I’ll be honest, I struggle with social media content. Especially on Instagram. I’ve downloaded quite a few free booklets about what to post, when to post, but even with planning, I still struggle.
So when I saw The British Craft House post an Instagram challenge for January (#TBCHJANchallenge), to help with content ideas, I thought I’d give it a go. Here it is. I did miss 4 days, but I will fill them in here on this blog about an Instagram challenge. Before you continue, it is very much a copy and paste with a few added bits (and emojis taken out) from what I originally posted.
Anything in italics means I’ve added to the challenge later. As in now. As I am creating this blog…
Day 1 – Meet the Maker / About Me
Hi! I’m Emma and I am the sole person behind She She Gems. I make gem based jewellery and crafts in my shed that I got in May 2020 (not my most expensive lockdown purchase, that was my motorbike – Yamaha MT-07 if you are interested ) .
I live in Lancaster with my family (all housing round here seems to be either for the Uni students or the fact I can’t afford it… yet).
I also work as a Teaching Assistant at a local primary school, and I’ll be going back on Wednesday.
I have an Etsy shop, which I just reopened and my goal is to try and get to 100 sales. If it takes all year, then so be it.
I also enjoy food. Mainly eating it! I went to @flourwillfly in October for my cousin’s birthday and made some pasta. I didn’t know this picture was taken until later that day! (I was picking pasta dough off my fingers.) I highly recommend it.
This is the first time I have done one of these daily/month Instagram challenge and I am looking forward to seeing others involved.
Day One: Done! 
Day 2 – What are you working on now?
I feel like I am cheating slightly, as I have already shared this picture, but I have not been back in the shed to finish it off!
(Something to do with a festive season and a thing called new year?)
I am curious about stuff. So a few years ago I went on a school trip to York and bought gemstone Runes from Yorvik.
Used them a few times (just for fun/curiosity) and came across resin versions on Etsy.
So I thought I would give it a go. I also have some Chakra moulds too.
I don’t think they are perfect, but it’s imperfections will make them unique won’t they?
Will have to finish them and show you all. (I still have to do this – at the time of blog writing.)
Day 3 – Top Tips
So here are a few tips on how to wear jewellery. Always roll an elastic bracelet onto your wrist, some tips in which necklace suits which top you wear and how to avoid a knotted necklace when on holiday or just storing your jewellery.
My other top tip (which I learnt form watching @jewellerymakeruk ) – always put your pearls on last when getting ready. After make up, perfume; they go on last! Therefore, they are the fist to come off when getting undressed. It’s an easy way to keep your pearls in perfect condition.
Must say, it took a while to think of a prompt for today! Though, I hope this may help in taking care of jewellery and to give you ideas when accessorising your outfit.
Day 4 – Colours
When it comes to making jewellery and crafts, I don’t have a go to colour. I like to have a play with colours to discover what may or may not work.
As for ‘branding’, I like bold/bright colours that can be muted if needed and colours that don’t tend to be used. When you look at other jewellers, colours tend to be white, black, silver. Monochrome.
Then there’s mine. As you can see, there is bright green, purple and pink. And I am not that big a fan of pink!!
I guess the hope is to use colours like this to grab people’s attention when they are scrolling through.
It has all changed now. My logo has changed and so has the colouring. I’m now going with red/purple (mauve, is that a colour?) with white as a contrast.
Day 5 – Workspace
My workspace, otherwise known as the She Shed!
Bought during the 2020 lockdown after many a months/years debating if I should get a shed or not.
So glad I did. I was in the bay window of the living room and had to keep everything on the desk. Now, I can spread out, keep on-going projects in one place and tidy up when I think it needs to be tidy. Which isn’t very often…
Day 6 – Packaging
Going to be honest, with the weather as it is here in Lancaster, I am not going to my shed to take pictures of the packaging I do!!
I try and reuse as much as possible. Cardboard boxes, envelopes as well as keeping bubble wrap from other parcel to one side.
If that doesn’t work, I have brown paper that I wrap parcels in.
A business card always goes in, along with a hand written note as to what the gemstone means.
Day 7 – What’s in a name?
Many if you will know that I actually started out with the name Emaz Beadz. My name is Emma and I use beads in my work. Last year, I decided that although it was a good name, many people struggled with its spelling. The ‘z’ did a lot, as well as just one ‘m’.
So a new name was needed. I bought my shed during lockdown and whilst on a networking zoom meeting, someone mentioned the term ‘she shed’.
It obviously stuck!
My logo (hopefully) resembles a shed. With a gem at the top. I also wanted to try and keep it simple with similar colours to my previous logo (check out my ‘logo’ highlight in my bio).
So there you have it. A pretty simple explanation to what is in the name.
Day 8 – Inspiration
What is my inspiration? 9 times out of 10 it’s what I have in my stash! It can be something that I have seen on TV (Jewellery Maker and their Wall of Fame), but it usually comes / hits me when I am playing around with the gemstones that I already have.
Day 9 – Skills
My cousin first introduced me to jewellery making, making more costume style designs.
I learnt how to rosary link, or wrap loop, watching Jewellery Maker and that’s one of my favourite styles of jewellery making. The skill that I am going to reintroduce to myself this year and develop further is silver smithing.
When I got the making bug, an ex-colleague suggested to look for a class. So I did and I went. For about 5 years.
I really love working with silver, but couldn’t do it at home (no suitable place). Now with my shed, I can go back and make silver pieces.
Day 10 – Goals and Aspirations for the Year
100
100 online sales. Not a month, but over the course of the year. It’s an achievable goal.
That will take my Etsy shop sales to 120.
My other goal is to get back into silver smithing, which I am hoping to get started in the next few months. I used to make big goals, but that put more pressure on than needed, so I decided to make a few that I know I can do.
Day 11 – Workshop Companion
I have seen so many images of pets! And this was the prompt that made me smile and look forward to telling you.
Well, this is my workshop companion: the radio.
I listen to @bbcradio2 , I especially enjoy the weekend programmes: Rylan’s afternoon show, Pick of the Pops and on Sunday with Elaine Paige and songs from the musicals.
Currently listening to Steve Wright in the afternoon.
Day 12 – In the background
So She Shed Gems is what I call a business hobby. I have a ‘main job’, so to speak: I am a teaching assistant. Yes, the past few years have been interesting! A lot of people talk about teachers, but us TAs do a lot too!!
So that plays on in the background – ensuring that the responsibilities are filled to the best of my ability. Not going to lie: at the moment I am finding it quite hard.
(Honestly, it’s more my jewellery making that is in the background to my main job.)
The other thing that’s running in the background, is my want to learn more. More about business (I do have a diploma, but a lot has changed since I did that), how to sell successfully online, about alternative holistic therapies and anything else that can help.
It’s currently slow going, as when I get home from work, my get up and go got up and went!
I know, I know, it’s all about mindset, so regarding me wanting to learn and progress with jewellery making, I am just going to take it step by step. Chip away at it.
Family and friends are supportive, which is a good thing to have running in the background too.
Day 13 – Outside / Take in the View
Cheating again I’m afraid
The view from my shed door is far better than my window. My window looks onto my Grandad’s kitchen window.
But this is what it’s like in the Spring/Summer. I get to have the door open with the roses blooming and the bees buzzing.
My second picture is from the Millennium Bridge over the River Lune here in Lancaster. Again, it’s a picture I took a while ago! It was just one of those days when I just suddenly appreciated the view and had to take a picture.
Day 14 – Bestseller
My jewellery tends to be one off / unique pieces, so it’s a bit awkward to have a bestseller in that category.
Saying that, in my ‘craft section’ of the gems and crystals I work with, are these mites.
Gembugs.
Made from genuine gems and they look like bugs.
I sell them at craft fairs as well as having many an adult commentating on how they remember seeing them or having one when they were children.
OK, maybe not a bestseller, but they always get commented on and they make people smile.
Which reminds me, I must get some made and put onto Etsy…
Day 15 is: Learning curve / evolution / hurdles
Learning the art of jewellery making wasn’t really easy, but it was a skill that I picked up quickly and felt comfortable with.
My learning curve and main hurdle is online selling.
I admit it! I really struggle. I’m trying to direct people to my Etsy shop, but don’t want to ‘spam’ news feeds, so people just scroll by.
I am constantly doubting myself and not sure where to turn or who to ask. My aim is to make 100 online sales this year and it’s great that there are people viewing my shop and items, but to turn them into sales.
I can’t make anyone buy. It’s just one of those things that I have to find my way through and hope that there will be an item that is something that someone is looking for.
Not looking for sympathy , but feel this is an opportunity to be honest.
If you do want to have a look, check out my shop here https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SheShedGems
Day 16: Tools of Your Trade
Here are my tools: a combination of pliers, files, cutters all on my make-shift tools holder.
I was gifted a Minions Easter egg set a few years ago and it’s a perfect size to hold all my tools in one place.
Although, I have had the odd scare of losing a set of pliers. But they just fell into the metal bucket! I always forget to look there.
I do have a silver smithing kit with all the relevant tools, but I have not starting use them yet.
Day 17 – In The Details
I take care with my jewellery making, making sure that each and every piece is finished to the best standard.
But, the details for me isn’t just the wire work or the particular gem I am using.
With each online purchase, I handwrite a brief note as to the meaning of that particular gemstone.
OK, I could just print them off like in the images, but I feel that the detail of a handwritten note is that extra little detail that can bring a customer back.
Day 17: done! Not missed a day yet
(Actually, I had. I missed Day 8.)
Day 18 – Reduce Waste / Eco-friendly
I could have taken a picture of cardboard boxes and envelopes, but they are slightly tatty.
This is because, I try to reuse boxes to send out my products. OK, I do buy some envelopes, but everything else is reused: bubble wrap, tissue paper.
In some cases I just use brown paper!
Day 19 – Hands at Work
I had to look up what The British Craft House said about this prompt, but they said it was self-explanatory! They hoped. So, I’m guessing it’s a picture of me at work making something… So here’s a video I took a while back of me making a pair of earrings. Time lapse style!
Day 20 – Personal touch.
I have already mentioned about how I hand write information about gemstones in the piece the customer has bought.
I think for me, that the personal touch is that it’s handmade. If you look at my work, it’s not perfect. I can get it to look as perfect as I can, but not to the extent of a machine.
The fact that I have made it, that it isn’t completely perfect, is that personal touch.
Plus, when I make more than one in a particular design, they will all have the tiniest difference between them. Because I can’t get it exact each time.
Day 21 – Photography
I’m not a natural photographer. Taking pictures of my stock has taken a while to find my way of presenting my handmade jewellery. As you can see in the first image: I now use an amethyst geode/chip bead tree that I bought in a charity shop to help show off my designs.
The rest?
@bubblyduckjewels / @bubblyduckdoes_ took this photo of me as I was taking a picture of Carnaby Street in London when we went to see the street full of lights dedicated to Queen (my favourite band).
The sun was rising by the time I got to work. The colours looked amazing and I wanted to try and capture it.
Finally, a picture of a rose that shares its name with my late Grandma, Hilda. Again, it was a gorgeous sunny day and I wanted to capture the bright colour of the rose.
Day 22 – Sharing the love
@weebitofthisandthat creates sustainable stationery. I won this planner during lockdown and it’s the best! Service is second to none. I am now waiting for my delivery of a years worth of the weekly planner.
@events_by_all_occasions are the organisers of most of the fairs I attend. There is always such an array of stalls, they try to get different creatives all the time – even a variation of a theme! (e.g: More than one jeweller, but different styles.)
For both, it was pure luck on my part for discovering these amazing people, who want to bring sustainability, handmade products to the masses.
Day 23 – Community/Your Tribe
When I saw this prompt, I will admit, I freaked out a little.
I’ve felt that I have never been a part of a ‘tribe’. I’ve joined in with things, gone to groups, etc but I feel that I am on the edge of it all. Not quite fitting in completely. I went to a networking meeting the other week and it was good to see them and, OK I don’t always speak at these meetings or ask for their opinion, but this time I did. Hence why you are now seeing my new logo! Thanks Ladies!!
I’m not completely on my lonesome. I hang out with a mate I befriended in college and we meet up pretty much every week and watch films. (Which can take forever due to the streaming services we now have at our finger-tips means that there is too much choice.)
Day 24 – On the Bookshelf
I love reading. And I would like to think I don’t stick to one genre.
I am of the age when the Harry Potter books were published, it was a race to get them read!
The first image are books to help me with #sheshedgems. I’ve read them both and they are extremely helpful, but I know that they are books to revisit. Which is what I am going to do.
The second image is of books that I refer to when writing about the gemstones. I also use Pinterest and the Internet, but feel that there is a more definitive answer when looking in a book. Or the fact I prefer looking at books as reference because that’s what I was taught to do.
Third image is my bookshelf. I have other books stored away, but this is recently read and going to read. My favourite has been Jurassic Park. I’m a fan of the films, so it was interesting to read the source material. I am also determined to read Dracula this year too, it’s been there nearly two years!
The final image is my current reading. I’m a fan of the show Outlander and have already read their first book called Clanlands
I might have missed yesterday’s prompt, but I think I have made up for it.
What do you like to read? What’s your favourite book that you must go to again and again?
Day 25 – My Day or Daily Routine
It’s simple.
In the morning I work as a Teaching Assistant at a local primary school here in Lancaster and in an afternoon, I do my best to dedicate it to my jewellery. Whether it’s making or marketing.
Day 26 – Organised
Am I organised?
I would like to think that I am. I like keeping to time, being wherever I need to be a few minutes earlier so I don’t feel flustered.
This has been helping: @weebitofthisandthat weekly planner that I won via Instagram during the 2020 lockdown. I feel that if I write it down, then I have to get it done. And I won’t forget to do it.
There are things on my to-do list, but that’s a secret 
I am also in the process of re-organising my shed. Got to do it in an afternoon as I am work in the mornings. I will post a ‘then and now’ stream of pictures when it’s done.
So yes, I think I am an organised person.
Thanks to @britishcrafthouse for their #TBCHJANchallenge it has really made me look and think about my jewellery, where I am heading with it and giving me the inspiration for social media posts. It can get quite tricky and I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t like to fill people’s feeds up with my (albeit amazing) creations.
Day 27 – Flatlay
Simple. An image of something involved with your business taken from above! Yeah, to be honest I really couldn’t/can’t be arsed to take a photo! It would only be an image of gemstones, which I don’t really think you would find exciting.
Day 28 – Quotes
I do like a quote, but this is something that my brother said to me earlier in the week.
I constantly compare myself to others, I know I shouldn’t but you can’t help it can you?
I know I am not the only one who does this.
So, this is who I am now going to compare myself to from now on: me.
Do you like a quote? Or does it annoy the hell out of you when you see them on your news feeds?
Day 29 – Feedback (images)
Day 30 – Spare Time
Already mentioned that I see my mate every week. It’s more or less what I do in my spare time. I read, watch films and catch up on TV (not seen Squid Game and other popular shows, like Trigger Point or The Responder, but will watch The Tourist.) I also enjoy going out on my bike. Hands up. I’m a fair weather rider. I have been out when it’s been raining and it’s cold and it’s not fun, even with heated grips and the correct and warm clothing.
Day 31 – Relaxing/Finding a Balance
I over think. All. The. Time.
I did attended a yoga class, but gave that up for personal reasons that I won’t go into.
January was a struggle, especially at work, so to help me relax I bought myself an incense burner. Yet this one is a Waterfall backflow burner. It’s great. With each incense cone, I use it as a meditation time and it has really helped to relax. I do this either on a Friday night or Saturday morning. I did video one and popped it onto my Instagram stories. I might do it again and have it as a minute meditation on my stories. What do you think? Or should I try it as an Reel?
It’s hard to find a balance. And it’s all well and good others telling you how to do it, but you just have to take time in finding that balance and that way that helps you to relax.
So that’s my Instagram Challenge that I participated in for January. I’m going to keep a look out for others and try to do them too. I think the next Instagram one is March Meet The Maker. So we’ll see how that goes, but if I am to take away anything from this experience, it would be that there are all sorts of ideas for content to post. It just needs to suit what you do.
Many thanks to Canva for the accessibility to create most of my images.
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