Build a Line Challenge from B'Sue Boutiques, Elizabeth Hildreth of MadScientistsDesigns, Part Three

Welcome the the 3rd and final Blog Hop of the B'sue Boutiques Build A Line Challenge (BALC). In this leg of the hop you get to see the whole line revealed.

Master Class

 For the past three months a diverse group of 55 jewelry artists have participated in a jewelry design master class led by Brenda Sue Lansdowne. We learned about designing a cohesive line within a specific price range. This class has been invaluable for all of us.

Lessons I've Learned

This class has helped me focus on planning and completing a cohesive line of jewelry. (No small feat!) My line includes necklaces, earrings, and a hand bracelet. I tend to make things as inspiration strikes, so having to focus on a single line was surprisingly a bit of a struggle. Ha! 

I learned about the different categories of jewelry makers: hobbyist (that's me!), jewelry maker, or jewelry designer (what I am going to be). Read more about my discovery here.

Take aways

• Focus - keep your eyes on the prize, cohesive lines sell best

• Impulse Pricing - know what impulse price points are and how to use them effectively

• Know the Pricing Pyramid - the lowest pricing tier will be your bread and butter customers whose purchases allow you to make more elaborate statement pieces, plan a tier for buyers at every level of income

• Fashion savvy - keep an eye on what is going to trend and incorporate aspects that remain true to your style

• Read Vogue - they seem to be ahead of the curve with up and coming trends such as styles and colors that will trickle down through all aspects of fashion

• The Devil Wears Prada - yes, yes she does

My Line

I call my line Going To The Bazaar. Classic Moroccan, Spanish, Indian, and Middle Eastern jewelry inspired me and I added a Bohemian flair. I love the lush look of the jewelry from this region, but in silver and gold with gemstones it would be prohibitively expensive. I decided to make an affordable line with the same rich, luxurious feel. I'm pretty proud of it and I hope you like it too! :-)

The Reveal: Going To The Bazaar

Hand Bracelet in Ruby Red from the side $35.00

Hand Bracelet In Ruby Red

Hand Bracelet In Ruby Red from the front

Hand Bracelet in Ruby Red from the back

Hand Bracelet in Ruby Red from the side

Necklace in Ruby Red with Crystals $25.00

Necklace in Ruby Red with Crystals front close-up

Necklace in Ruby Red with Crystals rear view

Earrings in Ruby Red with Thin Side Down front view $27.00

Earrings in Ruby Red with Thin Side Down front/rear view

Necklace in Ruby Red Long Length $20.00

Necklace in Ruby Red Long Length front close-up

Necklace in Ruby Red Long Length rear close-up

Earrings in Ruby Red with Thin Side Up front view $27.00

Earrings in Ruby Red with Thin Side Up front/rear view

Necklace in Sapphire Blue with Crystal Chain $40.00

Necklace in Sapphire Blue with Crystal Chain

Necklace in Sapphire Blue with Crystal Chain close-up

The Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue pieces shown feature Swarovski crystals. All of these pieces will be available for purchase in my Etsy shop, MadScientistsDesigns, by April 1st. All will be custom orders and made especially for you.

All of the jewelry features handmade clasps and ear wires, B'sue Boutiques filigrees with hand-painted details and hand wire-wrapped bead dangles. Prices range from $20 - #40 for the pieces featured.

Custom color and customization is available on any of the pieces. Currently available colors are Swarovski crystals in ruby red and sapphire blue, crystals in topaz, and glass beads in amethyst purple.

Time to Hop

Hop on over to the next stop. I hope you enjoyed the reveal. Tell me what you think! ~Elizabeth

Brenda Sue Lansdowne, B'sue Boutiques Jewelry Making Outside the Box

Marcia Tuzzolino Aurora Designs                          

Jann Tague Clever Designs by Jann

Judy King Apt to Wander Studio

Linzi Alford Magpie in the Sky, Spoil Heap Tales

Cynthia Wainscott  Exotic Peru

Carole Carlson  Beadsophisticate

Lynn Stinten  Dragonzwench

Marica Zammit  Bead Lovelies

Catherine Shattuck  VRBrose

Michaele Collie  The Vintage Gem

Mary Craig  Jewelry Alchemy

Lee Koopman  Strega Jewelry

Erin Whitacre  Shattered Time Jewelry

Monica Casady  MJCasady Copper Works

Leila West  Leila Nicole Designs

Cindy Peterson  Howling Dog Jewelry

Leila Belcher  Leila Bee Designs

Gloria Allen  Wings and Beads

Pamela Anger  Novegatti Designs

Tammy Adams  Paisley Lizard

Lynda O'Mara  LOmara Creative

Elizabeth Hildreth  ---- YOU ARE HERE ----  MadScientistsDesigns

Dana Hickey  Wind Dancer Studios

Janet Calardo  Jan Lea Designs

Maria Clark  Sweet Willow Designs

Lori Beekman  B. Accessorized

Jennifer Kroeger  Relic Charm

Amy Jorgensen  Hoarder's Corner

Robin Reed  Artistry: Handcrafted Bead Designs

Ingrid Anderson  Lilis Gems

Louise O'Shields  Desire Divine Jewels

Susan Killam  Killam Creative

Mary Katherine Deis  The Rose Sword: Artisan and Vintage Collectible Jewelry

Nike Bottalico  Nike Bottalico

Susan Bowerman  Woodside Wireworks

Kristy Le  Kristy Le Trendy Jewelry Designs

Jan Peters  Stylized Vintage

Mitzie Crider  Needful Luxuries Occasional Blog

Gina Hockett  Freestyle Elements

Linda Anderson  From the Bead Board

Alexandra Sefton  Imaginary Jewelry and Altered Art

Melida Boman  The Journey of Pens and Things

Teresa Shurter  TreeZ's Treasurs

Melissa Latimer  Smithed Up

Renee Hong  Fine and Dandy Jewelry and Art

Nadine Edris  Moondance Jewelry

Lori Meyer  Parisienne Girl

Jennifer Merrill Williams  Artists of All Stripes

Denise Lussier Poirier  Jewelry by Denise

Renee Allen  Small Stuff Design

Autumn Adams  Autumn Dawns

Elizabeth Owens  1996 Shabby Lane

Kat BarronMiller  Midnight Kat Productions Art Jewelry

Sandra Ballard  Mama San's Mojo

Coral Law  ab:coraldesign

Highlights from The Build A Line Challenge

Did you miss the last blog hop?

Here are a few of my favorites from the B'sue Boutiques Build A Line Challenge class:

By Judy King from Apt To Wander

By Cynthia Wainscott of Exotic Peru

By Erin Whitacre from Shattered Time Jewelry

By Cindy Peterson from Howling Dog Jewelry

By Leila Belcher from LeilaBeeDesigns

By Pamela Anger from Novagatti Designs

By Ingrid Anderson from Lilis Gems Artisan Jewelry

By Mary Katherine Deis from The Rose Sword: Artisan and Vintage Collectible Jewelry

By Susan Bowerman from Woodside Wireworks

By Alexandra Sefton from WilyWolverine

By Nadine Edris from Moondance Jewelry

By Autumn Adams from Autumn Dawns Art and Jewelry

By Sandra Ballard from Mama San's Mojo

By Coral Law from ab: Coral Design

This is a just small sample of the variety of lines being worked on by the participants from the Build A Line Challenge sponsored by B'sue Boutiques. I can't wait to see ALL of the full line reveals on March 20th!

xoxo ~Elizabeth

Build a Line Challenge from B'Sue Boutiques, Elizabeth Hildreth of MadScientistsDesigns, Part Two

Going To The Bazaar in ruby red

Welcome to Part Two of the Build A Line Challenge blog hop sponsored by B'sue Boutiques. Over at the class we've been discussing so many parts of building a line. Here are my thoughts on a few of them:

Pyramid Pricing

Pyramid Brand and business model in the luxury industry from e-university

We've been discussing how having multiple price points increases sales and allows people to "start small" when collecting your jewelry. Many of the top design houses use this strategy in their pricing which takes them from the runway to the department store.  

The majority of your business comes from the lower section of the pyramid at $15-$50. Then you move into the "over-the-top" pieces which are more elaborate at about $50-$120. The top of the pyramid is your custom, one-of-a-kind, (often commissioned) jewelry at $120+. Most of my designs fall into the the lowest section and I'll be expanding into the middle and upper sections later this year. (Wait til you see what I have planned!) ;-)

Cohesive collections

I'm really happy with how well my vision for this collection is coming along. I have several pieces in the works and also several finished pieces for you to see. I also started a Pinterest board to showcase my new collection, some inspirational pictures, and also the clothing that it might go well with. Check it out here.

New Additions

During the last blog hop, I asked you what colors you'd like to see in the Going To The Bazaar Collection. One of them was purple.

Going To The Bazaar earrings in lilac purple

Going To The Bazaar earrings in topaz

Going To The Bazaar earrings in ruby red

Going To The Bazaar necklace in ruby red

Going To The Bazaar hand bracelet in ruby red

I think the collection is coming together nicely. What do you think?

Did you miss the 1stBlog Hop post? Click HERE

Now, hop on over to the next blog! Don't forget to join us for the final hop where everyone reveals their entire collections on March 20th!

Brenda Sue Lansdowne, B'sue Boutiques Jewelry Making Outside the Box

Marcia Tuzzolino Aurora Designs                          

Jann Tague Clever Designs by Jann

Judy King Apt to Wander Studio

Linzi Alford Magpie in the Sky, Spoil Heap Tales

Cynthia Wainscott  Exotic Peru

Carole Carlson  Beadsophisticate

Lynn Stinten  Dragonzwench

Marica Zammit  Bead Lovelies

Catherine Shattuck  VRBrose

Michaele Collie  The Vintage Gem

Mary Craig  Jewelry Alchemy

Lee Koopman  Strega Jewelry

Erin Whitacre  Shattered Time Jewelry

Monica Casady  MJCasady Copper Works

Leila West  Leila Nicole Designs

Cindy Peterson  Howling Dog Jewelry

Leila Belcher  Leila Bee Designs

Gloria Allen  Wings and Beads

Pamela Anger  Novegatti Designs

Tammy Adams  Paisley Lizard

Lynda O'Mara  LOmara Creative

Elizabeth Hildreth  ---- YOU ARE HERE ----  MadScientistsDesigns

Dana Hickey  Wind Dancer Studios

Janet Calardo  Jan Lea Designs

Maria Clark  Sweet Willow Designs

Lori Beekman  B. Accessorized

Jennifer Kroeger  Relic Charm

Amy Jorgensen  Hoarder's Corner

Robin Reed  Artistry: Handcrafted Bead Designs

Ingrid Anderson  Lilis Gems

Louise O'Shields  Desire Divine Jewels

Susan Killam  Killam Creative

Mary Katherine Deis  The Rose Sword: Artisan and Vintage Collectible Jewelry

Nike Bottalico  Nike Bottalico

Susan Bowerman  Woodside Wireworks

Kristy Le  Kristy Le Trendy Jewelry Designs

Jan Peters  Stylized Vintage

Mitzie Crider  Needful Luxuries Occasional Blog

Gina Hockett  Freestyle Elements

Linda Anderson  From the Bead Board

Alexandra Sefton  Imaginary Jewelry and Altered Art

Melida Boman  The Journey of Pens and Things

Teresa Shurter  TreeZ's Treasurs

Melissa Latimer  Smithed Up

Renee Hong  Fine and Dandy Jewelry and Art

Nadine Edris  Moondance Jewelry

Lori Meyer  Parisienne Girl

Jennifer Merrill Williams  Artists of All Stripes

Denise Lussier Poirier  Jewelry by Denise

Renee Allen  Small Stuff Design

Autumn Adams  Autumn Dawns

Elizabeth Owens  1996 Shabby Lane

Kat BarronMiller  Midnight Kat Productions Art Jewelry

Sandra Ballard  Mama San's Mojo

Coral Law  ab:coraldesign

Hobbyist - Jewelry Maker - Jewelry Designer - Which one am I?

From Marica Zammit on Facebook

Hobbyist - Jewelry Maker - Jewelry Designer - Which one am I? At the moment I feel like I am a hybrid of hobbyist and jewelry designer, but I am steadily working toward being a more focused designer. These definitions from Brenda Sue Lansdowne explain the differences:

Hobbyist

"A hobbyist is someone who enjoys making jewelry for their own use, to share with friends and relatives as gifts, and maybe sell a bit on the side.   They are more interested with exploring their abilities, trying out all the new trends and taking lots of classes.   Because they are a hobbyist and not counting on sales to support their work, they do have the freedom NOT to focus, but to roam and constantly experiment." - Brenda Sue Lansdowne of bsueboutiques.com

Hobbyists can be experienced or novices. They simply make jewelry for the sheer love of doing it. This is where I have spent the main portion of my time. I love experimenting and learning new things, but I don't rely on the income that my jewelry brings in except to purchase supplies, learn new techniques, and to help my shop remain self sustaining.

Jewelry Maker

"A jewelry maker is BUSY, busy making jewelry all the time.   The jewelry maker is a seller  and does need the income generated from the sale of their work to support it.   They may sell online and they also may do many shows.   They may have a loose line but for the most part are working in a number of different styles and may not really have found their artistic focus.  They may work the same way, same gimmick, same sort of thing for a number of years wondering finally why their sales all of a sudden fell off.  This jewelry maker has not kept up with trends or new ideas.   Or you have the jewelry maker whose work looks like it is made by a number of different people not taking price, color, trend, fashion.....ANYTHING....into account.  They are busy doing what their heart tells them to do, selling some, having success here and there." - Brenda Sue Lansdowne of bsueboutiques.com

 I have to admit that I really do not fall far into this category because I don't produce tons of jewelry or sell at shows. I am not much of a trend follower and I tend to work in colors that speak to me instead of what is currently in fashion...Also, I have to admit that I do tend to be somewhat unfocused in my artistic view.

And that leads us to the final category:

Jewelry Designer

"A JEWELRY DESIGNER has stepped up from jewelry maker to the big AHA! moment when they realize, HEY!  This isn't all about what I want to do, but what I have studied as to trend and good design, and the pyramid system of selling.    They haven't given up their love of creating one of a kind jewelry, but they realize that one of a kind jewelry is NOT a line.   They understand that there needs to be those showstoppers to get attention, and good, bold statement pieces to play to fashionable buyers who want a strong piece.    They also 'get' that their bread and butter will come from the 15-50 lower tier of the pyramid, and much attention must be paid to this section of their brand if they are to pay the bills and have longevity as a designer.   A good pyramid has good design as its basis.   Colors that look good on people as well as current color trends are carefully considered. There is a lot of planning and the jewelry designer knows the need to be practical where the majority of the line is considered." - Brenda Sue Lansdowne of bsueboutiques.com

  Lately I have been much more focused on making cohesive collections. I also began researching successful jewelry designers such as Coco Chanel and how they built their lines and their brands. My main focus moving forward is on making cohesive lines of jewelry (even if they are vastly different from one another).

The pyramid brand and business model in the luxury market from e-University

Sneak Peek

 

I have some exciting upcoming lines for you! Here is a sneak peek:

Going To The Bazaar - Middle Eastern Inspired Jewelry

 This line is the one I am working on for the Build A Line Challenge from B'sue Boutiques. I will have a new post on this for you on Friday, February 20th during the next blog hop. Make sure to join us to see what all of the participants have been up to in addition to sneak peeks of their new lines.

The Tesla Collection - Steampunk Inspired Jewelry

Dragonflies - dragonfly themed jewelry

Writer's Block - Vintage Pen Nib Jewelry

Vintage Vacuum Tube Jewelry

 Stop in to see what is currently available. I'll be expanding all of these lines this year ( and adding more, I'm sure hahaha!). Make sure to follow my blog for more updates. See you soon! 

I'd love to hear from you! Are you a hobbyist, a jewelry maker, a jewelry designer, or just a jewelry enthusiast? Inquiring minds want to know! xoxo  ~Elizabeth