you more exposure. You can be listed in directories twice, in Etsy’s search engine twice (when searching for sellers), and could be stumbled upon twice.

The downside, of course, is that a second shop is twice the work. Two shops to stock; two shops to market and promote; two shops to make listings for; two shops to answer messages for and complete feedback for. Additionally, if you decide to move items that you already have listed in one shop to a new shop, you will need to do so manually: copy and paste the titles, descriptions, and materials, re-type the tags, make new shipping profiles, and upload the photos all over again. Not only that, but you will lose all of the hearts and views you have accumulated for such items. Your shop’s feedback will be back at zero and you’ll have to find a way to bring shoppers to your second store.

For many, it may be worth adding a new product line to the original shop and see how it fairs. Additionally, it may help to organize the “clutter” of the first shop into something more manageable for browsers. The shop sections feature and Rearrange Shop feature are both great for accomplishing such a task.

If the pros outweigh the cons and you decide to go for it, here are some things to remember when opening a second store:

1. You will need a second email address. Each email address can only be linked to one account on Etsy.

2. You will need to disclose your additional shops. You must link from your first shop to your second shop and vice versa either in your shop announcement, profile, or shop policies page.

3. All listings must be manually re-listed. There is no way to just switch them to a new account, and you will have to pay listing fees again.

4. The same PayPal account can be used for multiple Etsy accounts – there is no limit.

5. If you are not using the same banner, avatar, packaging materials and business cards that you use for your first shop, you may need to get new ones, which will add additional costs.

All in all, the decision to open a second online shop is really an individual one. What works for one business may not pan out for another. It may be worth the financial risk to open a new store, or it may be more practical to better manage your first shop. Many Etsy businesses do quite well with multiple shops, and as the old adage goes, “you never know until you try”.

Poster image courtesy of   The LoveShop

“Open” image courtesy of   The Back Porch Shoppe

Picture courtesy of 3gwoodworks

By contributing columnist Pam aka ElectricPenquin
Once your fabulous picture gets a customer to open your listing, it’s the description that makes or breaks the deal. That’s a lot of pressure on a few sentences! Here’s how I attack the description demons:

First, I come up with the answers to these questions. One good way to answer these is to pretend you’re describing it to someone over the phone. What words would you use then?
- To start with, what is it – necklace, terrarium, hat, coat rack?
- What materials is it made of?
- What color(s) is it?
- For necklaces and bracelets (and anything else that closes), what kind of clasp does it have? Extender chain?
- What size is it overall? Most of the world is metric, so measurements should be listed in both inches and centimeters (confession – mine are not!).
- What sizes are the components? I just list the main pieces, not every single bead.
- How is it packaged – gift wrapped, organza bag, recycled padding?
- Any instructions or information the buyer might want to know beforehand – can’t get it wet, will arrive unassembled?
- Is it custom made? If so, it may take longer to ship out than usual.
- If a component was truly handmade and bought from a fellow Etsyian (like ceramic beads or pendants), I think it’s a really nice gesture to mention that. I usually go with something like “The ceramic beads were handmade by xxxxxxx.etsy.com” (no period at the end of the sentence). That syntax puts a link to their shop, once the listing is saved.

Then it’s time to type all of those answers into a persuasive, item selling group of sentences!
- The first sentence has to be snazzy and attention grabbing, as it’s what displays on a Google search. This is the most difficult part!! I try to put as much in it as possible, while still staying at around 100 characters. I always use the “View a preview of how your item will appear in Google search results” link to see the final result, and tweak it as needed.
- I try to type in coherent sentences, with proper cases and grammar. For terrible typists like me, spell check is a requirement!! Hint – put it in Word or an email, and check it there.
- I proper case the title and keep it to a reasonable length. Arrggh, I can’t stand titles that contain 30 words all in caps! I won’t even open them even if the piece looks really cool.
- Finally, in the beginning, I had someone else look at the final version as if they wanted to buy the piece, and had them tell me what they thought was missing.

Ta da, you’re done! Next, it’s off to the dreaded tags. More fun!!

It took me forever to write up just one item when I first started, but now I’m pretty fast. Descriptions do get easier the more you do them, really they do!

By contributing columnist Elle aka: EllesDesigns

It’s Not Art…

As I browsed the newest items on Folksy this week, I came across a really beautiful necklace that caught my eye. The ‘scimitar’ shaped pendant featured gorgeous shades of purple, with just enough silver to reflect the light, and eye catching layers, too. I was mesmerised, and the shop just gets better! Not only does it feature really beautiful, contemporary jewellery, they are all made with recycled materials too!

I decided to talk to the shop owner about their new business, and how it was going! Annie started making jewellery to wear herself, and eventually began giving it to friends and family. They were really impressed with her talents, and suggested she start selling online…it’s a big first step, though! I really struggled with gaining the confidence to list my items, but Annie didn’t have the same problem. Within a week she has created a shop on both Folksy and Misi, and started making sales!
Her inspiration for pieces often comes from what she has in the house to craft with. As well as unwanted CDs, which created the gorgeous necklace that attracted my attention, she has made pieces with dominoes, chess pieces, mah jong tiles, draughts pieces, and bottle tops. Things that would usually be thrown away are transformed into really gorgeous, unique pieces.

And the name? It‘s Not Art  was inspired by a stamp, she recalls. “Lots of people get really precious about ‘art’ and so on, and I liked the self-deprecating tone of the stamp and adopted it as my name”. It’s certainly a name I think you’ll be seeing a lot of, the whole collection is utterly gorgeous!

I’m off to look for more new talent on Folksy, but let me know what you think of Annie’s work…I’m in love with it! It’s definitely on my wish list.

Photo courtesy of Gypsy Pottery

I live in Exeter, Devon with my husband, two very young girls and sleepy cat. My background degree and training is in art and textiles, I graduated from Leeds University intending to become an art therapist, however, life got in the way and I retrained as a mental health worker and my artist side took a back seat for several years

Moving to Devon in 2003 gave me the opportunity to take my art more seriously and I studied stained glass techniques for 2 years (as an evening course with Exeter College) and before I knew it enough friends and acquaintances were commissioning me for me to make a business from it. I completely fell in love with the process of making stained glass windows and the way you can use colour and line really appeal to me.

Last year saw me return to practicing as a mixed media artist and I am beginning to make a name for myself in the recycled art movement making mosaics from scrap glass, found objects and broken costume jewellery

My style has always been expressionist and bold. I make simple striking designs with bold colour and strong lines, leaning towards abstraction, or at the least highly stylised. I love the Art Deco period and find the stylised forms very pleasing. I am also greatly inspired by the local countryside and coast and I have a keen interest in the environment and all my mixed media work used recycled materials.

You can find me in my studio (shed with a plastic roof, built with love by my dad!) and my work in galleries around the South West, on my Folksy shop or on my website. I also have a blog which I update with my works in progress and I have been known to tweet!

www.amyorangejuice.co.uk

www.amyorangejuice.wordpress.com

Articles by AmyOrangeJuice

Recycled Trails of Devon 2/23/10

Just a little courage 2/13/10

Lino cuts3/6/10

Articles by Gimme that thing:
DIY for Charity 02/14/2010
The Name Game2/17/2010

Tracy Smith of Cinnamon Jewellery

I have to be honest, sewing is not one of my favourite things, in fact if at all possible, I avoid it like the plague. I can sew I just choose not to. Hem of your trousers come undone? No need to get out the needle and thread, just use safety pins! See what I mean!

Needlework classes at school were interesting. The first thing we had to make was a needlework bag to keep everything in. Lets just say the way my foot hit that peddle on the sewing machine wouldn’t have put a boy racer to shame at a green light. I made various items of clothing, including a checked granddad shirt (hideous) and a voluminous blue skirt (even more hideous). I never wore either of them and was very relieved when I could drop the Needlework class and try woodwork instead. My efforts there resulted in an “interesting” but rather shapeless piece of wood, but at least it was lovely and smooth ( I was very good at sanding apparently). I’m so glad I eventually found my “calling” in beads and wire! Strangely, I still have the needlecase I made for my Mum years ago. It’s tucked away in the sewing tin that I never open……

I asked three Folksy sellers who do enjoy sewing to let me into the secret of the attraction of the world of needles and thread and sewing machines.

Zoe of Top Floor Treasures has always wanted to be an artist/crafter since she was a young girl. She uses beautiful fabrics to make pencil cases and cushions. “I love working with printed fabrics that have a design that I love; the best part is seeing the finished product and feeling proud of what I have created. It’s lovely when you create something and someone wants to buy it, that’s the biggest compliment you can get and is a great feeling!”

Gemma of SugarandRhubarb is inspired by fabric prints and life’s little happy moments. She takes beautiful fabrics and turns them into tea cosies, take-away cup huggers and iPhone covers. She has just lauched her new range of cute Ninja Kitties on Folksy. Gemma loves the sense of achievement she felt when she got a gold star from the teacher when she was at school and when she had finally finished a piece of work that had taken a long time to do. “I get this same buzz when I sew. The process of thinking of a design, figuring out how to create it and then the end result is so rewarding, it may take a while and several moments of throwing unsuccessful attempts across the room, but to be able to create something beautiful gives me that same sense of achievement that I felt as a child. Being a part of a community like Folksy makes it even better, you can share ideas and support and you really feel that there are fellow craftsters out there rooting for you to do well. My favorite moment is when a customer buys an item and then takes the time to thank you for it. As each of my items are handmade I become attached to them so it’s lovely to know that someone else is enjoying it as much as I did making it.”

Kate of Bluebell and Rosie makes cushions and purse and also sells sewing supplies. She likes the way sewing takes her away from the stresses and strains of everyday life. “I love being able to get lost in the moment. I find it doesn’t matter whether I make something thats useable/wearable etc – its the whole process of making that I find really therapeutic and a great way to relax.”

Being handy with a needle and thread means recycling is an important part of creating for Zoe, Gemma and Kate.

Zoe recycles materials if she has enough for the task in hand. “I’ve used old jeans to make bags, ribbons from other bought items get re-used. At the moment I’m working on some magnets which feature scraps of a lovely fabric that used to be one of my daughter’s blouses!” She also uses buttons from old clothes in other projects.

Gemma gets a particular buzz from using fabrics that other people might have just thrown away. “When I was younger I’d regularly clear out my wardrobe for new items (My name’s Gemma and I’m a shopping addict) and send the unwanted clothes to charity shops, now they become a part of my fabric hoard, and I love that. I love being able to make a cosy or lavender bag out of something that was once unwanted by myself or someone else. If anyone is having a wardrobe clearout I’m usually there stroking the clothes or inspecting the print, the same happens if I go near a charity shop!

I never throw out the scraps that I create whilst sewing new goodies. I have a box filled with randomly shaped ends of fabric that I find are perfect for those appliqué moments. It’s especially satisfying when you find a scrap from a yardage you had months ago and, even if it’s the size of a penny, to be able to use it in another project makes me really happy.”

Kate has been given a lot of fabric which she recycles. “I’ve not been sewing for long but I have a stash of materials passed to me from my mother in law which she has had for years and I’m constantly on the lookout in charity shops for any materials I might be able to use.”

It’s not just the haberdashery store that provides a source for new supplies. There are lots of other sources to increase your stash.

Zoe: “The materials I use come from a variety of places, such as charity shops, online auction sites, fabric websites, local craft shops, and I’m also given things by friends that they think I might be able to use. I can happily spend hours looking at fabric websites wishing I had enough money to just buy everything they have!”

If fabric obssessed Gemma had the money she would build another house just to store all of her finds, “colour-coded obviously!” She is always on the look out for pieces to add to her collection and will find any opportunity to buy or nip into a fabric shop. “The unexpected pleasant surprises come from eBay or online stores like Fabric Rehab. Otherwise my favourite places to spend an afternoon are Kirkgate Market in Leeds and Ditto Fabrics in the North Laines in Brighton. I bought some stunning Paul Smith and D&G fabric from them in their sales which I can’t wait to use. Plus charity shops, be it old clothes or pillow cases there’s always a fabric treat to be found, my best find was a duvet cover on sale for 99p which will make some lovely homeware goodies and toddler dresses.”

Kate loves the sales for her fabric finds. “I’m in the process of building up a varied fabric stash so I’ve got fabrics from Ikea, Fabric Rehab, Gaga Fabrics and Laura Ashley.”

Thank you to Zoe, Gemma and Kate. When I look at the lovely things in their slideshow it’s possible to make with a needle and thread a small part of me wishes I liked to sew. It’s only a very small part though!

Pic courtesy of Hello Monkey

Tracy Smith of Cinnamon Jewellery

We all know how exciting is it to make the decision to sell online. Deciding where to sell and setting up your brand new shop is all part of the fun. So. You’ve got your shop set up, your items are photographed and looking good, you’ve worked out your prices, listed your beautiful creations and finally your online shop is ready for business! Now all you have to do is wait for all those lovely online customers to stampede through your open “door”……….

But unless you are selling something so wonderful that everyone simply must have, you may be waiting quite a while for your first sale. I’ve seen several posts on the Folksy forum along the lines of “Not had a sale yet”, “How do you get people to buy?”, “What’s the secret to selling on Folksy?” There is no secret formula to selling on Folksy or anywhere else online. Although having a good product to start with gives you a big advantage, the only way to let people know you are there is to shout about it. In other words PROMOTE!

Quick! Grab that megaphone and start walking the streets shouting about your new shop! Or better still, try promoting from the comfort of your computer chair where you’re less likely to get arrested!

There are so many ways to promote your shop online, many of them free and easy to do. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and flickr allow you to post comments and photos and put your stuff “out there”. Blogging is a great way to promote your online shop and lets people get to know you, the artist/designer, and get behind the counter, so to speak, of your shop. Giveaways on your blog also help and promote your shop. Taking part in forums like the ones on Folksy and Etsy helps get you noticed as people will often click on the link to your shop to check you out.

Free listing sites such as Craft Juice, byhand.me and UK Handmade that allow you to post photos and comment on other people’s photos are another great way to be seen plus you can post your shop/blog link there too.

And of course you can also advertise your shop on IndieSmiles for a small fee!

Promoting online is just one way to let people know about your shop. Another way is face to face. I asked four Folksy sellers how they promote their businesses in the “real world”.

Anne of haptree has been selling on Folksy for just over six months and sells handmade pencil cases, purses and beadkits. She promotes her shop and website online but also, once she gained confidence after a few online sales, Anne decided to try selling at a craft fair, making the most of the event by handing out cards and stickers advertising her shop. The craft fair went well and resulted in lots of follow-ups and a commission.

Anne says – “I have now taken the plunge to do a more regular arts and crafts market that runs monthly closer to home. I am going to print my own inexpensive flyers and make sure that people know that I will be there and even if they don’t make it, they may visit my shop online. I’m going to pin these on all the local information boards in the area. Just as with your online shops I think it’s important not to rely on the organiser of craft fairs to bring people to your table. All of my daughters’ friends get little haptree gifts for their birthdays too which is great for promoting my shop!”
Incidently, Anne is the owner of two fantastic blogs ~ haptreeand me, full of excellent tutorials and tips to help improve your blog and the new Craft Blog UK, a great resource for designers and crafters of all descriptions.

Debbie of DinkyDaisy has been selling on Folksy since June 2009. She takes her doodles and turns them into pretty applique designs for her purses and brooches. Before opening her Folksy shop she sold to friends and family and at the odd school fair. This year she’s hoping to start her own website.

Debbie promotes her shop by printing her own thank you cards containing her details to send with sales. She says “I have done local school fairs, I donate raffle prizes to my local schools and I do parties at peoples houses. The house parties I find to be a great success and get a lot of repeat business from. I have a few new ideas for this year and would defintely like to get some items into a local gift shop and try some larger craft fairs.”

Lynne of CakeKnitsandCosies opened her Folksy shop a year ago and sells knitted and crocheted cakes and patterns. Lynne finds the forum on Folksy a good way to promote online. She does the odd craft fair and always takes along business cards to hand out. She says “My cakes usually attract a lot of attention at craft fairs and last year I was approached by a local artist The NoSuchDisco, who’s also a Folksy seller. He asked me to knit up his latest children’s character Waldo The Worm into a scarf, to sell alongside his fabulous book.” Lynne also gets her stuff “out there” by being featured regularly in knitting and crochet magazines such as Let’s Knit and the US KnittingPatternaday Calendar. She shares her knitting patterns in the magazines thus promoting her work and gaining wider exposure. One of Lynne’s crochet cupcakes even ended up in a photo shoot for Italian Elle magazine after being spotted and bought from her Etsy shop!

Kirsty of Wharfedale Woolworks opened her Folksy shop in June 2009 selling hand dyed yarn and knitted items. She promotes her shop online and is planning to use CraftJuice and IndieSmiles in the near future. Kirsty has recently joined the UK Work At Home Mum Directory which aims to promote small “Mum-run” businesses. Advertising in her local area has helped bring customers to her shop. “I have been promoting at my local community arts centre (Otley Courthouse) with posters and by leaving bookmarks with my details on. These bookmarks also double as tags for my yarns so customers receive one when they order, if they use the bookmark then more people may become aware of my business. I do the monthly craft fair there and now have some regular customers as a result. The local knitting group, of which I am a member also meets at the the Courthouse and has been featured in the local paper so that was good publicity. I have joined the Leeds Knitterati group on Ravelry and will be attending one of their meetings soon, so this may bring in some more business. Having some of my luxury yarns stocked in a lovely new wool shop in Leeds (Baa Ram Ewe) has also helped me to get my yarns seen in the Leeds knitting community.”

As these Folksy sellers have proved, there are so many ways to promote your shop other than just online. Some of them take more effort than others, but if you want people to “Look At You” you just have to take the plunge and go for it!

Thank you to Anne, Debbie, Lynne and Kirsty for taking part and now here’s some of their goodies to feast your eyes on….

Earrings Image Courtesy of Glamorous Glue
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Tracy Smith of Cinnamon Jewellery

What inspires you to create and how did you choose the medium you work in? Every artist/designer has a story to tell ~ I compared notes with four Jewellery Designers on Folksy to find out what stories lie behind their creations.

A love of jewellery, going to a beading class, a horse~riding accident and beads themselves are what started these Folksy sellers making their own jewellery.

Becky of Folksy shop Red Bird Jewellery tried every craft from mosaics to knitting but it was after taking a beading class that she started making jewellery. “It’s like a bit of an obsession. I find myself talking to people’s necklaces instead of them, as I try to figure out how it was put together. I just can’t get enough of it. I’ve got lots and lots to learn, and I’ve just bought a soldering kit, so I’m going to try a bit more metalwork. I’m very excited!” I asked Becky what inspires her designs ~ “It’s a bit of an old cliche, but I do love nature, the colours and shapes of leaves and flowers, rivers flowing – there’s so much to inspire. I also look to other craft types to figure out what colours would go together, and would love to try to incorporate more fabric into my jewellery – look out for some pieces later in the spring”

Lorraine of Folksy shop FairlyGirly also took a jewellery making course at a local Arts Centre. “I have always loved wearing jewellery and this was my chance to make some for myself. After making items for myself and friends, they were so delighted with them that they persuaded me to start selling them and that was how FairlyGirly was created”. Lorraine’s inspiration comes from the beads themselves. “I love the shapes and colours of them and the ability to design something that is unique. I offer a custom made service to my customers and it is lovely to be able to make something to go perfectly with an outfit or bag. It is very pleasing to see others wearing your creations.”

A crafting weekend in 2001 where she learned to bead using seed beads, a needle and thread is how Jean of Folksy shop Talking Beads first started making jewellery. “I taught my friend and together we increased our range of stitches and eventually started to teach bead weaving and took our work to craft fairs and opened up a web site. We no longer teach but still sell online and supply a local shop with our jewellery.”

Jean’s inspiration comes from colour. “Having a box of beads in front of me, peace and quiet and a few hours to spend…… bliss. I spread out my beading mats and do a ‘pick and mix’ of my beads and they seem to come together of their own accord. When I buy beads I just top up colours and shapes with no particular project in mind. I then have the beads when I am ready and feeling arty! I enjoy commissions, being asked to create a special piece can be daunting but I love to take the finished item to my customer. In fact, my customers inspire me to do better and better designs.”

Amanda of Folksy shop Gimme That Thing wanted to make jewellery from the age of 14 but it was only after an accident that she actually started. “It was only last August, when I had a riding accident and broke a vertebra, that I was unable to pick up heavy bags of clay to work on my ceramic designs, and started making glass beaded jewellery, as it was something that I could do sitting down. I have now discovered the versatility of precious metal clay and am moving forward with more adventurous and creative designs”.
Amanda is inspired by “Nature’s amazing and sometimes surprising colour combinations, fireworks and the sea. I like to put colours together that shouldn’t really work, such as pink and red.”

Finding your inspiration to create a piece of beautiful jewellery is only part of the process. Finding the right beads and findings is also important. The internet has opened up a huge world of beads and jewellery making supplies at our fingertips. I asked Becky, Lorraine, Amanda and Jean where they source their materials…………………

Becky: “I would love to buy locally as it would be nice to see what I’m actually buying when it comes to gems, etc, but I usually end up buying online. I can also spend a fortune at bead shows. I wish there was somewhere around here that I could pop along to, but I’m figuring out now which are the best online suppliers”.

Lorraine buys all her supplies from UK online stores. “A lot of my purchases have to be online as I only have local access to one shop, and I like to use a wide variety of beads and findings. I also purchase handmade lampwork beads from other UK artists, as I like the opportunity to support them and use their wonderful beads in my designs. The disadvantage of buying online, is that sometimes the quality and size of the beads when they arrive aren’t as expected. When this happens I don’t use them, as I have set myself quality standards which I keep to! Once a year I do get the chance to visit a bead fair, there is nothing quite the same as handpicking the beads yourself. It usually ends up being an expensive day!!”

Amanda also buys her jewellery making goodies online. “I have worked my way through most of the good bead and findings suppliers and now have 4 favourites that always stock what I need at good prices.”

Jeans buys everywhere. “I am afraid that I do not buy everything from any particular shop. My first stop for toggles and clasps as well as crystals and swarovski pearls would be “Noseks Just Gems” and for pearls my first stop is “Sandstones“. Both online shops are very good and respond quickly to a request. In the beading world we always want the beads NOW PLEASE and we cannot wait for 3-5 days delivery. The shop I visit is Bijoux Beads in Bath. Dangerous, as there is no such thing as popping in to look.”

I’d like to say a big “Thank You” to Becky, Lorraine, Amanda and Jean from Folksy for taking the time to answer my questions and making this such an interesting article. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it!
Now enjoy their slideshow!

Donut bracelet pic courtsy of Art and Candies

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