Badge Machine, Stickers & Progress

Well this week has gone so quickly and that's because there has been a lot going on.

So only 10 minutes ago did the badge machine arrive. It has been unpacked, set up and a quite try out done. Not a good image but you get an idea

So this is what I made, a 25mm badge using my Gaia Spirals design. I can also make 48mm and 58mm items. Not just badges, but magnets and mirrors too.

This cupboard was bare last week when I moved my room around but now is full of badge making components.

I have also been making stickers, daisies and butterflies. There are 12 of each in every pack. Designs vary for each pack

So what else has been happening? I have been busy designing cards which will be printed once the photography has been completed.

I have also had a couple of jewellery jobs to do. Making a single earring to replace a lost one that I sold to a lady only last month.

She also wants me to repair some earrings ready for her wedding next week and make a pair of silver cufflinks for the husband to be.

I still have another pair of her earrings to fix but there is no immediate rush for those.

Craft Room Re-Shuffle

When I first set up my craft room it was in my spare bedroom, to make room the spare bed got moved into the corner of my bedroom.

Now a little fed up of seeing the bed everyday, the fact that I end up sleeping on the sofa whenever we have guests and now that we finally have wireless internet we don't have the need for a proper study.

So I decided to move my craft room into the study, its still very much a work in progress but it gives me the time to go through all my bits and have a good clear out.

Im soon going to be getting my own giftware line which means I have to find a home for 4000 gift wraps, greeting cards and postcards!

So this is my progress so far:

The main desk is in, just waiting for a jewellers bench now

Still need to find somewhere to put the telescope and get the mahoosive printer on ebay

And still need to sort the cupboard out & the spare room, I haven't even looked in there yet!

Competition Time!

As some of you may know Zazu Jewellery is soon to be expanding into the Gift ware market.

We will be introducing cards, postcards, wrapping paper, mugs, stickers, magnets, badges and mirrors initially and then expanding even more in the near future - Exciting eh!

I couldn't have done this with out the financial and morale support of one very generous person. You know who you are so thank you very much.xxxx

Before we get onto the competition we have 8 packs of our initial sample gift tags for sale. They will be £3 including postage for 10 instead of 5! Just get in touch if you are interested.

Right, competition time........

As I mentioned above we are going to be making stickers, and these are some that we have been playing around with. In the shape of daisy's. They will however come in many shapes and sizes and want to make them for various uses so everyone can enjoy them.

Now all you have to do to win some of these fab stickers is to leave us a comment and tell us what kind of things you would use stickers for and if for decoration what shapes and colours. There will be 10 lucky winners.

Good luck.

xxx

Zazu Needs You!

I have been thinking for a long time about introducing a giftware range to the business. This will tie back to the jewellery by using my beads and jewellery as the focus.

One slight problem though is funding. Unfortunately as I am not a big shop nor turning over 10s of thousands of pounds each year people (banks) do not take me seriously.

I have found a site that enables me to raise money through the help of the general public and  in my case as a thank you, each investor will receive products from the new giftware ranges. You will be the official reviewers for these products and only once you are happy with them will they be made to be sold.

The investments will be from as little as just £5.00 and I really would love it if you could join me in growing this new product range.

I will let you know step by step what progress is being made and what the next steps will be.

If you have any money to spare in return for some lovely goodies please do bear me in mind.

The website is: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/investment/zazu-jewellery-think-outside-the-box-265

If you have any questions please do get in touch with me.
My email is: chloe@zazu-jewellery.co.uk

Thank you
Chloe
xxx

July's Birthstone - Ruby

The Ruby is July's birthstone. They are meant to be nurturing, help with spiritual wisdom, attainment of values, economic stability, protection from distress.


I have found some amazing jewellery made from jewellery. 

This necklace from Liv jewellery

And these earrings from The Atelier

Exciting Times Ahead

Zazu Jewellery has been trading for two years now and has moved on so much from where it started.

At first I was a little nervous of selling my own creations so I used to buy LOTS in. In fact I still  have lots that I'm selling though car boot sales! I have hundreds of pairs of £1.00 earrings still lying around!

My Mum came to visit me one weekend and noticed all the things I had been making, but most were never completed (my way of making sure they couldn't be sold!). She persuaded me to start selling them that weekend and I have never looked back.

At first I was keen to sell through any event I could possibly find. This meant I was selling somewhere at least once each weekend. I soon realised that a lot of events were not 'craft fairs' and simply a jazzed up boot sale or people were selling for peanuts and couldn't possibly even cover costs.

It was frustrating to see these people doing well as they seriously de value your items and when speaking to many they only consider themselves as hobby sellers - therefore don't pay all their hard earned takings to the HMRC!

2011 so far has been very positive, I exhibited at the British Craft Trade Fair and gained new stockists. Just before I exhibited at the BCTF I saw a job vacancy in the local paper and said to myself  'I could do that' so I applied and also quickly forgot about it. During the BCTF I got an email asking if I wanted to come for an interview and now I have got the job!

I started this week. it is part time giving me 2 days during the week to make and sell jewellery. Things will be a little tight financially for a while so there is a bit of healthy pressure on me now to make sure I get more sales, more stockists and in general more successful!

I am so excited about what this opportunity will bring to me and Zazu Jewellery. Hopefully the second half of 2011 will be just as good as the first!

The Power Of Twitter

I joined Twitter in April 2009, not really knowing how it would benefit my business. Who was I meant to follow, what was I meant to talk about?

So two years later and I am completely hooked!

How has it helped me and my business?
Well I have gained new business from it (which was my goal)

I have made some lovely cyber friends from it, some of which I have since met others I haven't had chance to yet.

I have gained press coverage from it.

In March a networking evening was set up with local tweeters. It was a huge success and about 80 people turned up. We have just had our second event which was a quiz night. It was a great night and our team came third - YAY!

And now this week I got a tweet from one of my cyber friends saying she had something she didn't need and would I like it. It is just so lovely when people you haven't even met before think of you for these things.

I think that Twitter is a great free marketing tool and also a great way to make new friends.