Wear & share art you love!

Of Good Cheer is my online marketplace for handmade jewelry and paper goods, and this blog is where I share topics of interest, from pricing to cool new products to fun creative endeavors.

[valoriedouglas]

Developing Creative Muscle

Creativity is a skill, and like other skills it can grow or atrophy depending on how it is used or not. There is a tremendous market for all things craft and creativity related: beautiful papers, paints, markers, kits, coloring books, journals, stencils, shape cutters, embellishments, albums, beads, baubles, and upcycled items. There’s magazines and podcasts and websites and blogs committed to amazing DIY creative projects. Pinterest! Etsy! YouTube! With all these terrific and low cost resources for building creative muscle, why should it ever get flabby?

 I can think of a couple answers: time and expectations. Creative projects take time, and for many of us, it’s not just the time of doing the project, it’s the time of gathering supplies and deciding what to do, and really, isn’t there something else we should be doing? On top of that is the feeling that the output doesn’t justify the time invested; this is where expectations can be a bummer. If I paint for two hours, what do I have to show for it? Certainly not that stunning artwork I saw a friend share on Instagram. Stories? Poems? Oh my, the inner critic says, these are not good.

 Remind the inner critic that perfection is not the point. Excellence or even proficiency is not the point. The point is to do it, to let go and keep that hand moving. It can be terrible stuff; who cares? Creativity is not something that - POOF - appears to the lucky; it is grown by the determined and exercised to remain strong. There are many ways to be creative, and some may be more active than others (think dancing or performing), but all share a joy of creation and deliberate presence. Yes, I am here! Yes, I am letting something of my inner vision shape my external world! Yes, yes, yes!

So with that being said, here’s some ideas:

Draw a picture – if you’ve never sketched before, start with step by step instructions using simple shapes like the Lee J. Ames series or Ed Emberley

Start a “moving hand” journal – open to a page and doodle, paste pictures and phrases from magazines, throw in a flower, a leaf, a ticket stub; let your hands move and NO CRITIQUING

Find a poem written the day you were born. Write a response

Paint a rainbow with childrens’ watercolor paints

Gather some paint sample sheets and match colors to the sky, to different trees, to your favorite flower….

Plant some seeds. If tiny plants do appear, it feels like magic

Wear headphones while you do chores around the house and samba while you sweep

Reread one of your favorite childhood books. Have a discussion with one of the characters 10 years after the story ends

When you buy a used book, imagine the life it had before it came to you

Identify 10 colors each day. Make up a name or two

My latest creative projects are collages and other card designs. I’m making “one a day” calendar stacks to celebrate creative works and designs for some of my favorite topics (science, art, literature). You can find these and more on my website: http://www.ofgoodcheer.com/GiftCenter.html and http://www.ofgoodcheer.com/GetCreative.html

One a days:

Spectacular science:

The artist’s eye:

Lovely literary:

[valoriedouglas]

Happy Father’s Day!

Like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day was first proposed in the early 1900s. It was championed by a mother out of Spokane, Washington who wanted fathers to be honored like mothers. As with Mother’s Day, merchant trade groups heartily supported the endeavor, though it was nearly 60 years before the holiday was formally recognized as a national holiday (President Richard Nixon signed the law in 1972.)

 Although every day is a good day to share appreciation for loved ones, the holidays are a good poke to step out of everyday concerns and say “thanks!” to the people who helped us along the way. There’s designs on my website Of Good Cheer that you are welcome to pass along: http://www.ofgoodcheer.com/ValsPalsPages/Holidays.html

Thanks Dad!

[valoriedouglas]

H-O-T

June is our hottest month and it has started with a sizzle: days of 100+ temperatures. Thankfully, we didn’t hit the forecast of 107, but 104 is plenty hot enough. My first summer in Tucson, I had difficulty understanding how anyone would choose to live in such a place. The heat is incredible; it’s like walking around under a huge, glowing hair dryer. The sunshine has a physical presence, driving you into the ground. The air shimmers. I found myself closing every blind, every shade, just waiting for the sun to go down.

I’ve lived here over 20 years now, and summer heat is simply a fact of life that determines the course of the day. Do outside chores early in the morning and drink water. I watch the boys run around outside and realize they’ve never known anything different. Their ears and cheeks get pink from the heat, but they recover quickly. Running in 80 degrees isn’t awesome, but it’s doable; same with taking a short walk midday when it’s climbing over 100. Every living thing clenches in on itself this month, conserving energy and water, waiting for the relief of the monsoons in July.

[valoriedouglas]

A Little Creative Expression...

Like many crafters, I’ve got a section of my bookshelf devoted to books for creative development and how to harness this creative energy for the marketplace. The book I was reading today reminded me that creativity exists everywhere, even in business planning. Jennifer Lee’s book, The Right-Brain Business Plan, had me reaching for sketchbooks and colored pencils for tackling the fundamental questions of what I wanted from a business endeavor.

The book is great, and I recommend it as a fun and effective way to complete business-minded goals. Business planning aside, it’s terrific to be reminded how fun it is to make ephemera journals! They don’t have to be anything really, but lovely and satisfying for you.

My journals usually feature quotes that I like that are relevant to something I’m doing (even if I should be doing something else, like homework).

Many of the cards of my website (www.ofgoodcheer.com) are ephemera collages, like the “Old World” Had Matter Line cards or “Impressions” River Stone Designs cards.

The Griffin & Sabine books by Nick Bantock take the art of ephemera and correspondence to a new level of sophistication and creativity; their story is told through beautiful and unusual letters to each other.

Rachel Hazell has some great tips on where and how to collect terrific ephemera; see her blog on the topic: http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/blog/the-5-best-places-to-find-ephemera/

[valoriedouglas]

Love of Growing Things

When the boys were younger, I read them a charming board book about growing fruits and vegetables in a garden. I loved the simple illustrations that reminded me of early texture choices in Macintosh drawing objects, and the theme – growing tasty food in a community garden – is so appealing.

May is a hot month in Tucson, no doubt about it. I have a love of growing things but many of the plants that are fun to grow and eat wither under the pounding sun and relentless heat. One year, I had great luck with green beans that alas has yet to be repeated. Last year, cherry and roma tomato plants were loaded with fruit and looking awesome until the javelina ate everything. This year, the garden is protected from javelina but not from bunnies, who have eaten the young bean plants to the nub.

Despite these challenges, I do enjoy having a garden and watching plants grow. This love of plants translates to jewelry ideas too; plants, flowers and other lovely growing things inspire many of the designs. Dyed chalk turquoise resemble spring peas in the “Aw Shucks” necklace, color choices for glowing Czech glass and Swarovski crystal take cues from the flower in the “Daffodils” necklace, and garnets cluster like grapes in the “From the Vine” earrings.

All these and more are found at http://www.ofgoodcheer.com/JoiedeVivre.html

[valoriedouglas]

Happy Mother’s Day!

Aside from the flowers and brunches, Mother’s Day has an interesting history. Of course, mothers have always been celebrated, from honoring the goddess Mut in ancient Egypt to Rhea and Cybele in ancient Greece and Rome, but the timing of the special day as we know it likely comes from an early Christian festival of “Mothering Sunday”, the fourth Sunday of Lent when the faithful were encouraged to return to their “mother” church. Anna Jarvis is given credit as the founder of the secular holiday in the United States when she held a memorial service to honor her mother and all mothers. Unfortunately, she found the commercialization of the holiday abhorrent, denouncing the floral and greeting card industries that profited from what she had intended to be a sentimental commemoration. Ah, well.

Time is short for sending a gift, but thanks to digital everything, it’s easy to pass along thanks and love to women in your life who have provided care and support to help you along your way. I have cards on my website that you may download and pass along, and there are countless other sources of lovely greetings for a great day.

Lovely greetings found in photographs: 

http://www.ofgoodcheer.com/RiverStonePages/InABlink.html

Funny greetings found in stick figures: 

 http://www.ofgoodcheer.com/ValsPalsPages/Holidays.html

[valoriedouglas]

Resilience

As pointed out by the Wikipedia and others, Cinco de Mayo is not a celebration of Mexico’s independence; instead, it commemorates a victory over France in the Franco-Mexican war many years after Mexican independence from Spain. Its celebration gained popularity north of the border following ad campaigns by beer importers for Modelo and Corona beer.

 In order to recoup unpaid debts by the Mexican government, France had entered Mexico in 1862 under French Emperor Napolean III and installed an Archduke of Austria as Emperor of Mexico. The United States was fighting the Civil War, and the US Secretary of State took a neutral stance to avoid provoking support for the Confederacy. Mexico was also embroiled in civil upheaval, and a split the country’s government opened the door for European intervention. However, Napolean’s time in Mexico was short-lived; in early 1866, he ordered a withdrawl of French troops after stiff Mexican resistance and increasing US support for Mexican independence. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican army’s victory over France in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 in which General Zaragoza defeated General Lorencez’s attack on the town of Puebla de Los Angeles. In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo celebrations honor the battle and Zaragoza’s outnumbered army, though the day is not a federal holiday.

 It’s a good day to remember the resilience of our southern neighbor as we enjoy the festivities.

[valoriedouglas]

Food for the Soul

I volunteer at college fairs, and as I listen to parents and high school students talk to admission representatives, I get a little sad. Everyone is very practical: what’s the STEM curricula? What’s the job placement rate? In The Givenness of Things, author Marilynne Robinson writes, “In any case, the spirit of the times is one of joyless urgency, many of us preparing ourselves and our children to be means to inscrutable ends that are utterly not our own. In such an environment the humanities do seem to have little place. They are poor preparation for economic servitude.”

I was a STEM major before such majors were popular. At the time, I was pursuing a subject that challenged me, something that I couldn’t let go of – not until I learned more. I like working with data and testing ideas, and I have a job where this little terrier inside me digs to her heart’s delight. However, there is so much more that I like to do and learn about. Creativity and curiosity are food for the soul, and it’s depressing that our educational experience is being reduced to a string of test scores and marketing because the perceived path to success is too narrow for open-ended questions of what it means to be human.

Like dandelions or desert broom, people’s desire for meaning and value is persistent. We crave to understand our place and belong. For some, like me, that means connecting with others through creative acts like writing or crafting. For others, it may be different. One of the great benefits I found in college was the exposure to topics and people I would have otherwise missed. Science, technology, engineering and math are fine subjects, but they are not everything. They are also not the only way to make a living.

Watching the evolution of online marketplaces like Etsy and the growth of community markets has been a real treat. People are creating, people are buying, and it seems to be happening without a lot of scams or deception. Assessments of the jewelry market indicate that upcoming consumers want responsibly made, meaningful products. It’s about more than a pretty piece; they want to know how it was made and who made it. Imagination and inspiration matter, as well as manufacturing processes that are more sustainable. Humanity matters, and that is an encouraging thought.

[valoriedouglas]

Earth Day and Jewelry Making

Earth Day is Sunday and we will likely spend the day planting and watering varieties of vegetables and flowers that can withstand the heat of the coming weeks and months. This year, the plants that javelinas eat (a.k.a. “most”) will have a home safely within a gated yard, but we might leave some wildflowers for them.

 The materials I love for jewelry making have a checkered past when it comes to environmental impact. Most semi-precious and precious gemstones are mined and cut before finding their way to the market, and neither of those actions can be called earth friendly. When I first started shopping for gemstones, I was dazzled and overwhelmed by the selection. So many beautiful stones! Hank after hank and table after table are on display at the Tucson shows. As I looked through stones, I would ask the vendor where the stones were from, how they’re cut; I was simply curious. Some vendors were quite forthcoming with source and factory information; others were not. A handful of vendors I talked with work closely with a single factory, but most import their stones from a variety. There was a 2009 Reuters article about high numbers of fatal cases of silicosis, a non-recoverable lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust, in the Guangdong province in southern China, a region known for its gem cutting trade. A recent Reuters article reports South African gold miners are reaching a lawsuit settlement for workers contracting silicosis while working in the area’s gold mines. Silicosis is just the human toll; the environmental toll from mining and gem cutting can be as bad or worse. Not good.

 So what to do? More vendors started describing their trade partnerships in detail. The owners of Fire Mountain Gems shared “Adventures with Chris and Stuart”, stories behind their gemstones and silver from India and Thailand (https://www.firemountaingems.com/resources/jewelry-making-articles/results?term=kwcomadvart). Nina Cooper, the owner of Nina Designs, has been committed to fair trade before it was a popular term and commits to higher wages and health standards for silversmiths in Indonesia and Thailand (https://www.ninadesigns.com/about-us/fair-trade). Artbeads.com started out of a garage in Washington and has grown to be host of one of largest community of beaded jewelry designers (https://www.artbeads.com/artbeads-guide/our-story ). From the beginning, I liked to buy sterling silver components from them because they were made in the US and quality and price were hard to beat. I’m happy to say I still find this to be true, and it’s where I get my gold-fill and silver rounds. Wholesale retailers like CGM and Kamal Trading are members of MJSA (Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America) which lists compliance to regulations such as the Dodd-Frank conflict minerals rule restricting use of materials from conflict regions. This doesn’t solve the environmental and human cost of creating materials, but it does highlight how vendors try to be responsible global citizens and abide by labor and environmental protections. Now when I shop for materials, it’s not just about getting lovely stones at a great price; it’s about participating in a marketplace with some thought towards sustainability.

 Now back to that javelina-proof garden….

[valoriedouglas]

Beat the Tax Blues

My sixth-grade teacher used to say there’s only two things you have to do: die and pay taxes. I can’t speak to how to avoid the first, but it is certainly possible to procrastinate filing those 1040s! One of the easiest tax evasions must surely be online shopping. With Mother’s Day coming up, there’s even a terrific excuse to take a break from the W-2 to show some love for Mom. Naturally, the folks at Etsy will be curating some fabulous crafty ideas, and I’ve added a few items to my shop as well (https://www.etsy.com/shop/ofgoodcheer).

Don’t feel like shopping? Earth Day is approaching and that’s a great excuse to plan a garden or take care of plants. Last year we made the mistake of leaving our vegetable garden accessible to javelina and a hungry herd ate all the plants, roots and all!

Don’t feel like gardening? How about a nice read? I finished Umami recently by Laia Jufresa and it was what I would call a quiet book because it never raised its voice and the stories were told in jerky pieces, much like life. It also did not have a tidy ending, again much like life. Instead, it took the whole book to piece together what happened and why they acted as they did, though I’m not sure I could predict what the characters would do next. I did find an unexpected explanation for shoes dangling from power lines, which I’m not sure I believe, yet would make sense if true.

A final reminder from a Gibson girl on Pinterest….

[valoriedouglas]

Going Round and Round

In the circle of seasons, spring is the time of regrowth and many of its symbols and connotations are round: eggs, seeds, the Earth itself. I do like the eggs-in-a-nest concept in jewelry, such as found in the imaginative handmade earrings of the Etsy shop KaterinaCollection (https://www.etsy.com/shop/KaterinaCollection/items?section_id=12352312). Artisan owned and operated Green Girl Studios out of Asheville, NC offers an amazing array handcrafted pewter beads and pendants, including a darling dangling nest (http://www.greengirlstudios.com/452-green-girl-studios-tiny-nest-dangle).

I would not describe myself as a great nest-maker; I love the idea but my designs are works in progress. As I’ve been experimenting, I did come up with an egg-like-bead-meets-time-turner pendant that is not a nest but is a fun piece to wear. Other round pieces I’ve added to the Joie de Vivre jewelry collection include a 1” inlaid turquoise globe pendant – terrific for Earth Day! – and gemstone “astromech droid” pendants. Yes, why not have your own droid companion throughout the day? (There’s a dark droid option too.)

For the eggy-time-turner and droid pendants: http://www.ofgoodcheer.com/JoiedeVivrePages/TwentyUnderThirty.html

For the turquoise globe: http://www.ofgoodcheer.com/JoiedeVivrePages/SubSixty.html

Happy spring!

[valoriedouglas]

Gems, Gems Everywhere

The gem show can be overwhelming because there are literally acres of displays throughout Tucson. How does a person choose? I am not a true rockhound or gemologist but I do love beautiful stones, particularly stones that are out of the ordinary and will work as a wearable item. Over the years, I’ve developed a good eye for gemstones. I know prices; I know quality; I know which stones have been dyed or color enhanced and which haven’t. I don’t mind that stones are treated – they may be absolutely lovely! – but the price should reflect the treatment, and I want to know how durable I can expect the treatment to be.

This year, my focus was fairly narrow: 2mm-4mm rondelles in some of the more colorful gemstones – tourmaline, apatite, quartz varieties. I saw more sapphire in a range of colors than I’ve seen in past years. I also saw more coated quartz and feldspar stones (moonstone, labradorite) to enhance flashing color. Unlike past years, a number of vendors had chrome diopside, though still at a relatively high price. Prices were lower on moderate quality tanzanite gemstones, and prices for pearls continue to rise. Some strands I buy for piece parts (gemstones to be used in multiple items), but the tourmaline and fire opal strands I am tempted to keep whole to maintain the color contrast.

I don’t always stick entirely to the plan; these labradorite strands are not the shape I was shopping for, but their color and iridescence were too striking to miss.

I like the smaller scale gemstones because of their versatility. I can use single strands for a subtle and beautiful line of color, or I can use multiple strands to achieve a layered effect. I’ve added “Dual Purpose” jewelry items to my Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/shop/ofgoodcheer) that can function as a longer necklace or multi-wrap bracelet. These are similar to the “necklets” I have on my website (http://www.ofgoodcheer.com/JoiedeVivrePages/Necklets.html). I like mixing colors, textures and materials for jewelry that is fun and easy to wear.

E t s y   s h o p :  ofgoodcheer

[valoriedouglas]

In Defense of Beaded Jewelry

I was reading a jewelry blogger describe her style and success on Etsy, and it was a great story with one caveat: she made a point of saying she no longer sold beaded jewelry. On one hand, I see her point: beaded jewelry is everywhere, everyone makes it; you’ve probably received it as a gift, smiled nicely and given it away or tucked it in a drawer somewhere. It’s easy to perceive beaded jewelry as nothing special and unworthy of notice. Plus, metal jewelry is awesome; I love the variety of charms and pendants in gold, silver, copper and bronze that have become available, and a 16”-18” chain necklace with an interesting or meaningful charm is simple and fun to wear with most outfits. On the other hand, beaded jewelry has been with us for millennia and for good reason: it is beautiful.

Beads and beaded jewelry continue to fascinate me with their look and feel. Hold a metal necklace to the light and there could be some nice reflection, especially if it’s sculpted to manipulate the light like some clever parabolic pendants I saw years ago. It is nice, yes, but it doesn’t glow with inner light or shimmer like water. Watching light set fire to an opal or Swarovski crystal is a different jewelry experience.

I’ll be the first to say I don’t often wear beaded jewelry because I’m in a rush in the morning trying to get myself and two boys out the door. It takes more time to choose a beaded necklace to go with an outfit than it does a simple chain. Also, many of the designs I like are either too whimsical and fun or too formal for the office. However, when I do find a great pairing between jewelry and outfit, I’m alive in a way that I don’t get with clothes alone.

“Yes”, you might say, “but why should I buy something that I could make?” It’s a good question because stringing beads does not appear to require technical or artistic skills like casting metal or painting. Give someone a collection of beads and most anyone would be able to string them as a necklace or bracelet. However, like a painter or sculptor, the jewelry maker chooses the materials and techniques applied to an item. What colors are present? What shapes and proportions of beads show the desired aesthetic? What stringing material is most appropriate for the design and wear? How will be jewelry item be fastened? Some beaded necklaces are extraordinary gallery pieces that could never be worn but delight the eyes and imagination; others are incredibly simple in design but wonderful to wear. Some materials like hand-knotted silk will deteriorate over time but offer superior drape. Plated metal is less expensive but tends to show wear more quickly. The color of some gemstones is known to be sensitive to direct light and can fade over time. All of these considerations factor into a jewelry item and influence the cost and wearable life.

 My jewelry items are sold under a “Joie de Vivre” banner for the simple reason that beads are a colorful and tactile expression of the beauty and wonder around us, and I love working with them. Plus, wearing jewelry can be a little like playing dress-up without the nuisance of corsets, crinolines or even Spanx. With a little imagination, one can channel an Egyptian queen, a Victorian gentlewoman, or a free-spirit, and why not? Have some “joy of life”! 

www.ofgoodcheer.com/JoiedeVivre.html

[valoriedouglas]

Happy New Year!

New Year’s resolutions tend to be like Tic-Tacs: they sound great but they don’t last and one has this niggling suspicion they aren’t working as well as one would like either. Instead of resolutions, I have to-do lists, and here’s some items on my list for January:

1.       Get outside more. It’s easy to sink into the lazy comforts of home, but I always feel better after spending time outdoors, whether it’s tossing a ball, walking around the neighborhood or tending plants. Plus, the natural world is great for inspiration.

(necklace / wrap bracelet for Etsy)

2.       Support marketplaces and artisans. I haven’t visited Etsy as much lately as I have in the past (easy to change this), and the gem and bead shows coming to town are always a good way to catch up with old friends and seek new vendors.

3.       Update subscriptions. I may not choose to adopt a trend, but I like knowing what’s new with products and the industry at large. I lost my favored jewelry magazine last year – “Jewelry Stringing” – but I think Cathleen McCarthy of the blog “The Jewelry Loupe” has some good recommendations. http://thejewelryloupe.com/best-magazines-for-jewelry-makers-and-lovers/

[valoriedouglas]

On Saturday, December 9, I’ll have a table at the Tanque Verde Community Market Holiday Pop-up. (https://www.facebook.com/TanqueVerdeCommunityMarket/) There is an art to a well-laid table or tent that I am still learning; I’m starting with a goal for a visually interesting table that survives wind. The Of Good Cheer table is basic: there’s fabric for color and texture and a mix of displays at different heights to show pendant jewelry, earrings and bracelets. There are amazing displays that have the feel of a portable store, and I like that sense of entering into a completely envisioned creative space. My space is a work in progress.

Farmer’s markets and community markets are fun ways to remember that everything we buy is ultimately created by people. Machinery and automation may take over certain tasks, but the resulting products are still imagined by people. We are all part of the marketplace, and that sense is palpable at the local markets for buyers and sellers. It can be both disarming and charming. The upcoming Holiday Pop-up includes kids’ tables, which should be a special treat. I’ll bring a few extra dollars to support craftsmanship-in-training! 

[valoriedouglas]

Whether it’s online marketplaces like Etsy or eBay or physical marketplaces like a farmer’s market or street fair, a person is bound to see a wide range of prices for jewelry items that appear similar. Now that I’ve finished revisions to my website, www.ofgoodcheer.com, I thought I would take a moment to talk about pricing.

 There’s a variety of guidelines and formulas for how to price items for sale, but all involve the concept of cost and overhead. The cost of making an item is determined by the price of the materials used in the item and the labor cost to make the item. For a beaded jewelry item, the material cost may be low but the labor cost may be higher, depending on the complexity of the design and time to create it. For a pendant and chain jewelry item, the time to assemble the item is next to nothing (low labor cost), but the components themselves generally are more expensive. “Overhead” refers to the costs associated with running a business: occupying a space, having employees, attracting customers, maintaining accurate financial records, etc. For a business to break even, the gross income needs to at least match the overhead costs. The cover the overhead costs, businesses need to apply a markup to items sold. For grocery items, the markup is small, around 10%, but for luxury items like jewelry, the markup is much higher – 25% to 100% or more depending on the product. This might seem high, but consider the different purchasing behavior of people buying groceries versus jewelry: the frequency and volume of items sold is very different, and so is the markup.

 When one is in the business of selling hand-crafted items, there are actually two business functions at work, the business of making items and the business of selling items. When I go to gem shows and trade shows, many of the vendors are focused on the business of making wholesale items for resale and the shows have been a good way to do higher volume sales of their products that then can be resold in bead stores and other markets across the country. Each party – the wholesale seller and the retail buyer – applies a markup to the products to cover the cost of their businesses. For example, let’s say each applies the same markup of 100% and the cost for a wholesale seller to create a pendant is $2.50. The seller offers the pendant for $5.00 to a retail buyer who then sells the pendant for $10 in a store. This demonstrates a common pricing strategy of doubling the cost to cover the overhead. The wholesale seller makes less money per item sold but also takes on different overhead costs than a retail business and operates on a different business model.

 As the popularity of online buying has increased, I’ve seen more wholesale vendors offer direct to public sales via websites. This can be tricky because wholesale vendors are in the position of offering prices significantly lower than retail businesses, but there is great risk in this; if wholesale vendors undercut their retail partners, they will soon lose their retail partners and the volume of products sold, and that isn’t great for either business. Therefore, the prices of items I offer on my website are retail prices, reflecting a markup to create the item and a markup to sell the item. Items with a high material cost don’t see the same markup percentage as items with a low cost, and sometimes, the material cost I pay for an item isn’t that much less than a retail price from that vendor. I’m a small buyer and my discounts may be 20%-30%, rather than 50% or more. However, what I do is what many retailers do: we count on sales driven by consumers who like our collection of products. In a sense, you the consumer are paying the retailer to be a personal shopper and offer items you like. There is a cost in that, and that may or may not be a cost you are willing to pay. Many of the items I offer are unique to me, but the pricing strategy is the same: markup for a wholesale price and markup for a retail price.

 Happy shopping!

[valoriedouglas]

Welcome! Years ago, I created four product lines to capture the spirit of items I wanted to me. My most popular is Joie de Vivre jewelry, in which I offer a variety of jewelry items, mostly stone or beaded pieces. I couldn't give up stick figures from my high school doodles, and they ended up in Val's Pals cards - humorous cards for all occasions. Had Matter Line cards features fun Victorian tongue-in-cheek designs, and the last is River Stone Designs; in it, I use my photographs taken over the years.