Geode Earrings, originally uploaded by antigenre.

Nu metal?  Not really, but a new shop devoted exclusively on my metalwork. I’m happy to announce that MetaGenre is now up and running! Recently, I’ve been taking a metalsmithing course at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan and have been learning and developing new skills and techniques. I wanted to create a space where I could showcase these and focus on new directions in my work.

AntiGenre, of course, will still be around and will be the home of my mixed-metal pieces, along with my vintage bead and freshwater pearl items. New pieces are being added to both shops on a regular basis.

In other news, I will be at Communiversity in Princeton on April 25th, and at Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philadelphia on May 30th and 31st. Please come and say hello!

All the Cool Hues!, originally uploaded by antigenre.

After three or four days of scorching hot weather, the heat finally broke last night – and it broke with a bang! Parts of New Jersey were slammed with heavy rain and high winds. At least it is a bit cooler, and my energy is starting to return. This means I might actually get some work done tonight!

To celebrate the return to somewhat managable weather, I put together a treasury of fabulously cool items in beautiful and refreshing blues and greens from the members of EtsyNJ, the official New Jersey Street Team at Etsy. Click here to take a look at what the Garden State has to offer! This list will be around until the wee hours of Saturday morning.

Want to market your shop to audiences in different parts of the world? 

Get a cat.  Seriously, get yourself a pet who thinks that 4:00 a.m. is a perfectly acceptable time to demand attention and food.  Leave your computer running at night, and instead of stumbling back to the blissful oblivion that your warm bed promises after feeding the cat, go and renew or relist just one item.   I renew items throughout the workday anyway but feel like I’m mostly reaching other people dwelling in North America who are in the same time zone, or at least roughly on the same 9 – 5 schedule, as me.  I’ve been doing this pre-dawn marketing recently and have noticed an increase in the number of people bookmarking my shop who are in various parts of Europe.  My sales to France and Germany have also increased.

When I wake up in the middle of the night, my mind often starts racing, thinking about everything I need to do during the day – getting orders out, answering emails, marketing – so it’s sometimes a bit difficult to get back to sleep anyway.  I might as well make use of the time!

In honor of my feline friends, here is a collection of recent finds that have some serious cat-itude!

Clockwise from left: WickedPen, Pet Project, Modern Classis: Home, and Kerry Beary.

My Treasury!, originally uploaded by antigenre.

I’ve had Buck Cherry’s Crazy Bitch going through my head all morning, so when the treasury looked like it was going to open up, I decided to exorcise it from my brain with all these cool ‘buck’ and ‘cherry’ items! The song’s still there, but at least I’m at home now where I can listed to it without offending anyone’s sensibilities!

Click HERE to view the collection in all its glory (you have until Sunday afternoon)!

I’ve been featured on TalentDatabase!  TalentDatabase is a global database of artists, designers, performers and producers across a broad range of industries that is designed to create exposure as well as marketing and opportunities.  The kind editors have featured my listing for AntiGenre on the Fashion Portal channel, where it can be seen by who knows how many people daily for as long as it is there.  How exciting is that!?

Here I sit looking at the new WordPress dashboard, slowy and reluctantly getting used to it.  After my last post, in which I panicked a bit about the new layout, I took a break, went for a walk and got a salad from an overpriced, underwhelming salad bar at the local health food store.   Since when are wilted lettuce and withered carrots healthy?

Anyway, on to the real topic of the day – teamwork!  For several months now, I have been a member of the EtsyNJ Street Team, a group of artists and crafters from New Jersey who work together to promote our work.  Members of the EtsyNJ team regularly create team treasuries, post daily promotional threads and manage team blogs and MySpace pages.  We also have a Yahoo group for discussions and advice on of all sorts of business-related topics. 

I’m not usually a ‘joiner’, but I think that being part of this team has definitely helped me get my name out there and increased exposure to my shop, all this aside from the fact that I’ve met (virtually at least) a great group of people!  For sellers who are new to Esty, I recommend at least taking a look at the Teams page on Etsy for relevant groups.  A little team-work can go a long way!

Click on the banner at the top of the page to take a look at the EtsyNJ homepage! 

AntiGenre Shop Update – Ring Things Recently Relisted!

Noo Moos!, originally uploaded by antigenre.

There is nothing better than receiving a beautifully packaged, well-presented parcel in the mail!

The first thing I noticed about buying on Etsy a year ago was how well my purchases were wrapped and how much attention to detail went into the presentation and the enclosed material. While I certainly don’t expect all the extra effort, it does make the shopping experience a little more special.

I especially love cool, well-designed business cards and other marketing material that communicate the overall style and message of the store. I’ve got a great collection of cards now from some of the fabulous sellers – like Treehouse28, Bloodle, and Tricia McKellar – that I’ve bought from. I just got my own new Moo cards today, and I’m super happy with how they turned out!