My First Book Feature: Color by Carey Bunker & Renae Christine

Hello, Sparkle Squad! I am super excited to FINALLY announce that the bestie handmade showcase coffee table book has been released! If you are interested in seeing my bracelet along with a unique look at seasonal color palettes inspired by other handmade artists’ products, please explore the book links below. Available in 1 of 2 hardcover color options and a digital PDF. You can also purchase my Fall Harvest Peach Romance Gold Leaf bracelet here.

I’m on Page 28, Y’all!!

I participated in this curated product submission after the completion of last year’s training with Renae Christine to totally revamp my website. Thankfully and much to my sparkly surprise, one of my best-selling bracelets using unique beads from Jesse James Beads was chosen to be included in this bestie project. (For those unfamiliar with Renae’s handmade entrepreneurial training, she calls her fans “Besties”). My peachy gold leaf bracelet design is on page 28 and my company is credited in the back on page 132! My item was professionally photographed & combined into this unique “bestie” book feature opportunity along with products from another 90 talented handmade artisans.

What’s Happened Since I Re-Branded my Website?

Since going live with my newly sparkle-tastic website in May 2016, I’ve implemented tons of new functionality and have already benefited by having the freedom and control of directing sparkly shoppers to my web home. I have never believed in keeping all my “beads in one basket” thereby having stores at Etsy, inSelly and Amazon Handmade. I have the freedom to bypass extra seller fees and restrictions at those platforms, now that I’ve implemented e-Commerce, event registrations, custom ordering for jewelry and digital artwork on my own website.

I still maintain my other selling platforms in order to benefit from their higher traffic, however, I can now refer their future business directly to my website while building my email list if they choose to opt-in. I can also offer my shoppers more by having a website with everything tied-in at one spot, since I offer product demonstrations and craft tutorials via blogs and videos.

Although I’ve had previous experience and professional training in setting up websites at work, for school, family and myself…Renae’s training offered a ton of extras that helped me to expand my total re-branding goal. In addition to the website training, my relationship with Renae as a “bestie” has not only led to the expansion of services that I provide, but I’m enjoying unexpected opportunities for growth; I’ve expanded my knowledge and skills in Photoshop graphics training, collection strategies, and now have my 1st-ever curated product showcase in a published book!

I have not had a negative experience with Renae Christine and I am constantly amazed at the level of customer service that I receive. She’s the only small business trainer that I’ve found who not only offers daily tech assistance via Facebook and many free webinars; she also focuses on handmade entrepreneurs that need results-oriented, actionable training vs. canned philosophies found in other programs. I feel more confident having Renae’s sparkly roadmaps to success as well as the networking discussions and brainstorming sessions inside Facebook groups with my artistic peers. I am astonished at where my creative direction has blossomed to as a result of the extra tidbits that she has provided.

As a handmade entrepreneur, I wear many hats in my little sparkly office just as I did in my previous professional careers. I have worked hard to expand my jewelry business which now includes teaching, writing, and digital art. I am proud of the new skills I’ve learned, as I continue to grow my business. I appreciate the opportunities I have now which are a direct result of my entrepreneurial spirit. It hasn’t been easy. It can be disheartening coping with the stigma from people who feel an artistic career isn’t a real job or just want to spew their jealous negativity. I’ve spent 25+ years in “real” jobs that did not make me happy and certainly never made me rich. Employment with a comparable salary to my experience/ education is extremely difficult to find here on the border, as the average is well below mid-level income. Also, “real jobs” can be taken away at any time. So, I’m still moving forward in this sparkly path and reveling in small successes such as this book feature and teaching gigs. I’ve also got my own writing projects in the works, Read my blog here for more inspiration in doing what you love.

Support Handmade Artists: Get your Copy of Color!

Thanks again big sparkly bunches to Renae Christine and Carey Bunker (Renae’s assistant and author of the book “Color”).  I appreciate being included in the group of featured besties for this wonderful new book. I’m humbled that my little leaf design bracelet was part of the many talented artists’ handmade products showcased. And thank you to everyone reading this who would like to further support us all by purchasing a hardcover coffee table book or the digital file (click photo option above).  Please be sure to leave a review at Amazon if you purchase the hardcover copies. Have a sparkle-riffic day, y’all!

Some of the links in this post are my affiliate links. Meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase. I recommend them out of personal experience and I am very grateful for your support of this site and my YouTube channel in this way. Thank you sparkly bunches!