Featuring Etsian Artist, TheSilverLakeStudio

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Today I am Featuring Etsian Artist, TheSilverLakeStudio~http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5614518

One of a Kind beauitful Sterling Silver Jewelry can be found at TheSilverLakeStudio's shop!

I first heard about Etsy on the forums of that FeeBay site. (I wasn't selling jewelry there.) I liked the Etsy site, but I must have discovered it when it was in Beta...it was so very slow. So I waited for a year and saw last year that it had improved, so I jumped in!

I joined in 1 year ago, but didn't start selling until last Fall.

I have been making jewelry for a very long time, but I was just beading and stringing. I decided that I wanted to become a metalsmith, so I took alot of classes. In fact, I'm in an advanced metal fabrication class now, and I have no plans to ever stop.

Passion, for me, is the easy part. Motivation is pretty easy also. But sometimes, I can't think of new concept or design. That's when I take a day off to recharge!

I don't have a regular job, but I've got a great studio here at home. And, it looks out on a beautiful fish pond in our backyard!

I haven't found a niche in teams yet. I'm still looking!

Creating a new piece is a long process. There are so many steps to follow when working with sterling silver or gold. And it takes a big investment to aquire all the tools and raw materials. But it is so neat to have one of a kind jewelry! I will never, ever buy mass-produced jewelry again.

My creativity comes in spurts! It's usually in the afternoon, after a day of running errands and taking care of the house, husband and dogs.

The item in my shop that has the most views is the Big Bang Cuff Bracelet. It took over a week for me to finish it.

My personal favorite is the Pansy bracelet! I made a much smaller version for a ring that I made for myself!

To promote my shop I hand out business cards to everyone. I wear a piece of my jewelry every time I leave the house. I've donated items to blog owners that feature me on their blog. I had my teeth cleaned last week and took most of the jewelry with me to show all the girls. I also had car door magnets made and just put them on my car a few days ago.

I don't have a blog and I don't really want to spend all that time trying to get followers. But, I'll be doing metal working tutorials for a great blog.....It's called ThurdaySweetTreat.. http://ThursdaySweetTreat@blogspot.com.

For new sellers, I would let them know that you can't just put items in your shop and wait for the orders to come pouring in. There is so much more involved. I would advise a new seller to go to "Business Topics" and read everything from the past year, even before opening a shop! They will learn so much and avoid some mistakes as well. Oh, and choose your shop name carefully. It can't be changed easily!

Well, there you have it! That's all I could come up with. I am by no means an expert on Etsy or anywhere else!