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

New Earrings & Mothers' Day Special =), Small Giveaway

Hi everyone!
Happy end of the week =)

I'm generally horrible with posting special listings for Holidays--- but I'm finally able to do it in time for Mothers' Day!

Show Mom you love her by giving her a lasting gift (with an excellent price tag....)

Colors were specially paired together to show the nurturing and feminine side of Mom =)
Very gentle design, simple and clean.

And some more earrings-- back to a little more special and detailed =)

These are back! I finally found these links again. These floral earrings were my top seller last year =)


And finally bringing these back as well =)


A play on the other golden ribbons I had =)


And some more bridal earrings:

I like making bridal earrings that can be worn outside of the big event-- something that's versatile and beautiful, but not over the top =)

Over the weekend, I'm gonna make a video, as well as an entry for my 500-sale giveaway.

General note:
I'm putting my shop on hold from May 7- May 9 because I'll be selling at the whole earth festival at UCD. If there's something you've had your eye on, please get it now. Once things get sold at Whole Earth, I won't guarantee that they'll be back in stock.


Small Giveaway
Open to residents world wide. Will announce chosen winner when I make my next blog entry. Could be tomorrow... could in be a few days, so get your entry in quick!
Answer the following question for a chance to win these:

If you were a drink, what kind of drink would you be and why?
Leave your thoughtful or creative responses in a comment to this blog entry =)

love,
Lisa
Shop HQCD HERE.
heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com

Long Necklace, Threaders GALORE, + Chance to score some free earrings =)

I saw this made-by-Swarovski black rose 2 months ago... stashed it and never really figured out what I wanted to do with it till a few days ago:

It's a longer necklace, and not yet for sale because I need to take some better photos. Fits right over the head.

I got tons of threaders today, so I went threader crazy and made a bunch of these:









They're my disco ball earrings. SWAROVSKI Crystals are priced not only by size, but also by how many facets (or cuts) a crystal has. The more facets, the more expensive a crystal. This is one of the few crystals of this size that is as expensive as some larger crystals I've used. So yes, they're slightly pricey for its simplicity, but I promise they're beautiful. I've seen them on hooks (much cheaper) for a higher price, so I think you'll enjoy these =)

SWAROVSKI also JUST released their Spring/Summer 2010 collection, and of course, I've gotten my hands on some already:

Introducing Ceramic Mosaic Faceted Round beads from SWAROVSKI.



And also made some heart threaders:




Another Alice Bracelet:


And Paris Necklace:

Want to win a free pair of these?

Leave a comment on this post with your answer to this question:

What's your favorite Cold Stone Ice Cream Creation?

And if you've never had Cold Stone, what's your favorite ice cream flavor?

(Brian suggested it)

Legal Terms/Conditions:
Open to residents world wide. One entry/person. Ends March 14, 2010. Winner will be announced in next blog post-- CHECK BACK HERE to see if you've won ;)Winner will be randomly drawn =)

And totally not jewelry related, I wanted to share a video with you all-- it was for a project for my biotransport class- the goal was to teach diffusion to 2nd/3rd graders. Have fun watching! Heehee =)


As always, you can get your HQCD Jewelry by clicking HERE.

OR


love,
Lisa
Contact for questions/custom order: heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com

Spring of the Sparrow, White Gold Calla Lilies, Mini giveaway, RR on Hautelook

I recently used this sparrow link to make a custom bracelet-- it's a shame that I don't have a photo :(.

Say hi to "Spring of the Sparrow".
Really playful, bright, cheerful-- what spring should be like.



The Original version of the White Gold Callas are back!


A signature design, but this time in GREEN.
I never do green stuff, I'm not sure why. Thought I'd give it a go.




And on to the mini-giveaway..

For those of you who ordered HQCD around 2 months ago, you'll know that I was collaborating with a bunch of other people who handmade soaps, minerals, etc and giving out samples of their work.
An exceptional company I wanted to acknowledge is The All Natural Face.
Thanks to STEPH for suggesting them to me!

The All Natural Face has a wide range of mineral foundation, veils, eyeshadows, blush, brushes-- ANYTHING, you name it, they've got it. Not only are the products well priced (SUPER well priced, as I may add), they are eco-friendly, work with you to create custom shades, and have amazing customer service. They're having a 12% off sale right now, so PLEASE, get yours quickly! They also charge the most reasonable shipping prices ever, and ship very promptly.

So one lucky gal (or guy?) gets to win the following:

Contains:
5 samples of eyeshadows, an applicator, and a gel pot sample from The All Natural Face
UNPICTURED ITEMS, but also included:
3 samples of blush, 2 samples of foundation, 1 sample of concealer.
PLUS a pair of HQCD amethyst polygon dangle earrings.

CLOSED
How to enter
Comment on this post with an answer to the following question, or two questions, however you want to interpret it.
- What is one thing that our society needs to improve on, and why? Is there anything you can personally do to make a positive impact on humanity?

* Doesn't need to be elaborate, and there is no right or wrong answer-- but a well thought-out answer will definitely catch my attention-- and since I'm the one picking the winner, be genuine and creative. I know this might seem like an overwhelming question at first-- but just take a few seconds to think about it =)

** Terms & Conditions: one entry/person. Open to residents world wide. Ends when I make my next blog post (on or before March 6, 2010). Winner will NOT be notified in any way except for through this blog. Visit the blog to check if you are a winner!

Have fun, and hopefully this little question makes us think about what we can all personally do to make this world a slightly better place =). I look forward to reading your answers =)

- Lisa
heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com
www.heheproductions.ecrater.com

P.S
Rock Republic Beauty is on sale on Hautelook.
You do need an invite to shop, so here's an invite: HAUTELOOK INVITE

Back In Cali & Intro of Bridal Collection!

Got back in Cali last night-- sore, tired.
Here's a shot of a big fat bruise I got on my knee from falling all the time learning how to snowboard, more specifically, S-Turn.

My first time snow boarding was earlier this year in February-- and here's some advice: If you ever plan to learn to do something like snowboard, learn as early as possible. The younger you are, the easier it is to learn stuff like this. The falls hurt less, less injuries. Little kids literally BOUNCE, maybe cry, but are generally fine. Adults... our bodies are fully developed, bones are larger so there's more leverage to break bones ah.

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Anyway, I've been working on an official HQCD Bridal Collection for a while. I'm thinking AB colors, just because it's amazing shiny. Any thoughts on these?

This is the Bridal SWAROVKSI V Choker Necklace.
It tapers to a V at the center of the collar bones, stunning. Beaded with HUNDREDS of Crystals! Definitely a luxury piece. Also great for prom and formal parties.

You won't find another more beautiful necklace of the same caliber for under $100!

And some Bridal/Formal Earrings:


Questions or Comments? Email me! heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com
Visit my Site HERE.

And a big THANK YOU to everyone who did their holiday shopping with HQCD!

See you in a bit,
Lisa