Packaging & Promotion

I think a lot of artisans think a lot about packaging their product in such a way that it reinforces the theme of their business idea. Let's face it- it's kinda fun! There are certain mainstays in my packaging and promotion- things I always like to have:

This is a pad of sticky notes. It has my logo and website on it, as well as my email address. I've been ordering these for years from VistaPrint. These are new as I recently changed my business name to Dana Evans Studio from StoneAddict Jewelry. I always write a little thank you note on them and stick them on the package I'm sending to a customer.

These button magnets I designed and then ordered on Etsy last Spring and include with all my jewelry orders. They are 2-1/4" in diameter and have a nice magnet on the back- here's a link:

10 Custom Magnets 225 Inch Large Round by Buttonhead on Etsy

One other thing I've been doing for years is using iron-on transfer paper to create logos on jewelry pouches. I buy muslin pouches from PaperMart.com in a couple of different sizes, then design my logo and print it out as many as will fit on one sheet.

This is the brand I've been using- I got it on Amazon.com but Staples.com also has them. There are many out there! It's only for inkjet printers- and there are specific settings on my print dialogue box for 't-shirt transfer'. Why is that important? See below:

That's right- the printer setting mirrors the image for you, so that when you iron it on, it reads the correct way! Pretty important!! It also signals the printer to create a high-quality print.

So here ya' go... a nice pouch that looks pretty professional. Takes little time to create and it's a nice touch. It has my logo and website, so between the sticky note, button magnet and this, there's no excuse for a customer to forget how to find me!!

The last thing I include in my customer's order is a small piece of polishing cloth. These are the Sunshine brand, and I buy a bulk of 10, then use a pair of serrated fabric scissors to cut each piece into 6 sections. That way, one package yields 60 small pieces- that lasts a long time! It's a small touch but I think customers like them.

In addition, there are SO many other promotional materials available. A quick search on Etsy resulted in a lot of different ideas one could use:

custom promotional on Etsy, a global handmade and vintage marketplace.

I guess you have to consider your product and what's appropriate. In the dental office my mother works in, they give away free small lip balms, complete with office information on the tube. There are lots of products out there to choose from, and lots of companies to buy from. 

I recently bought a binder from zazzle.com that had my business logo on it. I bought some baseball card inserts and keep pictures of every piece I make in it:

And, of course, there are business cards. With 101 companies out there to make them, the choices are endless. One of my faves is overnightprints.com. They offer rounded corners and a nice thick card.

New Stuff....

 The winter holidays kept me busy this year; I haven't had much time to create in the last month, but that's changing.... Just as I was getting back to work, I got a message from the editor of Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine. I guess she was trolling Etsy and found my site. She encouraged me to submit my work to her magazine! Cool!

The only caveat was that they wanted ACTUAL jewelry pieces- no pictures. Hmm...  I get it- they want to photograph everything themselves so the magazine has a consistent look. She said I could be selected for a how-to article or maybe just some 'boutique' pics in their gallery.

Not that I don't relish the idea of seeing my work in print, but my inventory is a bit low right now, and I have a group Ladysmiths show at the end of April- would I get my work back by then?

She assured me my work would be returned in a timely manner, so I thought- I'm going for it! She specifically wanted examples of my granulated pieces as well as the keum-boo (gold foil) pieces, but wanted more of the latter because I had sold actual examples and had only one in hand. So I made a couple more pairs of earrings to illustrate the technique:

I really hope they select my work! I went to the bookstore to take a look at their magazine, and they have A LOT of projects and artists represented. I hope if selected, I can manage to stand out from the crowd! In the end, it's nice to be published in order to add it to my resume and seem more 'credible' as an artist. It's basically a trade magazine, as is Art Jewelry Magazine, in which I had an article in last year, so I can't expect any sales. But last year I did have a reader (also a jewelry-maker) make a large purchase from my stone supply shop, so that's a possibility!! 

The above sheet was what I submitted, along with the actual jewelry pieces (hope they make it there in one piece...) with tags/instructions attached, per their requirements. Cross your fingers for me!