Anapurna Girls

photo friday: shenandoah

19Mar10

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New pendant design from Swarovski

18Mar10

The purple one is the new Navette pendant. It’s very pretty, but I think I like the older teardrop designs like the gorgeous blue one here better. I bought one of these blue pretties a couple of years ago, accidentally chipped it a bit while wire wrapping the top, and ended up keeping it for myself. Ready to give wrapping these another try!

Here’s a closeup of the Navette:

Oh, and the wee beads in the top picture are the new Swarovski bicone shape. More or less the same as the old ones, but with more facets and sparkle. Word has it the old design was getting copied too much so they changed it.

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inspiration wednesday

17Mar10

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Anapurna’s latest: new pendants

15Mar10

Tons of new pendants this week! Not all of these pieces are listed for sale yet, so if you see a piece you like, drop us a quick email or send us a message through Etsy and we’ll pop up a listing for you right away.

These two are brass with garnet and vintage crystal:

And sterling silver with Swarovski crystal:

Some adorable maneki neko (lucky cats) in small and medium sizes:

A very understated and elegant sci-fi-ish planet of glass pearl with a sterling ring:

Another elegant Swarovski crystal dangle pendant:

And finally, brass filigree and an extremely silly pendant of wood, brass, clockwork, and a vintage watch face:

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An autumn mix

11Mar10

A seed bead mix I made for a project last year. I think it’s rather nice.

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inspiration wednesday

10Mar10

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he’s a-getting.
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he’s to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,
And, while ye may, go marry;
For, having lost but once your prime,
You may forever tarry.

Robert Herrick

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A quick Friday playlist

05Mar10

Now that the prescheduled posts have more or less run out, I’m going to start some new things. Arms have been freaking out this week so I don’t have anything put together yet, but there’ll probably be some nifty posts next week.

Here’s what I’m listening to today. Good for working and concentrating.

1. Hayley Westenra – Never Saw Blue
2. Ani DiFranco – Fuck You (Untouchable Face)
3. Teresa Grawunder – Longing
4. Jeanne Cotter – Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent
5. Andru Donalds – All Out of Love
6. Lisa Lynne – Circle of Joy
7. Anthony Ashur – Picardy
8. Jeff Johnson – The Dream of Taliesin
9. Solas – There is a Time
10. Balligoming – Marooned

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inspiration wednesday

03Mar10

Kim Yuna at the short program in Vancouver [image by Xinhuanet]

Yu-Na Kim’s incredible Olympic gold performance. Just awe inspiring. I haven’t found a way to embed it, but you can watch it for free right here.

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ask the anapurna girls #3: craft show tips

01Mar10

This is one of a series of posts we’re moving over from our old website.

Q: I just started making jewelery a few months ago, and I’m considering selling my jewelery at a small local craft fair this summer, do you have any tips for a first timer ?

A. As far as craft fairs go, if this is a small one, I’m assuming it’s outside. Here’s a short rundown of craft fair hints for beginners, geared for outdoor shows.

~ The most basic items you need for a craft show are a table and a chair. Many shows rent these out. If you’re outside, it’s also helpful to have an EZ-Up-type canopy, but make sure it’s a fireproof type; larger shows check for this.

~ Your table will need a cover; a long tablecloth will do just fine. Make sure it’s long enough to come to the ground in front so you’re not displaying your boxes/money/feet to the world.

~ Wear comfortable clothes and sunscreen! Also bring water and a snack.

~ When outdoors you shouldn’t need extra lighting, but you will need extra lighting for indoor shows. A couple of cheap bendy-neck table lights will do just fine to start with.

~ Bring enough small bills and coins to make change. Keep your money as secure as you can: either on your person or in a locking cash box that stays at your side (but out of sight) at all times.

~ If you can, partner up. Bring a friend, share a booth with a fellow jewelry maker or drag along your significant other. It’s acceptable to ask whoever’s running the booth next to you if they’ll watch yours for a minute or two while you run to the bathroom, but it’s always nice to have company.

~ Bring a couple of projects to work on while you sit. It’s a great way to get people engaged. No one wants to buy from a booth where the owner’s nose is stuck in a book or they’re four booths down yakking with other booth owners.

~ Engage your customers, but don’t hang over them or talk at them the whole time. Politely introduce yourself, give a short introduction to your jewelry, and then back off and let them look. People will let you know when they want to try something on or take a
closer look.

~ If you’re outside, it’s almost guaranteed to be windy. Even if you think you’re in the calmest area in the world, be prepared. If you’re bringing a canopy, weight it down with stakes in the ground (if you’re on grass) or by tying the legs to very heavy coolers or
cinderblocks. I’ve been to a show where even with those precautions, tents were sailing across the parking lot. Also bring T-pins and pin your jewelry to the tablecloth if you need
to; chasing jewelry across the ground is no fun. I don’t like to pin things down because it messes with the accessability of the pieces, but sometimes it’s necessary.

~ Get your jewelry up off the table and into view as much as possible. When it’s windy your options are limited, so try placing things out in pretty dishes or trays instead. When you’re indoors or it’s a calm day, use anything you can to raise the jewelry off the table. Some people use busts or forms, some use risers under the tablecloth. I use foam-and-fabric-covered folding display boards. As you start doing shows, you’ll figure out what look you like. Use your preferences and taste to work out what kind of display method you want to use.

~ Don’t pack up early if you can help it.

~ If your show’s slow or not going well, don’t gossip about it with other booth owners. Walking by a booth where the owner’s complaining about lack of business is a huge turnoff.

~ Try to choose shows with as few other jewelry booths as possible. If half the booths at your show are jewelry, each one of those is going to sell very little due to the sheer amount of competition.

~ Use your first few shows as a chance to get used to the atmosphere and learn to be a good salesperson. Don’t expect to make a lot of money at small shows. They’re wonderful introductions to the craft fair world, though, so do as many as you feel comfortable attending.

Have a question for us? Send it to anapurnadesignsremovethis@gmail.com.

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