Almost April as a Women Business Owner

For all the new readers & followers of this blog,  I am an avid gardener and lapidary.  Most of my inspiration comes from nature as can be seen in my work.  Whether it is the arch of a branch, the stem of a bush or the pattern of moss.  As a lapidary, when I am cutting a stone my design became the feature I find in the natural stone.  Moss on a Lava rock in my backyard garden.  


Expanding the gemstone/rock side of my business.  I sell rocks! Do you know a jewelry designer or small local Jewelry store?  Being a lapidary, I custom cut my own stones into one of a kind cabochons. Retail & wholesale options for you to buy the gems.  Please feel free to contact me if you have a friend with a shop who uses one of a kind gemstones.

Today March 31 is National Equal Pay Day.  
We had a local rally scheduled to bring more visibility to the fact that Minorities & Women are drastically paid less than men.

learn more here:  Pay Equality Coalition
  
Another way to support women is the ERA now ratified by the 38th state.  I a a proud bard member of Rochester NOW 
NOW Rocheter NY




What does it mean to be a Lapidary?  Definition: The art of cutting, polishing & engraving precious stones.  

To the left is a slice of the Unakite I found as a rough rock in St. Lawrence county NY.  It has been sliced into this slab of rough gemstone.  Below is the finished polished cabochon showing the beauty in this stone.  
details of the process here:  
Lapidary process




As a small business owner I know how difficult it is at this time in NY state and around the US.  As a women owner business it is more difficult to generate the income necessary to keep the business going.  We are counting on the local community to remember to support all local business.  For every $100 you spend at a local business $68 stay in the community.  We are in this together.

I will end with a quote from my favorite president, Barak Obama. 

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek".   


Buy Local  from the maker

My shops:  Panda Wear Website
                   Cabochons and Beads

Facebook:  PandaWire Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Pinterest: Pinterest 
Instagram: Instagram
Habitat:  My Page Women Build

Happy growing and enjoy your week.  

Fall Arrives in Rochester, NY

Yes I know fall is here.  Last night I baked the first vegetable bread of the season.  It was great as a dessert after breakfast today. Any guess as to what this is?  Shown on my counter top which is why I love baking. 

Seems a bittersweet end to summer this year.  Below are a few of my beach glass rings in sterling silver.  I collected the glass myself on the shores of Lake Ontario right here in Rochester.  the weather went from super hot to wet and the vegetable garden never seems adjust.  I have happy lettuce, cooking greens, Parsnips, Leeks, & Radishes.  We just planted a new crop of Broccoli which I hope to harvest by the end of October. 


Preparing for a women retreat this week, 7th Annual "Inspiring Success:The Women Ties Retreat." The date is approaching fast, event is on Thursday.  I have some new designs and a few of the best sellers to bring with me.  Plan to show off my custom cut gemstones, so I am ready for special orders.  As always, prepaid orders shipped free to the buyer and free gift wrapping.  Panda Wear is excited to be there this year, our first.  have been hearing great things about it for a few years.   The group's lunch events are always educational and fun events so worth the time. 
The rest of my fall schedule is up in the air right now.  I am still adding new items to my website weekly.  Also learning Instagram and twitter as time allows.  I will update my schedule online when i have a list of shows I am doing.  I do plan is to spend some time outside tonight for the Lunar Eclipse.  is is going to be a well photographed event, especially by several of  my photography friends.   They will have some stunning pics to share later this week, I am sure  Not even trying to take any myself.

 $99 until 10:30am EST 9/28/15.  Turquoise pendant flash sale. PM me for the sale price. Details of the piece on my website: Turquoise


My shops:  Panda Wear Website
                   Cabochons and Supplies
 
Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Pinterest: Pinterest 

Mettaville New Feature Artist on my Team

Alison Koh of Mettaville.  Part of my TEAM.  We have a new feature on Panda Wear's blog.  About once a month we will feature an artist in my "TEAM".  I have been selling my work online and have a great TEAM of people whom I consider my second family. Here you will learn about the artist and their work. 

Mettaville

Indigo Journal

All the artist were asked the same questions.  As for why she choose this as here business,  If you know Alison,  you'll know she love writing in journals.  She writes frequently, of many
things, ups and downs of life, recording the joys and sadness,​adventures and stories. Sometimes ​drawing, ​doodling, sometimes just a single word or phrase in a blank page.  Alison also writes to  seek answers, she would write her heart out, asking questions ​after questions ​and​ as she writes she will get some form of clarity.  ​ It's strange but if you ask any journal writer, you'll get the same answer, there is something about writing that connects you to a higher intelligence that knows and that guides you to a path of healing, learning, growing and taking you to a better place, one step at a time.  ​

Back in late 2010, she had an opportunity to attend a bookbinding workshop. The thought of making her own journals to write in delighted me. Then the big move happened, her husband and she with their cat, left their birth country, Malaysia and migrated to New Zealand in 2013. A new adventure and fresh start, she picked up where she left and here she is - making books.

A5 found here:  Butterfly Journal


 As for advise for someone starting out in her line of work, ​Practice. Practice. Practice. ​
Exactly what I would say.  Some things are universal, media does not matter.   Allison finds people love the larger version of journals (A5 size), as she does. ​​They are all fun to make! She loves the whole process of making a book from start to finish. ​

Alison sells both online and at local events.  She has a monthly market in Titirangi village every last Sunday of the month.   She has an Etsy shop - Mettaville & a Felt shop   She also has some of her books in East West Gallery in New Lynn, Auckland. Alison teaches workshops at the gallery from time to time and believes it is a fun way of meeting people.Mettaville accepts special orders.  Average turn around time depends on the request.  A safe time frame would be 1-3 weeks.  

Upcycled Pocket Notebooks

How to reach Mettaville and Alison

https://www.etsy.com/shop/mettaville

http://felt.co.nz/shop/mettaville

https://instagram.com/mettaville

https://www.facebook.com/mettaville

http://www.mettaville.blogspot.co.nz/

 

 

I hope you are enjoying meeting my team.  They are the Best! 

My shops:  Panda Wear Website
                   Cabochons and Supplies


Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Pinterest: Pinterest 
Instagram: Instagram

Guess What....garden bounty?

My new shopping cart is working well for the website.  Very happy to have new traffic and from so many different places.  Visitors from over 25 countries and the majority from about 10 different countries. Surprised to see visitors from so many countries. 

and drum roll please......

The long wait is over.  My Vegetable garden has produced the first ripe tomatoes.  I harvested them this morning. these are the first two cherry tomatoes form the 2015 garden.  Behind them are kale and leaf lettuce, all going into a great salad for dinner tonight.    Prior years tomatoes were ripe by about the 10th or 12th of July.

This second pic shows the greens better.  I enjoy gardening.  Wish my father and his Mom were here to show them what I have in my yard.  Many thanks to both of them;  my love of tools and growing things is due to they love and teaching me when I was younger.

This is Genny From Charlotte, a stunning Sterling silver pendant. I collected the beach glass myself in Charlotte on Lake Ontario. To see this & many more of my creations, website link is below.

Have a happy summer day.

My shops:  Panda Wear Website
                   Cabochons and Supplies

 
Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Pinterest: Pinterest

New Shopping and Site Improvements

The Panda Wear website has just been updated.  We recently added a shopping cart to make the customer experience more enjoyable.  Fell free to to take a look around and let me know if you like it.  I was surprised it took about 2.5 months from start to finish to add the shopping cart.  It only went live after extensive testing.  Link at the bottom of this post. 

Here is one new section for gifts for the stone lover in you life.  It features gem trees and polished geodes.

http://bit.ly/1LaAHEI 

I am working on more gifts for the men besides there items.  looked at belt buckles but did not like my choices for setting.  working on tie chains and rings.  I have a few unisex necklaces. 
always happy to make a custom piece for the special person in your life.   

The jewelry designers will like the Cabochons section.  Also great for the bead embroidery people.  Many of my stone are natural on the back which makes it much easier to glue them for bead embroidery.  The stone at the left is turtilla agate.

http://bit.ly/1Gzbyfe 

New items are being added daily to all areas of the site.   There are several hundred to be added.  if there was a fast and easy way to snap my fingers and have in all done in a day I would go that route.  

Working on some new earring designs and a few rings and pendants.  my next show is local in the city of Rochester, NY. The Festival is August 16th.   It is the annual Susan  B. Anthony festival. this year we celebrate the 95th anniversary of the 19th Amendment! It is always fun way to spend the day.  I admire Ms.Anthony and all she accomplished for women.  More details closer to the event. 

My shops:  Panda Wear Website
                   Cabochons and Supplies

 
Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Pinterest: Pinterest

Hello Summer

Water lilies in my Pond

Well it is beginning of summer here in Rochester, NY.  Spring is over and it was a wild season. It started super dry and ended extremely wet with flooding in many counties in my area.  Hoping for summer to be more average and better conditions for all to enjoy the season.

My tomatoes are all flowering and I am waiting patiently for the cherry tomatoes.  they seem to be the early ones in my garden.  starting new lettuce seed this week.  regular planting keeps me in fresh lettuce until the late fall. 

Excited about the fresh raspberries this year.  It was a long winter and recovery for me.  Happy to say my last PT session was a week ago.  I am closer to 100% -  just need to build up my stamina or endurance.  Swimming for 40 minutes and still continuing  to trim and tone with my new diet.  Eating healthy is working great.  Not one of those fads, either.   I still have not taking any allergy medicine this year.  The first time in many years without the pills and the stupor that follows.

Today's raspberry harvest is shown at the left.    Happy for the garden to give me a a great harvest and something I work on every day.  Right after my second surgery, crutches and I would go out to look at the garden.

Another pic below to give proportion of the amount of beans, snow peas and berries.  still harvesting cooking greens and lettuce like crazy. 

My shops:  Panda Wear Website
                   Cabochons and Supplies

 
Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  
Pinterest: Pinterest

May the sun shine on your garden today.

Etsy, Why Handmade Left

My originally idea was  to blog about all the changes on Etsy over the past three years and the  impact to those sellers I have met.  I decided the post would be extremely long and might not be red through by most visitors. The topic will be broken up into several posts over the next few months.

They redefined handmade or change the legal definition of a word to suit themselves.   I believe they wanted to make more money so they decide to change their site TOU(Terms of Use) to reflect the new influx of sellers with commercial items that drop ship form foreign countries.



https://www.etsy.com/help/article/483
quote from Etsy's blog "HANDMADE items are designed and created by the shops that sell them. Because transparency matters on Etsy, we ask sellers to list shop members and share information about manufacturers involved in creating their items."


 I certainly can not speak for all of the sellers on Etsy.  I can speak for myself and the friends I have made there.  Yes I still know a handful of handmade shops on Etsy. Most I know have left the sinking ship.



As I used the site search by topic, key work and tag , I noticed hundreds of pages of items that were not handmade.  I started to discuss this on several of the teams I belonged to.  My discovery of the commercial items was not unique.  We being good site members reported the shops to the site as not in compliance with their TOU.  We waited a few days then weeks and the odd thing was the shops were still there.  In one case, the shop was on the front page of the  handmade section.  Many sellers had gone to other sites as a back up plan because they were afraid the buyers would leave Etsy.



I have a great group of friends and small business people I have became close with in the past few years.  We are online promoting each other through social media.  The group is Sellergroup.  We are a group of handmade, vintage and supplies buyers and sellers.  Please follow these links to learn about us.
Sellergroup  Pinterest




There are many sites the Hand made sellers have moved to.  I have tried several sites myself and now use my stand alone website as my main place I sell my work.   Here are a few of the options my friends have chosen:  Zibbet, Artfire, Indymade, Shopify, Bonanza, SupaDupa, Ebay, and Facebook groups. 

 To expand the audience of my sales and increase my customer base, I even tried selling jewelry supplies.  I listed my extra beads as destash supplies on Etsy.  The majority of my sales were during buying blitzes with the teams I was part of.  The impact has not been positive for myself, my sales or the majority of the seller of handmade I know.  This all began in 2012 when the site redefined handmade.

Hopefully you understand why many of us handmade artist have left Etsy.  Feel free to do an Internet search on Etsy, their stock and re-sellers (commercial items) to learn more.

My shops:  Panda Wear Website
                   Cabochons and Supplies

Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  

Vera Jayne - Handmade with Love

Vera Jayne

Handmade with Love

Vera Kirkpatrick started her business, Vera Jayne as a way to work from home while she home schooled her 5 children. Vera has had numerous handmade businesses before that but all of them involved craft markets and selling in brick and mortar stores.

Blue Baby Shoes

 

She wanted to start selling her handmade goods online. She wanted the freedom and flexibility of choosing her own working hours and still having time to do the things that she thought were important in her role as a mom.

Vera Jayne sells hand knits – scarves, hats and accessories for ladies and children and crocheted baby shoes. Vera has always loved creating and she started making these particular products as there was a demand for them.

As for advise for someone starting out in her line of work:

•  Running a handmade business is hard work. You start off creating and doing what you love but when the orders start rolling in, you need to move from a hobby (creating and selling the few things you create which brings a little income and job satisfaction) to running a business! 
•  Use all free social networks. Her favorite is INSTAGRAM and she have gotten many sales and wholesale orders through this venue alone. It is free! Vera also use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Wanelo, We Heart it, Keep, Polyvore
•   Keep learning – She reads as much as I can about handmade businesses and small businesses. There is a lot of information out there! Vera is constantly self evaluating her product photos and trying to better her skills as a crafter.
•  Interact – She interacts with many handmade businesses and has formed good friendships. We support and promote one another. We pool resources and help each other succeed.

 As for where to one can find Vera Jayne products,  several places.  At the moment, she sell on Etsy, Storenvy and a South African online site.    She also sell her patterns on Craftsy and Ravelry. Vera supplies a local wholesaler who buys her baby shoes and sells them along with a baby outfit (sold as a set) that sell in Brick and Mortar stores all over South Africa.  Her baby shoes are sold wholesale to an online shop in the US that stocks brands

Chartreuse hair elastic

Vera love custom orders! At the moment her turn around time is 7 days but with wholesale orders (big numbers), depends on the amount required.  During the busy months her turn around time may be 2 weeks.  Her most popular item is baby shoes. 

To contact Vera of Vera Jayne

Instagram

Email

Store

Facebook

Short and Sweet

Happy Hump Day.....  a few gem trees and geodes for you to enjoy. 

What's new in my studio?  There are some new copper pieces and a few pieces with some hand made glass beads. Also, working with another of the artist on my team.  The feature will be up this week. 

Here are a few Fathers Day gift ideas for you. Geodes are from $10-15 and the Gem trees are $15-20.  all prices are plus shipping.  

What topics would you like to see in future blog posts?  Looking for suggestions from my fans. 

My stores: Jewelry shop

                 Cabochons and Supplies

Facebook:  PW Facebook

Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  

New Direction for Panda Wear - Stone DIY

New direction and focus for Panda Wear...what is this about you ask?
 
I am a lapidary which means I hand cut my own stones.  Having enjoyed cutting gemstone for many years, there is a surplus of stones I am unable to use right away. Also, there is a surplus of rough stone - which is the rocks before they are cut into cabochons.  The rocks started to accumulate (pile up) around my home.    To make space,  I decided to start selling the extras.


Above is a Unakite boulder in the quarry where I have collected some rough in NY state.  The travel mug in this pic is about 10" tall to show perspective. The boulders are over 3 feet tall.  The blue rocks on the left side are mostly calcite.
 

Steps to make a cabochon

1. select a rock
2. cut a slab form the rock
3. decide  the shape of the cabochon & draw it
4. trim the slice around the lines
5.  dop the trimmed piece
6. start cutting the cab
7. polish the cab

Michigan Kona dolomite slab.  This is a piece of the selected rock cut into a slice.

Texas graveyard point agate slab.  This is a slab or a slice from the rock. the slice is the second step to making the rock into cabochons.    Imagine the rock as a home made loaf of bread cut into slices.  They can be cut whatever thickness I desire. Clear or transparent rough works best cut thick to show the beauty in the stone when finished. 



In my work, I have bought nice quality supplies for many years. Having bought the high quality beads and cabochons for years I believe I have an idea what other designers are looking for.  Your referrals of friends whom are jewelry designers or jewelry store owners are always appreciated.   Most of my cabochon sales are to other jewelry designers right now.   A few are sales to collectors. Yes, I still sell my OOAK jewelry.  It is just that my focus is on the gemstones right now. 

On the right, a piece of the Unakite I collected as a finished cabochon.  I went through all of the 7 steps above with this rock.

Below is a Montana Moss Agate cabochon ready to be set into a piece of jewelry. This is a transparent stone and the light is reflected best when the back of the piece is left open.

My cabochons are free form which meas they are not round, or oval like most of the ones I see for sale.  This makes them unique and OOAK.
OOAK means One of a Kind. Cabochons are also called cabs.

Please feel free to ask any questions about the process of stone cutting or making cabochons that you have.   I have taught wire wrapping and jewelry making for years.  I also taught my boyfriend to cut cabs. He is a natural and is a better cutter than I am.

My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies

Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems  

Goodbye Crutches, Hello Garden

Recovery going well after ACL ligament replacement surgery.   Sunshine and transplanting more vegetables, energized me and I am now walking without any crutches. Saying  goodbye to my crutches feels fantastic!  Being spring, there were quite a few weeds to be pulled in the gardens this past weekend.  Such a happy feeling to see the snow peas sprouted and the lettuce are  doing well.  Plan to harvest mesclun this week for the first time.  Fresh home grow spring salad, what a great side dish. Photos of the Veggies next week


Also working to grow the gemstone/rock side of my business.  I sell rocks! Do you know a jewelry designer or small local Jewelry store?  I custom cut my own stones and have many one of a kind cabochons I sell both retail and wholesale.  Please feel free to contact me if you have a friend with a shop who uses one of a kind gemstones.  The rocks I sell are available uncut as slabs for those who enjoy the stone cutting as I do or as specimens to put on a shelf and display.

Cabochons

My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies

Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems 

Show schedule is still in process.  It will be posted as soon as I have it.  Looking at what my summer and fall show options are at this point.  It is quite late in the year for show applications.  Considering Naples Grape Festival, AppleUmpkin, and a few smaller shows for late summer and fall.  

 

Topic suggestions always welcome.  Still taking orders for Mother's day.  Happy gardening to you all.

April Showers Today

I should be writing about the shows I am doing this summer and fall.  I do not knew where I will be, yet.  My ACL ligament reconstruction  in December last year did not have the quick recovery I expected.  I just had a second procedure to put me back on the road to recovery. 

Soon you will see more of my one of a kind creations.  I am working more in copper this spring.  inspired by all the colors and activity outside after this past winter. 

 Toad with fish watching

Hope you enjoy some of the spring beauty from my Pond and Garden. The links below are great ways to reach me and see more of what I create.  Suggestions for blog topics are always welcome. 

May you have a sunny and flower filled day. 

 

My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies

Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems 

Welcome Spring, My Garden Begins

Welcome to my veggie garden.  Just planted snow peas and transplanted lettuce.  Looking forward to the fresh vegetables for my meals.  I tastes so much better home grown.  Amazed I have been gardening for so long,  friends are asking my advise for their gardens. Does not seem so long ago I dug and planted my first vegetable garden in the backyard of this house.

My love of this comes from my Grandma on my dad's side. Growing up I helped her in her gardens.  I have fond memories of her yard in the spring bursting with colors.  I helped pull the weeds from around the roses.  While her children were growing up, she grew fruits and veggies.  She had plums, raspberries and blackberries still when I was growing up. These were from when her kids were in school.  I tried to transplant her raspberries a few times. My garden was too wet when I tried.  It was also very early in my gardening journey.  I know better now.  I have them from a friend who had way too many extra bushes in her garden.

Summer flowers in Grandma's garden: roses, zinnias, geraniums, peonies, pansies, petunias, snapdragons and many others.  She had a second garden at the family cottage up north of Alexandria Bay, NY in the 1000 islands.  The flowers were in whiskey type barrels at the entrance to the front porch.  She was always happy to tell me the name of any flowers we saw.  My favorite up at the cottage was the wild snapdragons which were everywhere along the privet road.  Especially fun was rock collecting at the top on the hill with my Dad and coming back down with snapdragons.Grandma always put them in a glass and on the kitchen table.

Toad in my garden

This little toad was hatched in my pond last year and apparently overwintered in my veggie garden.  My digging in the dirt seemed to make him want to be somewhere else.  More on the lovely vegetables I am growing latter in the year with photos of the plants.

My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies

Facebook:  PW Facebook
Twitter:  Panda Wear Gems 

Winter Wonderland and 2015 Plans

Looking out my windows, it is certainly a winter wonderland.  We have about 1.5 feet of snow on the ground.  The good thing about snow cover is it helps my dormant pants survive the cold and freezing.  As you may know, I am an avid gardener.  The end of this month we will be starting our vegetable seeds for the season inside. 

As for where I am since my surgery just before Christmas.... almost took pics of my knee to show what had been done. I decided not to share the ugly part of the surgery.  I am in physical therapy weekly with a professional and daily at home.  As anyone who has had major surgery knows, it is quite exhausting. My new ACL ligament seems to be working well.  I am off crutches and walking about normal speed.  I can hardly wait to dig in my garden. 

What is going on for my jewelry business?  Well I had to take some down time during the early part of my recovery.  Now I am getting back to making new pieces and deciding what shows to do in 2015. More about what shows I plan to be in and what I am working on in future posts.   I am selling on line is several places with links below. 

Here are a few of my newly listed pieces.  Two sterling pendants and a pair of earrings. 

stay tuned


My stores: Jewelry shop
                 Cabochons and Supplies


My Facebook:  PW Facebook

My Pinterest:  Panda Wear Art