Finally listed my new line... Native Salvage™!

Lately in my personal life I have been moving toward a greener and more sustainable way of living... starting my garden, increasing my recycling and decreasing my waste.  Now that I am learning more and more about being green, I have made steps to bring the same values into my business... and I am proud to introduce my newest design line... Native Salvage™!

I have been going out once a week to various beaches on the North Shore and have found beautiful shells, seeds, glass and driftwood to add to my designs.  I just listed 2 necklaces using some of these finds, and have a few more that need to be shot, edited and listed this week...

Wishing everyone a beautiful day!  ~*~ Keala

Express Yourself! Heading back to the beginning...

A couple of days ago I was cleaning out my closet and found some blank canvas's and my box of oil pastels... it has been sooooo long since I put any time into my art and I decided to dedicate a few days to creating something that I felt embodied Keala Legacy... and here it is!

Mother Earth, Poly Style!

I believe this pretty much sums up the design style of my jewelry and the impact I want to make on people... Keala Legacy is about taking what is traditional and adding a new twist!  All about utilizing the natural style and culture of the islands and adding a bit of character... a splash of color... a touch of uniqueness that can be found only in what I design.

I realize now that what I create doesnt cater to fashionistas... and Im totally okay with that!  Because the people who do purchase my designs LOVE them... and if I can share the way I see Hawaii by selling one piece at a time, I am doing exactly what I set out to do.

So be bold and express yourself and your view of the world!  Me ke aloha pumehana... ~*~ Keala ~*~

*Original canvas will be available for sale shortly... just needs to finish drying and get a few coats of varnish!  Medium is pastels and oil paint.

Handmade vs. Manufactured Jewelry

Heres a question for ya... have you ever gone to a craft fair and said "THAT costs $25 Dollars?!"  or  "Theres a reseller the next aisle up that has about a dozen similar designs for much less..." ?  I have a confession to make... I used to do that all the time!  BUT because I create my own jewelry and I know how much time and love goes into every piece, I tend to be willing to pay more for a unique handmade item vs. a manufactured item that has dozens of the exact same thing on display.

It all comes down to who is doing the work, the amount of time put into each piece and the cost of supplies to get it done.

Who is doing the work:  I have been designing my own jewelry for the past 4 years.  In those 4 years I have learned techniques and tricks to create the designs I love... and that make me proud to create my jewelry.  I still have alot to learn, but I am constantly working to improve my skills.  Now that I have more time to dedicate to my craft, I plan on taking courses and moving into other unique aspects of jewelry design like Precious Metal Clay (PMC) and metal working.

Amount of time:  Let me tell you... its not as easy as it looks to be a one woman/man show!  I just spent 2 hours shooting new pictures of my designs.  That totalled over 436 pictures... for about 25-30 items... each in different angles that capture the jewelry just right.    I still have to crop and edit my images so that you as a customer will get the best representation of my product, list each item and describe it as accurately as possible, and then promote that item to my target market to sell.  And thats not even including the time it took to make each piece!  Keep in mind that all of my designs are unique and one of a kind, so I do this everytime I make something new.  And now that I am collecting and using sea shells fresh off the beach, there are days dedicated to the cleaning, buffing and varnishing of each one.

Supplies:  If you put me in a bead shop... STEP ASIDE!  Im like a kid in a candy store and can spend hours looking for the right wire, the right crystal, the right color turquoise.  And while I try to keep my cost down as a designer, when I fall in love with a strand of beads... I have to have it!  There are so many places to go to find quality supplies and so many choices available.  I am slowly moving more into sterling silver designs which cost a little more, but I still offer copper and gold & silver plated to have a wide range of prices and design choices.

When I go to a craft fair now, I am more likely to stop by to look at the handcarved wooden jewelry box than its cheaper pre-fabricated version becuase I know all of the things that I listed above.  This piece is unique, time and effort went into into making it a beautiful one of a kind creation that is quality made.

I hope that the next time you go shopping at a craft fair you remember this little blurb from my experience as a buyer and seller... and I hope it helps you find that one of a kind piece that was somehow made especially for you.

Me ke aloha pumehana ~*~ Keala

MOVIE MADNESS - LABYRINTH

By far, the movie Labyrinth is my #1 favorite movie. The beauty and magic of the set, the character of it's actors and actresses and the genius of Jim Henson all combined to make one of the most memorable movies ever! At least... for me. ;)

I used items from various Etsy shops to create this homage to the movie and its creator.

From now on, when I snag a treasury I will be building it around my new MOVIE MADNESS feature! Any requests for a specific movie to be featured? Just leave me a comment and I will do my best to represent the movie in my next treasury!

See something you like, or want to see more of the artists featured? Check them out and support the Hand Made movement!

Artists Featured left to right:
GumballGrenade.etsy.com

battyazac.etsy.com

NatureMandalas.etsy.com

leandogpottery.etsy.com

Enchanticals.etsy.com

faerywhere.etsy.com

VenusFlytrapJewels.etsy.com

iomiss.etsy.com

lightleaks.etsy.com

LightchaserStudios.etsy.com

fairyrade.etsy.com

psychedelicpanther.etsy.com

Me Want COOKIE!!!

You Are Cookie Monster

Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth. You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around. You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking How you life your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!

A very heartfelt Happy St. Patricks Day to you from the Hawaii Etsy Street Team!

Check out our "Going Green for St. Patty" collection!


Just click on the photo set above to see these Hawaii Creations and MORE!

Building a website from scratch...

Is hard work! I am soooo lucky to have my sister helping me since she is a super wiz with html, but it may as well be in yiddish for all that it makes sense to me! I still have tons of preliminary work to do before I can officially open it up to the public as a sales site.

I originally was hoping to have it ready by March 1st... that deadline is long gone, now I will be happy if I can get it done by June! And I dont have extra funds to hire a professional to have it up for me in a week.

Im also having one heck of a time figuring out how to add a cart to my page... paypals directions are vague at best.

Gah... It takes as much time to create my jewelry as it does to manage the business end of things! But, if I want to make this business work I just have top bite the bullet, put my nose to the grindstone and work 20 hour days! =)

and now... back to work!

HAWAII ETSY ON KHNL NEWS!!

Kathi Palmer Michelle McCall Angela Kennington

Indie Crafters Selling Handmade Goods on Website

Sep 12, 2007 03:53 PM
(KHNL) - If you're looking to buy or even sell a handmade item, there's a website created just for what is called, Indie Crafters.

This site is a user driven online marketplace, with thousands of international homemade items. It's only two years in the making but experts are already saying it could be the next big thing on the net.

Move over Ebay, here comes something etsier.
Local crafters are going global on Etsy.com, a site to buy and sell all things handmade. But unlike Ebay, Etsy uses set prices rather than an auction-based system and everything must be handmade.

With thousands of sellers hailing from around the world, there's a whole list of unique things . From jewelry to blankets and artwork. And that's not all, there's even cupcakes on there.
In Hawaii alone, there are 55 sellers. Kathi Palmer is one of them. She's the creator of Isabella Smiles.

"I personally sell jewelry that I handmade myself," said Palmer. "I sell earrings and bracelets and necklaces."

Michelle McCall sells origami artwork and Angela Kennington sells baby items plus she's working on a line of hand bags.

But these local crafters say Etsy is more than just a place to sell and buy things, it's a community forum.

"Alot of sellers are supportive of each other," said McCall. "You can get a lot of input. It's an inspiration. They inspire you to do something you wouldn't normally do."

And what you wouldn't normally find at your local store, you'll find on Etsy.
"Why spend your money on stuff in Walmart that looks like everything else when you have something special that someone created with love, " said Kennington.

Anyone can set up a free account on Etsy. There are currently 200,000 members internationally and about 38,000 of those use Etsy as a marketplace to sell their handmade goods.

Hawaii Etsy Team on KHNL News!

I am a part of a wonderful new Street Team on Esty, we are the Hawaii Etsy Street Team, hear us roar!

Kathi (http://www.isabellasmiles.etsy.com/) was able to gain interest from KHNL in regards to Etsy and more importantly the Hawaii sellers on Etsy! She, along with Angela (http://www.amkstitches.etsy.com/) and Michelle (http://www.3dcranes.etsy.com/) promoted Etsy, Hawaii Sellers and themselves, which I think is awesome for all of us!

For an inside take of the interview check out their blogs:
http://amkstitches.blogspot.com/2007/09/im-gonna-be-on-tv.html

http://3dcranes.blogspot.com/2007/09/television-cameras-nerves-and-etsy.html

WAY TO GO LADIES!!

I Love My Photography Light Box!!

Just bought myself a photography light box and LOVE it! I have been redoing all of my jewelry photos and see a huge difference. It really shows the quality of my items, which can only help my sales right?

I also finally sat down and did some new jewelry designs. Check these out!

TROPICAL SUNRISE CUFF BRACELET

BLUE HAWAII NECKLACE

DREAMS OF HAWAII NECKLACE

KIDS HAWAIIAN PRINCESS PEARL NECKLACE

For more info on these creations and to see more of my work, please visit my online shop at

http://www.kealalegacy.etsy.com

Aloha A Hui Hou!