Steinvika Fine Silver and Copper Enamels
Double Copper Enamel Rubber necklace
Hues of orange and red adorn every street, but the leaves are falling and November is almost here. Steinvika Fine Silver and Copper Enamels has embraced this autumn flavor with its Prairie Collection of beautifully vivid jewelry. Every piece created by owner Linda Stanek shines.
I fell for the Double Copper Enamel Rubber necklace because of its rich shade of red. The color inspired me to stop at my local coffee shop, grab a cup of hot cider and go tromping through some leaves. In fact, Stanek's jewelry is not only found online through Etsy, but also at Pop Deluxe, Absolutely Art and Tuvalu Coffee & Gallery, all of which happen to be near or actually are coffee shops. What sweet serendipity.
Stanek answered a few questions over email about her work and art.
The Daily Page: When did you open your Etsy shop and what do you sell?
Stanek: I have two Etsy shops. The first one, Steinvika Fine Silver and Copper Enamels, took me a year to get around to putting my product up. The second one, Zephyrwoods, I started a couple of months after getting the first one going. The rest is history.
Steinvika Fine Silver and Copper Enamels are just that: Original, one of a kind pendants and earrings hand forged and fired in a kiln at 1500 degrees a minimum of four times per component. Zephyrwoods are wooden pendants that I dye and then transfer images to resulting in a unique, attractive and affordable piece of jewelry.
Do you have a day job? Does your shop pay the rent?
Esty has been good but it doesn't pay the rent yet. It takes a lot of investment both in time and money to get it going and keep it going. The challenge is to stay ahead of the game. There are many factors.
Bottom line is you have to have a product that people want to buy. Then if you have the background that inspires people even further then you are more apt to make a sale. Then you have to maintain good feedback. It's one thing to make the sale and get the money, but the product needs to go out in a timely manner, in quality packaging and not be faulty. You have to be accountable and have tried your product.
I consider my jewelry my full time job. I do farmer's market every Saturday in April through October when I don't have an art show in Chicago or somewhere. I do however have a part time job at Meriter Hospital where I register people in the ER. It's a nice change to work with a team of people, after spending so much time solo on my businesses.
I also have two kids. Espen, my son, age 5, and Zephyr, my daughter, age 1. Try to fit it all together and you have Pandora's Box, but I am making it.
What advice do you have for people interested in starting an online store?
Be savvy. Network, network, network. You never know how you will benefit but stay open to possibility. Be prepared to work. Have your product ready and have the selling tools you need prepared before you make the sales. Things stay much cleaner if you can. If you have the luxury of dedicating a room to your business, do so. Undisturbed space to execute your tasks will keep your stress down.
Etsy is an online marketplace whose mission is to "reconnect makers with buyers." These explorations will connect you with the makers in your neighborhood.
