I decided I would talk a little bit about why I love accessories. I'm not really into statement clothing, I never have been. I like solid dark colors, nothing really bright and nothing to dramatic in shape, it's just what I like. However even though I don't like statement clothing, I do like statement.. pieces. For me that's always a piece of jewelry. An accessory is like your punctuation mark. A basic black t-shirt and a pair of jeans doesn't really say anything about you, but add a string of pearls to that outfit and people know what you're trying to say. Swap that string of pearls for a spike collar and and that same outfit has an entirely different meaning.
Different accessories can give the same plain item of clothing so many different flavors. Also it's a simple way to dip your toe into other styles without taking a full dive. Not sure if you like a particular shade of blue, try some earrings with stones in that shade and see what it does for you. Does it compliment your skin-tone, your hair color, or you eyes? Does it fit with your own personal style and taste? It's a lot easier to take off a gaudy pair of earrings than it is to change your top at the last minute.
There are a million reasons to love and use accessories but don't forget that too much of a good things is still too much. If you're unsure if you've overdone it, put on everything you want and take your least favorite item off.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Inspiration
Character Profile: Ilithyia- From Spartacus
I definitely have a love / hate relationship with this character but I don't think there's any denying that she's sexy. Also I love her wardrobe! Check out her jewelry in just this little clip. I love watching movies and shows for inspirations.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Update and Advice
I've spent the past two days working. I got a new sketchpad and pencils dedicated to designing jewelry and I started working with Microsoft Excel. If I can offer any advice to someone just starting out GO DIGITAL!! I made the mistake of recording all of my pricing and the cost of my materials by hand last time. Unfortunately I lost the notebook that I had written it all down in. I'm not even sure how I lost it or where it might have gone.
So now I have to try to find each individual material (closures, jumprings, chain, etc) on line and record the price from there. Not fun, and a lot of work. So now I have pricing spreadsheets that do all the work for me and I've got them stored on my zip drive and backed up.
Another bit of advice I'd like to give. Unless you plan on making your jewelry in bulk (multiples of each piece) try not to buy your materials in bulk. Yes it is cheaper but for me I've found that I have more fun and better success just buying some key peices and the design something using your imagination. Plan what you need and buy that. I have so many beads that I thought were pretty and I just don't know what to do with them. Not only that but they're taking up storage room and I have no space to store the stuff I'm actually going to use. If you wind up with some extras that's fine, be creative and use them. But if you've got something like 200 glass pearls all of your jewelry is going to start looking the same. I like to make each piece unique and only remake something if someone really wants me to or they would like something in a different color.
Above all though. If you're thinking of selling your own work you've got to do what makes you happy. Don't put yourself in a box. Don't create for anyone but you.
So now I have to try to find each individual material (closures, jumprings, chain, etc) on line and record the price from there. Not fun, and a lot of work. So now I have pricing spreadsheets that do all the work for me and I've got them stored on my zip drive and backed up.
Another bit of advice I'd like to give. Unless you plan on making your jewelry in bulk (multiples of each piece) try not to buy your materials in bulk. Yes it is cheaper but for me I've found that I have more fun and better success just buying some key peices and the design something using your imagination. Plan what you need and buy that. I have so many beads that I thought were pretty and I just don't know what to do with them. Not only that but they're taking up storage room and I have no space to store the stuff I'm actually going to use. If you wind up with some extras that's fine, be creative and use them. But if you've got something like 200 glass pearls all of your jewelry is going to start looking the same. I like to make each piece unique and only remake something if someone really wants me to or they would like something in a different color.
Above all though. If you're thinking of selling your own work you've got to do what makes you happy. Don't put yourself in a box. Don't create for anyone but you.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Fresh Start
I have spent months with sever creative block that just will not go away. I have boxes, and Boxes, and BOXES full of jewelry making supplies; mostly pendants, charms and beads. Lately I've been feeling like I really want to get back into. I love making things and jewelry was so much fun for me but I look at the heaps of stuff I have and just find myself making the same stuff over and over again.
I'm always trying to fit into this mold of what I think other people might like and I spend way too much time looking at other people's work and comparing myself to them. I get discouraged and I just plain give up. I've decided that the best thing for me to do is to have a fresh start. So that's what I'm doing.
Buy, Buy, Buy because hopefully by fall I will have my shop cleared out and I'll have some brand new, and unique items up for sale. Everything is changing!
I'm always trying to fit into this mold of what I think other people might like and I spend way too much time looking at other people's work and comparing myself to them. I get discouraged and I just plain give up. I've decided that the best thing for me to do is to have a fresh start. So that's what I'm doing.
Buy, Buy, Buy because hopefully by fall I will have my shop cleared out and I'll have some brand new, and unique items up for sale. Everything is changing!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Jewelry For Your Big Day
I finally got to start working on my jewelry again. At the moment I have a very pretty pair of white glass pearl earrings in the making and they kind of remind me of bridal jewelry. So I just wanted to take a minute to talk about why I think handmade jewelry could really be of use to a bride to be, or even her future husband.
When you get married you want it to be your special day, and part of that is being unique. When I was planning my wedding I tried to think of special touches that you don't normally see. For example, in the center of every table I had small squares of fabric as part of the centerpieces, along with fabric pens. We had everyone write special messages or just sign their name to the squares and after the wedding my mother collected them and made a special quilt for me and my husband.
Before our big day I went through hundreds of catalogs and magazines, one thing that seemed to take forever was picking out gifts for my bridesmaids and my mother to thank them for sharing our day with us. Finally I settled on jewelry, and while it was very pretty and I could select the colors that matched my wedding's color scheme it wasn't very original.
When you find someone who makes custom jewelry you have the opportunity to control every element of every piece. You can sit down with an actual person and tell them what your particular vision for your wedding is, much like designing your own dress. It won't be something made by some stranger in a factory across the globe, and you'll know that care, attention and time were put into your creations. You can discuss price, style, color, and whether or not you want something to be understated or a focal piece.
So if you're getting married or you know someone who is, let them know they don't have to get their jewelry from a catalog and it doesn't have to cost a fortune, and tell them I can help.
When you get married you want it to be your special day, and part of that is being unique. When I was planning my wedding I tried to think of special touches that you don't normally see. For example, in the center of every table I had small squares of fabric as part of the centerpieces, along with fabric pens. We had everyone write special messages or just sign their name to the squares and after the wedding my mother collected them and made a special quilt for me and my husband.
Before our big day I went through hundreds of catalogs and magazines, one thing that seemed to take forever was picking out gifts for my bridesmaids and my mother to thank them for sharing our day with us. Finally I settled on jewelry, and while it was very pretty and I could select the colors that matched my wedding's color scheme it wasn't very original.
When you find someone who makes custom jewelry you have the opportunity to control every element of every piece. You can sit down with an actual person and tell them what your particular vision for your wedding is, much like designing your own dress. It won't be something made by some stranger in a factory across the globe, and you'll know that care, attention and time were put into your creations. You can discuss price, style, color, and whether or not you want something to be understated or a focal piece.
So if you're getting married or you know someone who is, let them know they don't have to get their jewelry from a catalog and it doesn't have to cost a fortune, and tell them I can help.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday Update
Today is the first day of my sale and I really hope at least someone takes advantage of it, I pulled my back in the shower so I don't think I'm going to be getting much done today... Se la vie.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Time to Shop
It's getting time to start stocking up on new stuff again, Not that I don't have any materials, it's just that everything is starting to look the same to me. You see something and think WOW what a great deal, look at all the different glass pearls in this box, and then after a couple of weeks you're seeing those glass pearls in your sleep, and it's impossible to come up with any new ideas. It's like self induced artistic block. I find myself pulling everything out and just staring at it, thinking to myself what do you expect to find, nothing transformed over night, this is the same stuff that was here yesterday, and then after moving stuff in to little piles and attempting to "organize my thoughts" I've wound up with a having spent a totally unproductive hour or sometimes two, doing nothing. What's almost just as bad is when you have a million ideas just floating around in your head waiting to be brought to life... and you don't have the material to create it. Those are moments that make notebooks invaluable. So here's looking forward to a week of new creativity and hopefully shopping.
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