My Latest Designs

While everyone else in the world was watching the Super Bowl, I was in the basement working in my studio. This is a custom order for a friend who wanted to surprise his wife after their daughter was born. And the colors are nice for Valentine's Day too.


The chocolate brown jasper "chicklets" work well with the link pink Rhodonite nuggets and light rose Swarovski crystals. I hope she loves it!


And since Valentine's day is right around the corner here is the "My Michele" necklace inspired by a friend that spotted these cool hearts at a bead show in Louisville. I made the heart into a pendant and used faceted garnet rondelles and onyx. I made a similar version for myself, as she bought me a heart too.

Thirsty Thursday

My husband and I were recently in an Irish Pub in Indianapolis called Claddaghs. John ordered a Guinness and when they brought it to our table it was truly photo worthy and I had to grab my camera. What a perfect pour. My sloppy version would have foam running down the sides.

I get funny looks when I pull out the camera these days, but am getting used to it! I just love this photo.

Wordless Wednesday - Insect Style

Packaging & Branding on Etsy

One of the things we learned in our marketing classes in college was to create a brand relevant to our product and then consistently use that brand. They called this “integrated marketing” – where you have a consistent image with all forms of advertising. While this is more important when you are selling soft drinks and food products, it is also important when you are selling your art/craft related items.

Here are some images of the packaging materials I use in my jewelry sales. The starting point for me was my business card. I collect fleur de lis items and wanted to use that as an art element. I felt the purple and green colors were complementary. I communicated the design that I had in mind and the cards were laid out by a friend. The fleur de lis does not tie me to any particular design or style. It could suggest a European or French style or it could just give the appearance of style in general.

I use the same logo from my business card as my avatar when using online social marketing services such as twitter, blogger, etsy, etc. When I set up at craft shows, I also have a sign with the same logo and color scheme. To prove that this “integrated marketing” works, I had someone recognize my logo first, then look up to greet me! She commented that she recognized my logo from our online communications and made the connection.

Using similar styled packaging materials helps to convey my “brand” even more. I use green and purple tissue with simple kraft tote bags. I stamped a fleur de lis image on the bags in sepia colored ink and used the same design on my kraft boxes. I tie the ribbon with green or purple ribbon, attach a business card, and it’s complete! I printed out small stickers that match my business card in case I wrap something in tissue and want to put a sticker on it. I also use inexpensive organza bags in the same color scheme.

While I won’t go so far to say that it’s “all in the packaging” I do believe that first impressions are very important. As an example, when I first considered online art/craft sales, I made a couple purchases myself to see how the process worked. One item was a one of a kind polymer clay bracelet. I was very excited to get this piece in the mail. I opened the envelope to find it was inside a clear plastic bag that seemed “used” and the packaging materials were a little dirty. Surely this handcrafted piece deserved more than to be tossed in a bag and shipped! I liked the bracelet but was disappointed in the presentation. My expectations did not match my first impression.

From this, and similar experiences, I have learned that packaging and customer service are so important! Make the buyer feel like they made the right decision to buy from you. Thank them, confirm their order, let them know when you have shipped, etc. Then thank them again. All of this is part of the big picture and is so important. It could be the difference in a one-time sale, versus a repeat customer or a customer that provides referrals.

If you have similar experiences in packaging and conveying your brand, and would like to share, I would love to hear from you. The best way to learn is from each other and from experience!

Studio Walls are Going Up!

My husband is the greatest. When my grandmother would hear all the projects he was working on around the house, she would say "he is so handy!" And Grandma was right! His gift to me for Christmas was to finish my studio in the basement. I had been complaining (okay whining) that it was too cold to work down there and when I try to heat my area, it never works as the space is open & the heat travels up the stairs. Also, I need doors to keep my two cats out of my workspace, even though I have dubbed them artcatz. They are so curious about what I am doing and want to hang out with me. Which is okay most of the time. However, when I have everything set up for a photo shoot of my jewelry that is the time that they jump on the table and I get a picture of a paw instead of a bracelet. Or the bracelet being dragged away by a paw. You get the picture.

Here is phase 1. My husband has framed in the space where the walls will be.
In phase 2 he ran the wire to the multiple outlets that I'll have. And he put in a phone jack so if the phone rings I won't have to leave the studio. Although I may not answer the phone, I am still excited about this!!



Drywall is going up now. Our friend Tom came over and helped as it's tough for one person to handle. When I am out of town this week, the mudding and sanding of the drywall happens. Sorta glad I will be out of town for that work. Right now everything is covered in dropcloths and I can't get to anything. I know I will be uneasy until I get everything reorganized and put away where it goes.


So I need to think of what color to paint the walls. This IS an art room, so I am thinking something bright and colorful. Two walls will be drywall and the other two, for the interim are still painted white concrete walls. If/when we can finish the basement, the other two walls will be finished. The cool part is that I will have two doors, multiple electrical outlets and a phone jack. And eventually upper cabinets and a wash tub for cleaning up paint, rubberstamps, brushes, etc. But that's down the road.


So what color(s) should I paint the walls? I mentioned a splatter of colors a la Jackson Pollack and my husband looked horrified. I am thinking one bright yellow and one red. Or maybe one orange and one pink/coral. I LOVE those colors together. I don't want to go too dark as it will make the room look small. And once I get all my junk back in there, it will probably look small. Another thing is that I will want to write on the walls ("Oh, Good Lord" my husband said when he read this). Quotes and words and any inspiration. Maybe I should just get a huge bulletin board. Let me know if you have suggestions for me! I'm all ears!

The Shop at the Brown

I am tickled pink to announce that my jewelry can be found at the Shop at the Brown, in the historic Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky!

It's a wonderful shop and now that I've discovered it, I am sure many of my gifts will be purchased there. I bought some old fashioned glasses that say "Just add Bourbon" for my inlaws.

Great selection of Kentucky themed items and lots of other pretties - check it out.

Monte Carlo Night Donation

My father is involved in a boating safety organization and this is my donation to their Monte Carlo night auction. I had a matching pair of earrings with the bracelet.

My Intro

This is the introduction I wrote for our etsy eSMArts team blog. Thought I would post it here as well.

My name is Kim Ries with Creative Eye Studio and I am from Louisville, KY. I have been creating jewelry for the past two years, but have enjoyed being creative all my life. I took drawing and painting classes in high school and college, but had a long span of non-productivity. In the late 90’s I rediscovered my interest in art with photography, rubber stamps, collage and altered art. I always purchased beads when something pretty caught my eye and I would hoard them for future art projects like tags or handmade books. Even when I was not creating jewelry I was buying beads. After taking a basic jewelry making class with a friend, I was hooked. This led to a 6 week metalsmithing class, a silversmithing class and a lampwork bead class. After taking the lampwork bead class, I must admit I have a new appreciation for this art form. It takes a great degree of patience and skill! I am anxious to work with metal clay, but need to convince my husband exactly why I “need” a kiln.

With these classes, I have learned new techniques and styles to integrate into my designs. In April of this year, I received a BS degree in Marketing. I plan to use this degree not only in my regular day job, but also to help promote my jewelry business.

Inspiration for my designs is found in different color combinations, items found in nature, earthy elements, etc. I would describe my design style as elegant, feminine and classic. I like to use sterling silver and copper, natural gemstones, furnace glass, fresh water pearls and Swarovski crystal in my designs.

I love photography and am learning to use a new Nikon digital SLR camera. I can't tell you how many perfect photos I've captured with my eyes but did not have the camera with me. It's hard to turn off that moment when you see a perfect picture in architecture or nature. And it’s a lot of fun to combine my love for photography with the jewelry. Two art forms in one! I just started a Photoshop class this week and am hoping to learn more about editing my pictures. It seems I will always be taking a class in something, and the retreats that Auggie described this week in our team blog sound very intriguing. I feel ongoing learning is a part of the process where we grow and get better at our craft, and have some fun along the way.

I am so grateful to the eSMArtsteam for the encouragement and knowledge about online marketing. My head is swimming most days with all the new things I have learned about blogs, etsy, technorati, squidoo, etc. And to think last month I had never heard of technorati and squidoo. When I lay down at night, my head is filled with all the new things I’ve learned in just the past month or so. I know that I need encouragement to motivate me to move forward and am so happy to be a part of the team. In the individual member blogs, you will notice that the talent level of the team is quite high. This too, gives the rest of us motivation and inspiration in our future designs…to be the best we can be!