On Top of Your Day Job: Stone and Sterling

Hi everyone! I'm Brenda and in addition to being a loyal Lillyella reader and customer, I also design and knit scarves and accessories.

On Top of Your Day Job is my way to pay homage to the true heroines and heroes of Etsy: the "day" job employees who then run their indie biz, along with creating, marketing and everything else, in the week's remaining hours. This month, we're talking with Liz from Stone and Sterling, a talented jeweler and metalsmith who also teaches! Read on to find out how Liz balances her work life with her other work life with her personal life.

Name: Liz
Stone and Sterling at Etsy
Flickr

Tell us a bit about you: who are you, who do you want to be, what do you make, what makes you unique?
I'm a native New Yorker who went to school in New England, fell in love with the area, married a local man, and started a family here. I stayed home with my three children for 10 years and then became a high school Spanish teacher. I get a lot of satisfaction from my job, but have always been very high energy and have had many "hobbies" over the years, all of which involved making things or decorating. Jewelry making is my "hobby gone wild."

I've been sewing since I was a child - my grandmother was more than just a seamstress, she was an artist and managed a dress factory in Manhattan - and have dabbled in photgraphy and photo developing, furniture making, glassblowing, water color, furniture refinishing, and now beading and metalsmithing. I started beading with my daughter, moved to sterling and semi-precious stones, learned to weave with wire, and am now learning more each day about metals and their unique properties and potential in making jewelry.



What makes me unique? I think that the talent of any artist starts in their eye, in their individual vision, their concept of style, their ability to balance color, texture, and design. The skill must be acquired with practice and through much trial and error, but the artistry comes from within. I'm told that my senses in that area are pretty good.

What do you think it is about you that makes your shop(s) successful?
My shop has only recently become really successful. The honest answer is that my dear friend Elaine, who has just retired from teaching herself and is also a bit of a powerhouse when it comes to energy, has been helping me market my shop. Granted, I'm told that my pieces are unique and attractive - I do try to be different - and I use substantial materials (I use heavier gauge wire and sheet than most and make many of my findings myself). I also feel I have quality photographs on my site, which is key. I've always done very well at fairs and home parties, but a web business is another animal. I love to create and enjoy personal interaction with people, but don't like paperwork, and certainly don't have the time to do research, marketing, and all the other tasks that make my site visible and accessible. Elaine does that for me. You can make the most beautiful things in the world, but to be successful at selling them, you have to get them in front of people.

Do you plan to continue working fulltime or is your goal to join the ranks of the Quit Your Day Job artisans?
I couldn't think of leaving my day job right now because I love it, but part of my plan is to set myself up with a little business in my "retirement." I'll never stop working. As long as I love what I do and can be flexible with my hours, I'll keep working as long as I can.

Do you have partner(s), employee(s) or family members who help with your business? If so, what roles do they fill and how do they make your life easier?
My daughter (now 24 years old and living in NYC) introduced me to this craft and for that I thank her. My husband and my entire family have been very supportive of my business, especially when I took over a portion of the house for my work space. My dear friend Noni was the person who initially suggested that I sell my "jewels" - which were just accumulating in my house - and she had my very first home party (which was quite successful) and friends and family (my two sisters included) have been having them ever since! Elaine is my webmaster, marketing and research manager, general consultant, and all-around advisor! I do the "art" and she does the hard part.



Which do you prefer: artist, artisan, crafter, maker or other?
I prefer the term "artisan," although it took me a long time to get used to the term.

How did you learn your particular art/craft form?
My daughter started beading while she was in high school and we'd go to funky bead shops while visiting my sister in California. I loved beading and soon it became a stress release for me after work. My husband said he was very happy for me and my new-found hobby, but that no one person could wear all that jewelry and I had to "get rid of some of it." That's when my friend Noni had the first jewelry party for me and I never looked back after that.

When do you fit in working on your business?
I fit in my shop hours on the weekends and in the evenings after I finish grading papers.

Share with us your top two or three time management tips or tricks?
Time management isn't my forté, so I'll be honest: my greatest tips come from the book Time Management from the Inside Out by Julie Morganstern. The most valuable piece of advice for me was to have an organized workspace, which I've created. I have several work stations in my workshop: one for beading, one for paper and computer work, and one for packaging and mailing. I've labeled "mail cubbies" for all my pending work and orders so they receive immediate attention, and I keep a book at my desk so that Elaine and I can communicate. I'm at school when she comes to work.

My bench is in a separate - and safe - location, as I'm using gases, torches, and all sorts of chemicals. I have all the supplies I need close at hand. Julie has other tips about keeping lists, etc, but I'm not always great about keeping up with them. My paramount concern is to get orders out ASAP and giving prompt service. Everything else comes after that. Read her book; it's worth the time!



My own personal tips: Don't wait to run out of something you always use before re-stocking it. Order it when you get low so you don't have to stop in the middle of a project. I find that an online acount with USPS is a tremendous timesaver. I print the shipping labels in my home and just pop the package in the mail.

If you sold last holiday season, how did you survive!? What was your biggest lesson learned?
I had a great holiday season and I can't say I learned any great lessons. A lesson I learned some years ago was to work steadily so the inventory is always available and to make perhaps two of each design so that you can relist right after a sale. Something I also know - but that I completely ignore - is that carrying fewer designs is more manageable. I like variety and have close to 180 items on my site at any given time. It's a little unwieldy, but I like spontaneity too much to stop.

What stresses you out the most about your business?
What stresses me out is when I'm in the middle of a piece and I run out of the materials/components I need to finish it.

What gets you the most excited?
When I get an order or when someone says to me: Do you do home parties?



How do you balance it all: life, work and business?
With delight. I love it all and I have a very supportive husband! I'm not one to relax and do nothing.

Do you take actual vacations and holidays away from both jobs? Or do you use vacation time from your day job to work on your business?
Both. Time off from school is a good time to work on my jewelry, but I also need to take some time for just me and my family. This school vacation I'm going to see my parents in Florida and next vacation (April) I'll be taking students to Spain for 10 days. During the summer I work on my business, but also go to California to see my sister, and usually take a vacation with my husband. I have the best of both worlds.

How do you find time for marketing? Any tips or tricks to share?

Get yourself into the online handcrafted directories

Update your site regularly. Don't let it get stale. It's like rearranging the furniture on a regular basis: Everything looks fresh and different.

Also, have a number of categories so shoppers can access what they want without looking through 100 items.

Create additional links to your site wherever you can. On every item description, have a link to another.

Do you get enough sleep every night? If not, how do you compensate?
I could sleep standing up against a tree at 3:00 pm in the middle of traffic if I had to. Fifteen minute power naps are great after work, but usually I don't need one. I get my seven hours a night.

Share with us a few stress management tips/tricks?
Running or some other type of exercise regularly. I also take at least a 1/2 hour every day when I come home to relax and have a cup of tea and a snack.

Share one of your personal guilty pleasures?
Peanut butter and jelly on crunchy toast.

Do you shop handmade? If so, what was the last thing you purchased?
Of course I shop handmade!!! The last thing I bought was a Flax Pax from Lucie Satkowski (413-245-9495). It's a handmade heating pack that warms naturally with flaxseed, not electricity, that is a must for any home! I also bought some beautiful beads on Etsy from a number of lampwork bead artists.

What else would you like readers to know about you and about running an online creative business in addition to working fulltime and even having a personal and social life?
Running my own business has been one of the most gratifyiong experiences of my life. It's a creative outlet that I never would have dreamed I could have 10 years ago. It's re-emphasized my belief in lifetime learning and encouraged me to seize opportunities to grow as an individual.

Thank you so much Liz!

And thank you all for visiting! If you work at least halftime (20 hours/week) in addition to your indie business, let me know! I'd love to talk with you about your own On Top of Your Day Job feature.

I'll see you again next month with a new On Top of Your Day Job artist spotlight! ~ Brenda