Healthy Competition at the Buyer’s Market of American Craft

I just got back from showcasing my latest collection at the Buyer’s Market of American Craft (BMAC)  this past weekend at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t think about who is showcasing what, or for how much, or how the boot is decorated. Instead, I look forward to being surrounded by SO MANY artisans in a variety of craft mediums. There are candle makers, glass makers,furniture, metal smiths who fabricate their own pieces, others who love casting pieces, jewelers showcasing their latest creations, and much, much more.

Every time I go back, I try to walk around and see how each of us is unique in our work. The creativity put into each jewelry piece is breath taking,  so I feel I am nurturing my brain just by looking. and when I come home I just want to continue creating. Although what I have to do is fill in the orders I got and deliver on time my purchase orders.

I know that getting accepted into the BMAC showcase is extremely competitive, but that’s exactly why it is so well renowned in the industry. This year they celebrated their 30th anniversary. Top galleries and museums from all over the United States come to the shop  to stock their shelves for the coming season and they know that they will not leave the show disappointed.

Every time I go back, I get to see other artists I have been neighbors with and we get to share our experiences and what we go through, we talk about the challenges we face and we help each other with decoration tips, exchange suppliers info and more…and I call this HEALTHY COMPETITION.

This has been my 3rd year showcasing at the BMAC and I’ve heard sometimes you have to wait three years to see that your investment to showcase at the BMAC is all worth it. To  be honest we have been lucky to sell every year we have showcase since our 1st show, BUT we did not see our return right away it took months because once one gallery/boutique receives my pieces then they have to sell them and I have to say luckily again we have received many re-orders. So my time at the BMAC was TOTALLY worth it.

This year has also been different, perhaps it could be that my booth stands out because everything is in red and black, could be because we had a great location , could be cause I was giving away the huayruro good luck charms, or simply because some people has seen me been back every year so  is not like I will disappear all of a sudden…right?…MAYBE but let me tell you… This has been by far the best show we have ever had.

Presenting my Nazca Collection at the Buyer’s Market of American Craft.

I took orders from galleries and boutiques in New York, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arkansas, Pittsburg, Delaware and Washington DC.

I will continue sharing my experience in getting into new markets like the ones I just mentioned to you. Now let me recuperate and get ready to showcase for the 1st time at The Boston Gift Show. March 23-27th

Hasta la proxima

A PROFESSIONAL JEWELRY PHOTOSHOOT…

When I first started to create my jewelry pieces, I was taking pictures of my own jewelry pictures (who doesn’t start like that, huh!?), but I am not a professional photographer. I’ve tried for so many times to do my own pictures and I took many pictures but could never give them the right white background or the right black grayish background plus you could see the shadows, light reflection etc., etc.….I took quick photography classes, did some internet research on how to photograph your jewelry and still was not getting that perfect professionally looking picture.

In the beginning…I couldn’t afford to pay for a professional photo session of my jewelry pieces. So I post and add on the famous craigslist and got me freelance photographers that were looking to gain expertise in product photography and who wanted to add experience to their resumes.

These were my 1st pictures taken by me a not professional jewelry photographer…not so good right?

Then it was time to launch my men’s Moschik catalog and I was not going to invest so much time in creating a whole new jewelry collection with poor pictures and poor presentation. Two of the most amazing relationships were born. My catalog designer Alvaro Luna & my professional photographer Rui Barros. I personally find that there has to be good energy,  positive attitude and willingness to work with your business partners (that is how I call them).  Just as me they want the final product to speak highly of their work. I believe I can sense energy VERY well and I was not afraid when my dear friend Alvaro was taking the responsibility to re-design my image/logo/designing my catalog everything till he handed me my Moschik Men’s catalog.

I also knew it was going to take some time. It was not going to happen in a couple days…although I wanted see the final product ASAP.

One of the first things Alvaro asked me was you need a professional head shot…I was thinking OMG another expense to the creation of my men’s catalog. BUT I can still remember what he said to me: I refuse to create the catalog with a picture that you have cropped from some wedding and put it in this professional jewelry catalog. He said go to Rui Barros Photography. He will do your headshot.

This was my 1st professional headshots as a jewelry designer

Then our photo-shoot for the catalog took us a whole day at The Park @ 14th in Washington DC, models came on time, photographer and Alvaro took care of styling models & the photo-shoot. We ended exhausted but with amazing photos to be used in our Moschik Men’s Catalog.

What to order my catalog? (click here)

I have been working with Rui for quite sometime now. I’d say at least five years. We have shot my jewelry pieces at his studio in Arlington, VA. It usually takes us a whole day. Every time I come in he has some new tool to shoot faster and have higher quality pictures, better lighting or the latest new gadget in professional photography. Another important thing to mention is that you have to communicate well how you like your product to look like, if you want to highlight some areas more than others, etc., etc.…My advise as a jewelry entrepreneur is do some research  before you call someone to do your professional product photo-shoot. I have done so much research about it that now I feel confident to share my ins and outs about shooting jewelry pieces.

Rui is so dedicated to what he does, that I totally trust his work and I know no matter what my pieces are going to have a professional look. The look I need as a professional jewelry designer.

My Nazca Jewelry collection has recently being photo-shoot again by Rui, take a sneak pick at it

 

If you are trying to take your jewelry business to the next level and want to bring it to high end boutiques, museums, fine art fairs and so on…don’t waist your time trying to make it yourself. It is more beneficial to invest your time in what you know best. In my case I rather use my time designing more beautiful jewelry pieces. In Spanish there is a phrase that says: AL CESAR LO QUE ES DEL CESAR = GIVE UNTO CESAR’S WHAT’S CESAR

Hasta pronto

Evelyn Brooks

Technorati Tags: Rui Barros Photography,Alvaro Luna,Evelyn Brooks Designs,Jewelry Photography,Jewelry Business Photography,Photograph Jewelry,Nazca lines,Nazca Jewelry

The Latina Style 50 Awards Ceremony and Diversity Leadership Conference Review

Two great events we attended today.
We came to be part of the Latina Style 50 Awards Ceremony & Diversity Leadership Conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington Dc. Our day started really early at 6a BUT we had an amazing day!
I was also interviewed by the team of Lexus for Vida Lexus. I talked about being a Hispanic Entrepreneur in the US and my advice to women entrepreneur ( I ll share the interview in a few more days) I also had great pictures taken I want to share with you;)

The Macy's team came by my booth and loved my new Nazca Jewelry Collection.

And Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen loved getting our complimentary good luck charm and promised to wear it for good fortune and prosperity ALL THE TIME!

Thank you to all of those who stop by my booth and support the work of a Hispanic Woman And Minority Entrepreneur.

Hasta la proxima!

LIVING AS A JEWELRY ENTREPRENEUR IS UNCERTAIN…

How great it is when you are at an art show and a couple people come into your booth, wondering a lot about your jewelry, asking you questions about how you make your pieces, why the red & black?, Are you local?….And then the best question of ALL. Do you do wholesale? DING DING…OF COURSE…

That is how a met business partners Edward Hart & Eric Nelson owners of Artfully Gifts & Chocolate  at the Alexandria Fine Arts & Wine Festival on October of 2011. We scheduled time to meet so we could talk about possibly placing an order to carry Evelyn Brooks Designs at their Alexandria location.

When I walked into the shop, I immediately fell in love with it and the variety of gifts they have to offer, BUT their hot coco’s with famous hollywood names is an ingenious idea. So if you are in Alexandria, stop by and see it for  yourself. If you feel in a mood of ice cream you can find it here, too

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I went there the other day and saw a mom with two kids trying to get some gifts…and as a mom I admired what she did…she got a cup of ice cream for each of her kids, sat them on the tables and she peacefully got her gifts…I was thinking inside myself  WHAT A GREAT IDEA!

Getting into a new boutique or gallery is always a uncertain. We did not know if my jewelry designs were going to work or not, but Edward & Eric saw my work as a great fit for their gift shop. And indeed I brought my 1st pieces by the end of November, they quickly sold and have been selling non-stop ever since.

Later in January we talked about launching my Nazca Jewelry Collection at their Alexandria location just in time to celebrate Valentine’s, too.

This exclusive line of jewelry is an extension of my eco-chic collection and it is inspired by the Nazca lines, which represented a celestial Inca calendar used for rituals related to astronomy, the Spring 2012 Nazca Collection evokes mystery and mythology. Legend has it that the Nazca lines were built by an ancient Peruvian civilization called Nazca, located in the south of Peru.

The collection is hand-made with natural seeds of red, black, and hand-texturized sheets of silver. This new collection will feature necklaces, bracelets, and earrings for women. Prices range from $68 - $950.  

Now if you have the opportunity and travel to Peru take at least to days to visit Ica and go to the town of Nazca. Where you can take off on a little airplane and fly over The Famous Nazca Lines. Once you are there, you will understand more closely my jewelry collection inspired by the Nazca Lines.

Hasta la proxima
Evelyn

Technorati Tags: jewelry traveler,nazca lines,jewelry entrepreneur,evelyn brooks designs,artfully gifts and chocolates,sterling silver jewelry,red jewelry,ecofriendlyn jewelry,artistic jewelry,mompreneur,jewelry marketig,jewelry trends

More Valentine’s Gift Ideas…

 

 

My angels are a great gift when you are thinking about giving something special & affordable to  someone special or simple to say Thank YOU for our friendship 

Want to go for something classy? These sets passion red huayruro pieces are favorites among my clientele….The knots in between each huayruro bead and the silver heart in the middle of the bracelets makes an statement.

What to go romantic & exotic. This is one of my new assymetric onyx heart necklaces hand-wired with huayruro seeds around the heart. Length 18”

If you like to order it…email me @ evelyn@ebrookdesigns.com

Want to buy more pieces or add to your excisting collection order

The Evelyn Brooks Jewelry Catalog (click here)

Hope this helps you find and give you ideas for the PERFECT Valentine’s Day!

Hasta la proxima!

Technorati Tags: valentine's day,valentine's gifts,evelyn brooks designs,jewelry ideas,jewelry entrepreneur,angels jewelry,heart jewelry,red heart jewelry

Caution, redesign underway!

I was reading Entrepreneur Magazine (as you guys may already know I read this magazine FAITHFULLY) and it reassured me that redesign is not a word I should fear when it comes to my website. Many people fear change, but often times change can be beneficial. That being said, the Evelyn Brooks Designs website is undergoing redesign very soon  to make it more interactive for all you jewelry shoppers out there .

This is how I plan to undergo redesigning Evelyn Brooks Designs website:

These are my advices to consider when re-designing your new jewelry website:

1. Clean it out! Only include what is relevant to the site.

2. So easy a monkey can do it.  Make sure that your website is easy to navigate through and buy from. You must make it as simple as possible for customers.

3.  Engagement. Plan to engage the customers more. How, you may ask? Some ideas are promotions and special services.

4. Take a look at the analytics.  Look at the amount of people who view the site, where web traffic is coming from, etc. This way you can see what works and what does not.

5. Ask for help when needed. I know I am no expert at web design, that’s why I’m getting help! Don’t refuse it, web design professionals are at your disposal.

6. Feedback. I want to hear from my customers. After all I am serving you. Let me know what you think about the Evelyn Brooks Designs website.

I will keep you all posted as the renovations are made!

Love,

Evelyn Brooks

Ready for Crystal Couture 2012

Beautiful jewelry will be presented by Evelyn Brooks Designs at Crystal Couture Show & Sale 2012.

Caught On Camera for teaching ad campaign...

I’ve been teaching jewelry design classes at Montgomery College for a couple years now. I have to say it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences to teach people how to make jewelry. It’s therapeutic and gets your creative juices flowing. All you need to do is bring yourself !!  Please, trust me on this one I guarantee you’ll love it. And if you don’t want to take my word for it take a look at some of the shots I’ve taken of my students! With the pictures I’ve taken of my students and thanks to some tips from Entrepreneur magazine (I would be so lost without their trusted articles) I put together a video.

All I did was picked a topic…in this case it was the Jewelry Design Classes I teach, and used Windows Live Movie Maker to compose the pics together. It was easier than I thought! On the other hand, if you want to record a video, don’t psych yourself out. Be confident and press record. Practice, practice, practice so that you don’t  say “um” every other word, look directly into the camera lens, and address your topic of choice. Check mine out

I’m REALLY proud of my video. And hey, maybe next time you’ll see me putting up jewelry business tips on YouTube .

 

Yours truly,

Evelyn Brooks <3

I need Social Control...

Why is it that every time I get online to do something productive, I find myself on a social network. It's crazy!! People spend hours after hours liking Facebook status' retweeting, looking at friend's photo, it just doesn't stop!

Social networking was not a part of my life not too long ago, but now it's even a part of my job. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter,I do it all.

To manage all of these accounts I use Hootsuite.com. It allows me to manage my different accounts, schedule posts for free; and if you are willing to upgrade your account you can get extra features such as custom analytic reports. With this tool I am able to spend less time on social networks, while staying connected!



Social media dashboards are a great way for small businesses to stay engaged under budget. Hootsuite is not the only social media dashboard out there. There is Tweetdeck.com, which is also completely free! And if you and your business can take on a minor expense there is: www.sproutsocial.com, actionly.com, and nutshellmail.com.





And hey, while you're at it why don't you check me out at Evelyn Brooks Designs and like us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn ;)
Until next time,

Evelyn Brooks

Technorati Tags: Hootsuite,evelyn brooks,evelyn brooksdesigns,facebook badges,twitter badges,youtube and lindkedin

P.S Thank you to Entrepreneur Magazine for the inspiration today, read more on www.entrepreneur.com/article/217785

Red is still ON...

I just got the latest Redbook magazine and found these beautiful red outfits that u can accessorize with any of the Evelyn Brooks Designs jewelry pieces;) In just a few days we will be celebrating valentines day and that will be another excuse to get out of your closet that red outfit and once again impress your man;) Please remember we are here to help you find the perfect red and black jewelry accesories with the Evelyn Brooks Designs jewelry collection

Blogging from my iPhone...a whole new experience!

I can still not believe that I m actually blogging from my iPhone. I m sure there are still things that we can not do in this app, like a hipper link, a emoticon, etc... but it is truly making my life much easier and it is making me feel very productive.

So i thought what can i share this time? ...I look on my cell phone for a picture I could share with you and I found the picture of my latest collection that just arrived to Artfully gifts and chocolates located at 506 John Carlyle st. Alexandria va. 22304 that I took a few days ago...

If you are a blogger and want to share with us fabulous things you are doing with your iPhone. Please share them with us. Especially if it helps you to safe time and helps you post quickly.

Sincerely
Evelyn;) Hasta la proxima!

GOOD ENERGY, GREAT CLIENTS AND A 2012 FULL OF HOPE…

Time flies since I posted on our blog…why because I only have two hands. There is only so much you can do just with just two hands. This year it will be different. We are more organized than ever. We will post once or twice a week.

I truly believe in good energy, some call it good vibrations, others wear a clear crystal, others wear a Huayruro for bringing positive energy (like me, I always carry my red huayruro), whatever it is just think positively at any given time and even if it is in the middle of a cathastrophe at least thinking positively will give you HOPE for better times.

Our holiday season was STRONG, not great because I think the economy situation is still a big concern for buyers. Whom were actually looking more for the lower ticket price items and  few for the high ticket items. But it is what it is…and we were happy with it.

MOST IMPORTANTLY we are still in business, FULL OF HOPE and taking bigger projects for 2012.

One of the best things that happen to me as an entrepreneur during the holidays was…I got a call at 10p on New Years Eve (the day our MOSCHIK coupon expired) and this lady did not want to miss the opportunity to complete her whole EVELYN BROOKS DESIGNS set with the $25 off). Anyways while I was taking her order, she mentioned: I had wore the necklace and the earrings I purchased from you to a dinner party I was going to in Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, and a very refine lady came up to me and told me: YOU ARE WEARING AND EVELYN BROOKS DESIGNS PIECE…of course to me it almost brought me in tears, I couldn’t believe it!;  that someone in Kentucky would recognize my work. Which means we are growing and we are making it all the way to Kentucky.  It may sound funny at 1st but working and being an entrepreneur is not easy. We are always trying to do something to grow our business and perhaps we never sit down to think WHERE ARE WE? in what stage? and that call made me SIT DOWN and THINK (just a for a few minutes)…that my work is truly paying off, is not just in DC, VA, MD like in the begining. It is going all over the US, just as I dream it.

We have made it into over 20 boutiques …and that is why this year our efforts will go even further….I am gonna use a phrase that I heard BUZZ LIGHTYEAR from Toy Story the movie says: TO INFINITY AND BEYOND…that is what my little one is now saying, so I can use that phrase, too.

I hope my enthusiasm brings you HOPE to any projects you are about to begin or are in the middle of…

My sincere wishes of a happy, healthy and succesful 2012! THANK YOU SO MUCH for your continuing support!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Brooks