How notAjewelry got started
Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?
I am Petra Podnaruk, the founder and owner of notAjewelry. As a Croatian artist in the field of art jewelry, I design and make jewelry mostly made of copper, brass, and silver in combination with alternative materials, where every single detail is handcrafted by me. I find my notAjewelry Etsy shop as a worldwide gallery that exhibits my jewels. It has been open since 2011 and has changed significantly in terms of the jewels and collections "exhibited" during that time. As soon as I heard about Etsy, I opened my first shop the very next day, loving the idea I could sell my miniatures around "every corner". Most of my jewelry is custom-made or unique and is developed and filled with different designs and approaches depending on the dynamics of sales and various artistic projects.
Favorite items
What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?
I like unique jewels with bold character and "personality," mostly sculptural brooches or rings that are made without repetition.
I like to create brooches and pins as I find them my favorite playground where I can "elaborate" my approaches and skills concerning design. As they are the most expensive items in the shop, they don't sell fast, but when the magic happens, I can't wait to create another one.
On the other hand, minimal and colorful earrings known as "matches" are especially attractive to customers, mostly because of their minimalistic approach and burst of everyday colors.
Getting sales on Etsy
How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?
My first sale was after a year, and it was worth waiting for as it was one of my first statement sterling silver handcrafted brooches ever. as a special reward for being patient and persistent. I attract customers to my shop by adding new and fresh jewelry as a result of my constant work in different media and exploration of new designs. Being active on social networks (Instagram and Facebook) is another venue related to an Etsy store.
Managing notAjewelry
How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?
As a solopreneur, I am managing my shop all by myself, from the first day until now. I am taking care of every activity in my Etsy shop, including other projects and tasks that have a direct impact on my shops. Such as photography, market research, social networks, customer service, and marketing strategies besides production and finance—all those inevitable wheels needed in business in order to grow my art properly and sell my notAjewels worldwide. Recently, I have been using applications and tools in order to improve SEO and Etsy visibility by adjusting titles and proper keywords. According to shipping, I always ship my orders on time, as I know how much time I need for the process of making a custom jewelry piece.
The future of notAjewelry
What goals do you have for your shop in the future?
I would like to continue selling on Etsy, which means I must continue creating and producing not-jewelry. Therefore, I am in constant search of "better" products and research on different skills and techniques, like magic itself.
Advice for new sellers
What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?
Advice from the heart is to not expect instant results but to have trust and faith in yourself and the brand you represent, and results eventually will come... Running an Etsy shop is more of a marathon than a sprint.
notAjewelry
Statement Jewelry crafted with L❤ve.
