HQCD BOGO Sale! + Everyone Wins HQCD Coupon!

Hello everyone!

I've been doing things all weekend (what I've been doing will be revealed on my next post) so I didn't have time to post up this sale in time :X

Use this banner, and link back to this blog if you want to help spread the word =)

Rules of Buy One Get One sale:
- Applicable on orders placed between May 31, 2010 to June 1, 2010.
- Buy 1 regular priced item (any item in shop!), get 1 clearance item of equal or lesser value FREE.
- Limit 1 free clearance item per customer per event.
- To obtain promotion, leave the LINK to the clearance item you'd like for free in the COMMENTS part of the checkout process.
Example: If you purchase earrings for $20, you may choose an item from the clearance section ($20 or under) for free. If you purchase multiple items, you may choose an item of equal or lesser value of the most expensive item in your cart. Offer can not be combined with other promos, sorry!

I'm not kidding when I say this is a pretty awesome offer.

If you have any questions, feel free to let me know!

Shop HERE.

If you'd like a chance to win a HQCD coupon, let me know in the comments section what you'd like to see more of at HQCD. Everyone's a winner. Don't forget to leave me your name&email so I can send you your special coupon!


love,
Lisa
heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com

I'll leave you with a photo of my newest item:


And check out this video of Nicki! (One of HQCD's amazing models)

She visited CHINA with Martin Yan! Read about her adventures HERE.

HQCD Clearance Sale + Makeup sale! New items :D

A quick post to say...

It's time for HQCD to really clear out inventory to make room for more, new, better things! If I can't get rid of these things... I can't bring in new products.

Visit the CLEARANCE PAGE for even larger savings.
You'll get a free ::special:: surprise GIFT WITH PURCHASE for your purchase from the clearance section. Use code CLEARUP in the comments section during checkout!

I also added a couple of beauty products HERE. It's a mainly a bunch of things that I can't use right now-- or I have multiples, so I'm selling them for CHEAP. Mainly drugstore makeup, foundations! Such as...



New Items!

Got more threaders in stock:






And a little about the following earring... the flower components you see were handmade from polymer clay-- I bought these in China last summer when I visited. I was in a polymer flower phase last year, and I figured that I should probably use them up now :X





Aren't hands amazing?

And a pair of classic cascades:


I leave you with a photo of Brian and Achilles "cuddling" last night... heee!


See ya,
Lisa
heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com

SHOP HQCD HERE

Giveaway extended, New Earrings, Necklace, RING! Pricing de-mystified.

I've decided to extend the Giveaway till the end of the month. It'll give more people a chance to enter that way. See the updated link HERE.

Also brought back my tassle ball ring:


Lots and lots of beading... I can make the ring in any other color, any size.

And added to my crystal ball drop collection:








I had some extra AB stars left, so I decided to just.. use them all:


Some cute leverbacks:


And a revised version of Beauties in the Garden:


A very recent custom order:


Get your HQCD HERE.

Also, Cargoh loves HQCD!
Check this out:


Pretty sweet =)
They're a NEW ecommerce website, kinda like Etsy, but no listing fees or anything like that... and if you sign up NOW, you get your account for free, forever! Visit them HERE, sign up for an account, and BUMP my items to show your support for HQCD. You can BUMP items by rolling over the photo of the item, and clicking on the "bump it" button that shows up on the upper right hand corner of the photo.

BTW, I wanted to address a question from an email:
"...Why is there such a big difference in how much people charge for similar types of handmade jewelry?... "

Man, I can go on and on about this, but I'll try to keep it.... reasonable.

I believe people charge differently for similar pieces due to their personal motivation for making jewelry in the first place. For instance, are they making it out of hobby, or to sustain a lifestyle? Because everyone has a different reason for making jewelry, their prices will reflect that.

This is how I personally do my pricing. I've done a lot of research, and this is the most FAIR way to price handmade goods for people who make a living from selling handmade.
I take the material cost of the goods, add a certain percentage to that for the cost of the design, then add on how much I expect to be paid per hour.

Now keep in mind, everyone has a different formula. But obviously, those who price higher will make more profit. Think about how much it actually takes for someone to maintain a lifestyle. Here's a very simple breakdown of my month. This is on the LOW end-- only the necessities!
- Rent: $566.67
- Internet and Utilities: $40-$50 (btw, this is a very low number... conserve, conserve!)
- Gas: $100-$150
- Food: $300
- Basic Needs (toothpaste, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, shampoo, etc): $40
To survive, I need a MINIMUM, $1046.67
And that doesn't include entertainment (movies, dates, etc)-- who doesn't spend anything on entertainment? Shopping? New clothes? Toothbrush? Laundry detergent? What if I had a car payment, car insurance, medical bills, etc?
Add on how much I spend on the business every month: Aprox. $500, and now that number jumps up to. So in order to just BREAK EVEN, HQCD needs to make at least. $1546.67.

I also get charged FEES when I accept payments, and listing fees for Etsy and places like that.

I don't live with my parents, and I try to pay for as many things as I can by myself. That doesn't happen often-- selling jewelry online is simply not enough for me to make a larger profit because the market is so saturated with hobbiests.

If you're crafting jewelry as hobby and selling them just to fuel your hobby, I encourage you to rethink your prices-- it's extremely selfish to keep your prices at the ultra low because you're basically putting people who rely on jewelry as actual income, out of their jobs. Sure, it's a wonderful and nice thing to do (and I wish I honestly could), but we all need to eat and have a place to sleep. And if you're looking at the market as purely competition because you already have everything cut out for you (ie, don't need to pay rent, for foot, etc), then consider yourself lucky. But don't drag everyone else down. There was a woman who wrote a great article on this topic, but I can't seem to find it right now. grrr. Hobbiests who price their work very low also devalue the entire handmade goods market... which sucks. To put it bluntly, it's an insult to the art of handmade to price your goods way below market value. This is why I don't plan on making a living out of making jewelry in the future. It's simply not enough for me. Props to those who can, you're lucky! I know very FEW people who are full time crafters-- and I've met a lot of crafters!

When you buy something handmade, DO keep in mind that someone sat there, designed it, and crafted, hoping that it'll go to a good home. Most handcrafted pieces are higher in quality and are generally very well made. An artist has to acquire a certain set of skills to be a wire-artist, or bead artist, whatever. Remember you're paying them not only for the item, but for their creative design, time, and effort that it took to design your piece.

I'm not encouraging people to spend oodles of money, but I want to bring consumers' attention to the understand real value. I'm being realistic when I say that things which are easier to make (ie, pendant necklaces) should be priced accordingly in regards to things like beaded pieces, or self-made glass pieces, which take considerably more time and skill.

So I hope that helped answer some of the confusion regarding pricing of handmade goods.

Anyway, the quarter is wrapping up, and these two weeks will be busy busy, packed with lots of hw and a project, plus finals. I won't be posting often at all, but keep checking my website for updates.

See you soon,
Lisa
heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com
SHOP HERE

Giveaway Reminder, New stuff, and a jumble of thoughts!

Hello Ladies =) (and gents!)

Firstly, this post is going to be quite disorganized and jumbled-- I want to get all of my thoughts down so the order of stuff is going to be all mixed -- hang in there with me!

Hope you all are doing well-- after the busy days at the Whole Earth Festival, my body's a little spent, and I'm pretty exhausted. I had two midterms this week, and have fallen a little behind on my online orders-- I do apologize~ If you need your order faster or something like that, please drop me an email right now: heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com

I also apologize deeply for not being able to read your blogs as I have been able to over the summer-- I'm pretty busy nowadays. I'm thinking that things will slow down the summer, and I can do some major blog catching up... 

BTW, remember the pet duck I mentioned in my previous post? Sarah, the owner of Pippin found my blog, and dropped a comment! She has a Youtube channel of Pippin which you can check out HERE. If if weren't for her, I wouldn't have ever known that it was even possible to keep a duck as a pet. Yay for Pippin, and THANKs, Sarah, for finding me and sharing the link!

And a hello to all my new follows! Thanks for your interest in my .... little piece of life =)

I want to do an inventory clear out soon. I sold oodles of stuff at Whole Earth, but in order to keep bringing in new designs, I need to get rid of my old inventory. This means the clearance section of my store will soon be STOCKED UP (probably over the next two weeks or so). I'll TWEET about it when that happens...

I also wanted to take a quick moment to thank all of you who drop by-- and a big shout out to those who have known me since the Soompi days! Your support means so much to me, and everyday I think about how lucky I am to have such a strong group of admirers. You guys make my day.

Also, a gentle reminder:
I'm slowly transitioning my prices to include Free World Wide (first class) shipping. If you see a listing that hasn't been updated, please give me an email to let me know. I don't expect the changes to go into full effect until about a week or so later. Also, prices will be raised no more than $1.50 for any piece, and most pieces have not raised in price-- so it's a win-win situation, I get the convenience of not dealing with extra little fees to consider, and you get a discount. Keep in mind boxes, packaging, time and gas all cost money! However, all CA residents are still responsible for paying sales tax, sorry! It's all a part of purchasing from a legit company =)

I made these piece a couple of weeks ago for the HK addicts :P
I didn't get a chance to take photos of it till now =)

Found these charms in the "Sanrio" section at the UCD bookstore... lol :X

Two new Super Novas!


This particular one is a Montana Sapphire Crystal-- unique, but comes as a button. So it has a hole through it, but very un-noticeable. I couldn't help but use it because of the beautiful, unique color!

And a clear one, with AB crystals on the outside. I find this one to be surprisingly shiny. The clear crystal has a silver backing on it, so it actually reflects tons of light.

It's a shame that clear is so hard to capture on camera :X

Revised my two remaining triangle lux bracelets.
I think the two hearts give them something extra.... extra cute =)

Emerald Goddess:


Black and Gold:


I love these earrings!
The sterling silver leaf posts really make these beautiful:


Ballerina earrings =)


I found my last CZ bows, so here's the LAST PAIR of these earrings:

And also the last pair of faeries:

Both of these above are available at a special price on the website!

Some Eiffel Towers I made, not as elaborate as the old version:


And lastly, a new signature piece-- beaded crystal ball drops!
I still need a formal name for these... "ball drops" just don't sound appealing... these are classy!


^ I think these are my new favorites... darn, I keep having new favorites. I wore them to the bars on Friday night, and have continued to wear them. Honestly, they match everything, and stay on well. I even slept with them on, and slept ON them for a good part of the night... and no problems because they're triple beaded for extra durability =)










Many colors for you to choose from =)

BTW, don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY!

till next time,
Lisa
heiqcrystaldesigns@hotmail.com
Shop HQCD HERE

SF, and Whole Earth Festival =)-- pic heavy!

On Wednesday, I went to San Francisco with Brian-- he had an interview downtown, and I skipped class all day to prance around the city.

I walked around Chinatown, and I swear, I saw Mushu in one of the store windows... haha!


Then took the bus over to Japan Town..


Went shopping!


Bought some ceramic noodle bowls =)
Only $3.50!

SUPER adorable.

Had lunch, okonomiyaki and croquettes, yum!


Was getting ready to go back downtown to meet Brian... and saw this in one of the windows on the second floor of some building in Japan town:


And I can't help but to show off a snazzy photo of Brian in his interview suit =)

... and enjoying breakfast :D

Saturday and Sunday was the UC Davis Whole Earth Festival. I LOVE this show because vendors from all around the country get together and share their handmade goods with others-- it's amazing how skilled some people are. Since I'm involved in the handmade goods business, I have developed a strong appreciation for all things handmade. I also know how hard it is for people who make a living out of selling their crafts-- most consumers don't realize how much time and effort it takes to produce a real piece of art. What I do is NOTHING compared to most of these artists. I also try to support these artists by making purchases here and there. I'm a little bummed that it rained on Sunday, and I wasn't really able to leave my booth and walk around to check out more booths :(

Of course, He Qi Crystal Designs made an appearance as a part of the UCD Craft Center. Here was my portion of the booth on Saturday:

Thanks to everyone who stopped by! You know I always enjoy seeing you :D
And a big THANK YOU for making this such an amazingly successful weekend!
It's always heart warming to see people admire and love my work-- and comment that it's the best price for something of that quality! It's always nice to know that your work is appreciated, and that people think it's worth it.

There were TONS of people who had their dogs with them at the event, but this was the first time I've seen anyone bring a...

Quack. YES. That IS a duck, and you're not hallucinating. This amazing lady raised this duck from a hatchling, and has now had it for 5 years. It was completely happy wearing its bandanna, hanging out in the arms of his owner. The owner was kind enough to let me take this photo, and pet/get acquainted her lovely duck. What an awesome experience.

I also picked up a few pieces of ceramic work from a couple of people I met from working at the Craft Center.

I love, LOVE bowls and things like that, so having them be made by someone I know makes it extra special. Picked up a rice bowl, shallower "candy" dish, and mug for myself =)

My boyfriend's family also dropped by, and his mom was so kind-- she got me a beautiful glass necklace:


And I bought these beautifully carved buffalo horn earrings:

For every pair of earrings they sold, the company would plant a tree =)
And no, they're not slaughtering animals just for their horns, read about them on their website HERE.

And here's my favorite thing I picked up from the festival...

Beautiful, glass turtles from Jeff. This particular one is one of his favorites, and he was so kind to give it to me. His wife, Lisa, is a jeweler, and she loves HQCD's origami butterfly earrings-- I was honored that I could give her

I met Jeff last year at Whole Earth, and have loved his work from the second I saw it. I deeply admire his work. It's well made, so detailed, and utterly beautiful. He's the "turtle man", and his work attracts people of all ages. Working with glass is very difficult-- and most people don't understand how valuable these works truly are.
Visit his Etsy shop HERE.
Did I mention his prices are AMAZING? For work of that quality, they're SO cheap.
I have some tiny turtle earrings from his last year, and a turtle stir stick. I'll have to take photos of this later.




LOVE LOVE LOVE. Glitter in glass = shiny = happy Lisa.

The only downside of the festival that a couple of people "accidentally" walked away with my work.... and that I lost numerous, nice pens to people who wrote checks out to me, haha. But that's okay-- all in a day's work =)

Anyway, the weekend was wonderful. However, I now need to study for a couple midterms I have this week, and finish up some homework assignments.

Meanwhile, you should treat yourselves to some HQCD Jewelry HERE.

love,
Lisa
heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com