Etsy Shop Spotlight – Saniki Creations

Please welcome another fellow Artisan Group {and a fellow CANADIAN!!  Yay!} to taradara!

Penny has some real intricate creations and some great advice as well!!!

I specialize in Chainmaille Jewelry (bracelets, earrings, necklaces/pendants, rings), chainmaille charms for accessories (cellphone/bag/zipper pulls), and chainmaille home decor (suncatchers/ wine charms/ornaments)  I do have a few one of a kind beaded jewelry items, but am phasing them out by mid year to concentrate on chainmailling.

Mid 2008 would be the beginning of my adventure. My daughters love jewelry, but being young (ages 8yrs, 5yrs, and a newborn) I wasn’t going to buy them expensive fine jewelry, so they wanted me to buy the beaded, sparkly “made in China” products you would find at the dollar stores and at those small outlet chain stores in the mall.  Unfortunately being only kids and not quite old enough to take care of their jewels, and the quality of the product was cheap,  the items they got would break, and being a mom on a budget, I didn’t want to keep buying replacements. So I would fix the earrings, necklaces and bracelets from materials I would purchase from a craft store. (Now come to think of it, it would have been cheaper to buy replacements instead of materials. LOL) Thinking it was fun and rather easy to repair their little trinkets, I started putting my own spin onto the designs by adding extra beads of various styles to the item, changing bracelets into necklace, necklaces into earrings and so forth.  I have always been creative, tried painting/drawing, writing and photography as my outlet to no success, but would have never even thought of jewelry making to pursue the creative bug. So revamping the kids’ jewelry, plus my own, felt gratifying and a nice little hobby to have as I become a full time stay at home mom (my newborn liked to sleep, it gets boring staring at babies sleeping after a while, LOL).

At first it was the computer desk which is in the living room, but as I started collecting more materials, no one could see the desk anymore.  I still work in the livingroom but at a 6′x3′ table beside the computer desk (we lucked out having a large living room)  I like it there as I can still work and be part of what’s happening with the other members of the family.

The SEO aspect of it.  I just don’t get it, and have tried many a times to figure it out.  I really can’t afford to have a company doing it for me so this is my struggle for now.

I don’t really promote it very well, it’s more of me promoting my brand and style and just telling people where to buy my brand.  This is on the “To Do” list.  I figure if I promote myself people will visit my site to learn more.  So I network alot via Facebook, Twitter, plus I have joined an Artist Guild in my city who helped me alot in getting my name out there within my community.  Online I’ve joined a couple of groups, but since joining The Artisan Group, I have noticed increased views and followers.

Expect to be patient and you got to promote like crazy.  Network with other people, they can be your next customer or refer you to other customers.