August 2016 Blog Carnival - Bead Store Experiences

It's the end of August and that means it's blog carnival time for the Jewelry Artisans Community.  Our topic for this month is to tell about bead store experiences we've had or to share bead store stories.  Let me start out by saying that I love small, local bead stores!  They can be a source for beads and components that you just won't find anywhere else.

When I first started making jewelry, I shopped at the big online bead stores for my supplies.  They had tons of selections, the prices were reasonable (well, as reasonable as it gets for beads) and it was convenient.  It didn't take long for me to realize that many other jewelry designers shopped at these places as well.  I started seeing other online jewelry sellers using the same beads and components that were part of my stash.  In my quest to produce unique and different jewelry, I didn't really like that very much.

Fortunately, my small town has a local bead store and the woman who owns it is a person who has spent years collecting beads and components from all over the world as well as vintage items.  She has a very eclectic mix of merchandise in her shop and I became a frequent customer.

Not long after this, we decided to go on vacation.  Until then, it had never occurred to me to visit bead stores out of my area and this was the perfect opportunity to do just that.  It has now become a given that anytime we are out of town, I will seek out the local bead stores to see what they have in stock.  I have purchased beads from stores in Lake Tahoe, Truckee, towns along the northern California coast, Vermont, Nevada and even Thailand (which was one of the biggest thrills of my life!).

Here are some of my recent finds:

From Talisman Beads in Eureka, California, I picked up these glass beads plus the two textile beads the left.  They were mostly things I hadn't seen before which guaranteed they'd go into my shopping bag!

These earrings were made from part of that haul and I wished I had bought more of these blue beads.  As it turned out, two weeks later I found myself back in Eureka and over to Talisman I went only to find that they had just one pair left.  I quickly scooped them up.  This is a good lesson to learn - when you find something you love, don't put off purchasing as chances are whatever it is will be gone when one does go back to buy.

These cute little owl beads are also from Talisman's.  I bought them in gray, white and black.

Next door to Talisman is a fairly new store called Philosophers Stone Gallery that is filled with rough stones, polished stones, cabochons, beads, fossils and all kinds of other unusual items.  It was my first visit, but certainly will not be my last!

During this trip, I also visited Chapmans Gem and Mineral Shop in Fortuna, CA.  Housed in a large warehouse, they have piles of raw rock in outside bins.  From these rough hunks of stone, they cut and polish their own beads and cabochons.  Chapman's also has a large museum where every possible type of stone and fossil you can imagine is on display under glass cases.  I could spend an entire day just looking at all of the rocks!  In another wing, there is a gallery of really special things that is open by appointment only.  If you're into rocks, stones, fossils and beads this is a really interesting place to visit.

Raw Copper Nuggets Shown on Right

Next up was Heart Bead in Arcata, CA, where I found these cute fruit beads as well as the cool skull beads.   Hey, Halloween is right around the corner - time for some spooky jewelry!

Last fall, my friends, sister and I decided to visit Vermont to see the fall colors.  While there, we stumbled across a wonderful bead shop (the name of which I don't recall) and I spent several hours shopping while the rest of my group went off to do something else.  They were actually very patient with me and my bead obsession.  The very awesome skull bead in this Dia de los Meurtes or Day of the Dead necklace  came from that shop.  The lampwork beads with the flowers are from a small shop in Truckee, CA and the silver beads are from a Hill Tribes Silver store in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This wire netted stone is also from the bead shop in Vermont:

Speaking of Thailand, we spent three months visiting Asia last winter and one of the highlights of the trip was spending a few days in Chiang Mai, which is in northern Thailand.

One of the best parts of our stay in Chiang Mai was discovering that there was a Hill Tribes silver store right next door to our hotel.  I spent a very happy afternoon in there looking at bin after bin of silver beads, charms and components.

There are literally hundreds of bins and each one contains a different bead/component design.  I went over budget, but decided it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and handed over my Thai bahts.

While in Chiang Mai, we spent one day at the Elephant Nature Park which is a rescue operation for abused, neglected and injured elephants.  It was such a wonderful day, meeting the elephants, learning each one's story and being allowed to feed, bathe and visit with them.

In honor of the elephants, these earrings were the first thing I made with my stash of Hill Tribes silver.

Another one of my favorite places for finding unusual beads and jewelry parts is a local shop that sells vintage jewelry which has been purchased from estate sales, auctions and Ebay.  I could spend hours rummaging through the bins of broken jewelry.  Actually, I have spent hours doing just that!

I then use these components as canvases and frames for my miniature paintings.  When finished they are turned into pendants and incorporated into jewelry designs.

Thrift stores can also be a source of unusual beads.   I always look through the jewelry displays and have often found jewelry to take apart in order to salvage the beads, clasps and other parts for new designs.  When incorporating used or vintage supplies for creating new jewelry, it is important to remember that these items are often coated with years of grime, so I am sure to give them a good cleaning before using.

Since discovering small bead stores while traveling as well as museums, rock shops and thrift stores, my outlook regarding supplies has completely changed.  The hunt for treasure in the form of beads  and parts is a large part of it, but so are the people who own and work in these places.  They are friendly, love to talk beads and will ask what I am working on as well as sharing their latest work.   The merits of various techniques are discussed at length.  Beading history and sources of supplies generate endless conversation.  Every time I leave one of these small shops, I walk out feeling that I have met a kindred spirit.  No longer will I buy from the big suppliers - these small operations have won my heart!

To read what other members of the Jewelry Artisan Community have to say about bead stores, please click on the links below.

Cat's Wire

Violetmoon's Corner

June/July 2016 Blog Carnival - Mass Produced vs Hand Crafted

Here it is July already and time for another Jewelry Artisans Community blog carnival.  Because summer is such a busy time for many people, we combined June and July and I still didn't have enough time!  Our topic this time is "Mass Produced vs Hand Crafted" as it relates to jewelry design.

It is a sensitive subject for many who make hand crafted items especially when the public expects handmade goods at big box store prices and doesn't understand all that goes into designing hand crafted jewelry.   Artisans who design and produce hand crafted jewelry often spend hours creating their designs and bringing them to life.  They carefully select the materials they use in their work  often shopping several sources and using precious metals such as gold fill, sterling silver and copper as well as the best gem stones they can find.  They are passionate about creating and love what they do and it shows in their work.

On the other hand, factory made goods are often produced where labor is cheap and with inexpensive materials such as plated base metals and plastic or glass beads.   There is no such thing as "one of a kind" designs being made in factory assembly lines.  But, even though these goods are many times of inferior quality and workmanship; they are cheap to buy.

There is no competing with factory goods for the independent designer when it comes to price and ability to produce many of the same things quickly.

But, I don't believe that independent designers should try to compete.  What they should be doing is making the best, most beautiful, high quality items they can and educating buyers as to why they should consider purchasing handmade.  Here are a few reasons:

First, and I think one of the most important, is being able to form a relationship with the designer.  A buyer can ask questions about the items they are interested in and the designer will be able to tell them what materials have been used, their history, the inspiration behind the piece, where and how they learned their craft and how long it takes to produce one of their designs.

Because of this personal relationship, buyers can commission custom made work to reflect their personalities, tastes and special events or memories.  There is something meaningful about working closely with an artisan who will design a piece of jewelry just for you.

In the event there is a problem with the item, the designer will stand behind their work and make it right.

Because of i's superior quality, hand crafted jewelry will often become a family heirloom as it is passed down from one generation to the next.

Buyers can purchase unique, one of a kind designs that they won't find in factory produced jewelry.  Who wants to wear what everyone else is wearing anyway?

In exchange for these things, buyers must understand that artisan made jewelry is going to cost more than what is coming out of overseas factories and purchased at the local big box store and large retailers.  You are paying for the artisan's time, expertise and that personal relationship mentioned above.

This is not to say that there is not a place for mass produced jewelry.  There is and I have purchased much of it myself.  It's inexpensive, convenient, instantly available and it can be fun.  Just don't expect it to last a lifetime and you'll be fine.

But, if you want something really special that will be treasured for years to come, seek out an artisan who is devoted to their craft, who has spent much time honing their skills and who continues to learn so that their work will stay fresh and relevant.  Yes, it will cost more, but it will be so, so worth it.

To see what other members of the Jewelry Artisans Community have to say about mass produced vs hand crafted, please click on the links below:

Cat's Wire

Violetmoon's Corner

May 2016 Blog Carnival - Creating Jewelry for Charity

Here we are again; time for the monthly Jewelry Artisans Community Blog Carnival.  As May comes to an end, I have realized that 2016 is nearly half over - where does the time go?  Our May topic is "Creating Jewelry for Charity".

I have donated jewelry to charitable groups in the past, mostly to fund raisers for the school I worked at before retiring and to an annual feed the hungry event but these were pieces that were already made and all I had to do was select one to donate.  There are two specific instances I can think of where I deliberately set out to create for charity.

The first was for the aftermath of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Seeing the images of sick, injured and dead wildlife nearly broke my heart.  I felt such anger and sadness that this event had even happened in the first place and then that it took so long to cap the oil contaminating the gulf with millions of gallons of crude oil.  It also made me feel helpless; what could one person in California do really?  My first impulse was to donate money to one of the wildlife conservation groups that were involved in rescuing and rehabilitating the mammals, birds and marine life affected.

But, that seemed too easy.  I needed something that would make me feel more engaged and involved and that would help me deal with the emotions I was experiencing as I watched this environmental disaster unfold on the news day after day after day.  After thinking about it, it occurred to me that perhaps I could create a piece of jewelry that would represent the gulf and the spill and that it could be used to raise funds for the benefit of the wildlife that was suffering.

I set to work painting a pendant featuring the Louisiana brown pelican which is the official state bird of Louisiana.  Considering that Louisiana was one of the states most affected by the spill, their state bird seemed an appropriate subject for this project.

One one side of the pendant, I painted a beautiful, healthy brown pelican which represented the area's vibrant marine life before the oil spill.  The background was bright blue and symbolized the blue waters of the gulf pre-spill days:

The other side of the pendant depicted the same pelican after the oil spill.  His white neck and the rest of his body is now dingy brown and the expression in his eyes mirrors my feelings of deep sadness and anger.   A single drop of oil clings to the end of his beak.  The background is a dull brownish green which represents the fouled water of the Gulf of Mexico:

The pendant was suspended from a necklace of wood beads that were hand painted in the same blues, greens and browns that were found in the pendant.

This necklace eventually raised nearly $500 which was donated to the Louisiana Audubon Society specifically for the cleaning, medical treatment and care of marine life that was rescued and treated by their organization.  Being able to do this was a very special feeling indeed.

My latest foray into creating jewelry for charity involves elephants!  We traveled through southeast Asia for three months this past winter and one of the highlights of the trip was spending a day at the Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.  The ENP is a sanctuary for injured, neglected and rescued elephants that was founded by Sangduen "Lek" Chailert a member of one of the Hill Tribes in northern Thailand.  Lek grew up with elephants and as a small child formed a bond with them that lasted into adulthood.  It was this bond and love of elephants that inspired her to raise the funds to purchase 200+ acres and rescue elephants who will live out the rest of their lives in this peaceful place lavished with love and affection while they recover from their physical, mental and emotional injuries.

After we returned home, the Elephant Nature Park and the work being done there was never far from my mind.    This led me to make a decision to create a line of elephant themed jewelry and donate 15% of any sales from this line to the Elephant Nature Park.  I've just started this project and so far have only three items listed, but it is my plan to paint several miniatures of elephants using the 1200+ photos I took at the park and turn them into jewelry as part of the elephant line.  I also want to make elephant jewelry using special beads and charms that I find while searching for jewelry making components.

So far, I have these listed in my Etsy shop:

Hand Painted Elephant on Vintage Jewelry Component

Earrings Featuring Thailand Hill Tribes Elephant Beads

Wire Wrapped Ring Using Elephant Button as Focal

I very much hope this line is a success because I'd very much like to donate lots of money to the Elephant Nature Park!

As a small business owner who designs and sells jewelry, I would highly encourage other craftspeople to use their talents to create for their favorite charity(ies).  It's very rewarding realize that one can make a small difference for others through their art or craft whether it's donating actual items such as hand made pet blankets to an animal shelter or crochet preemie hats to a hospital or creating a work of art in order to raise funds by donating the item to a fund raiser.

To see what other members of the Jewelry Artisans Community have to say on the subject of Creating Jewelry for Charity, please click on the links below:

Violetmoon's Corner

Cat's Wire

April 2016 Blog Carnival - Repeating Designs vs One of a Kind

Another month has flown by and the Jewelry Artisans Community Community April Blog Carnival is upon us.  This month's topic is whether or not we prefer to repeat designs or create one of a kind jewelry.  My answer is:  Both!

When a designer comes up with a design that is pleasing to the eye, comfortable to wear and that can be made over and over again within a reasonable amount of time, it makes sense to create  more than one.  Those are what I think of as the "bread and butter" of a jewelry line.  People like them, they sell well and are profitable.   They can also be changed up by using different gemstones, bead colors or types of metal giving each one it's own look.

This is a repetitive design that can be changed by using different colors of leather and different bead colors.

This is a fun, repetitive design that I have made in many different colors of wire.

I also find that these kind of repetitive designs are very helpful when I find myself in a creative slump.  Just the act of sitting down and making a familiar design is often all it takes to awaken the sleeping muse, spark creativity and inspire new ideas.

However, let's not confuse repeating a design with assembly line production.  Nothing bores me faster than having to repeat the same thing over and over and over with no end in sight.  It's mind numbing.  But, to have some things that are "go to" popular designs - sure, why not?

My miniature paintings are one of a kind.  I rarely repeat the same subject and if I do, it's in a different setting or pose.  They take a long time to create and are labor intensive which also makes them among my most expensive items.  Creating them is something I enjoy immensely and I think one of the things that makes them special is that they are one of a kind.

Because I use my own original miniature paintings paired with unique vintage settings that are not readily available in mass quantities, the person wearing one of these designs can rest assured that they have the only one on earth.  That's a pretty powerful thought and one that the people who buy my painted pendants like.

While wire wrapping or weaving uses some standard techniques, it can also be one of a kind when using irregular stones which demand a one of a kind solution.  These are fun to create and I never know how they are going to turn out until they are finished.

Other times, a design turns out to be one of a kind because the designer only has one of the components used in the item.  I enjoy these types of projects.  They start out fun because finding the unique component is a bit like coming across treasure and creating the design is something you know won't be repeated.

In closing, I believe that repeated designs and one of a kind designs each have their own place in a jewelry designer's world.   There is a market for both, and for the designer, both of these things is what keeps their skills sharp and their ideas fresh.

To see what the other participants in this months blog carnival have to say on the subject, please click on the links below:

Violetmoon's Corner

Cat's Wire

Echoes of Ela

March 2016 Blog Carnival - My Favorite Jewelry

The Jewelry Artisans Community March Blog Carnival is about our favorite jewelry.  I have a lot of favorite jewelry pieces including items that belonged to my grandmother and mother, things that were made by other jewelry artists whom I admire and jewelry that brings back special memories.  In this case, though, I'm going to write about favorites that I have created as doing so is a journey of what I have learned, how much I've progressed and how my own tastes have changed over the years.

In my early days of jewelry making, painting wood beads and stringing them together was what held my interest.  This bracelet is a good example of the type of work I was doing and I so proud of the little dangle that was attached at the clasp.  While this one is listed in my shop, I have a very similar bracelet that I often wear.

From painted beads, I moved to painting miniatures that were turned into pendants.  This is one of the early works that quickly became a favorite because everything came together easily.  The painting just flowed out of the brush and the beads were a perfect match.  It was also one of my first sales and even now, all these years later, I sometimes wish I had kept it.

Wire work had always fascinated me and it didn't take long to realize that I was not a natural at this technique.  Even a simple wrapped loop was beyond me.   After hours and hours and hours of practice, the day came that I was able to make a loop that was actually round!  Determined not to be defeated by wire that seemed to have a mind of it's own, I persevered and eventually little successes were achieved.  I loved the idea that something beautiful could be made with nothing more than a few pieces of wire and some hand tools.

This Celtic style braided cuff is one of my favorites from that time:

These earrings will always be a favorite as they were the first sale from my Artfire shop.  I remember how excited, happy and relieved I was after six months of patiently waiting.  There were even a few tears involved.

This one represented feeling as though I mastered (although that is really not the right word as there is still much to learn) wire weaving.  I wanted to frame one of my pendants and after many failed attempts this was the result.  I also really liked that goofy seagull.  Apparently someone else did too as it sold within a week of listing.

A customer gave me this stunning shell and asked me to make something for her.  She and I both loved the end result.  To this day, I have never seen such a beautiful piece of abalone and often wish it could have stayed with me.  It will always be a favorite even if all I have is a photo.

While this one isn't the prettiest bracelet ever made, it has a ton of sentiment and meaning because it is made from the tags of all of the dogs that have been part of my life over the years and who have gone on to the Rainbow Bridge.  While I don't have any cats, the cat charm is something I found in a jar of change when my sister and I were cleaning my brother's apartment after he died.  He adored his two cats (no worries, we found them a wonderful home) so I added it to the bracelet in memory of him.  When I wear the bracelet, all of the tags jingle together and people often look around expecting to see dogs following me.

Moving ahead to present times, I have recently started working with resin and this is one of my first successfully completed designs.  It was listed in my Etsy shop for three days when I decided I just couldn't part with it, so now it is mine.  Definitely a good decision; it will always be a favorite.  I've shared this a few time in various blog posts and hope people don't get sick of seeing it!

This is another one that was listed in my shop and that I took down.  It never really grabbed people, but I just love everything about it and figured it should stay where it would be appreciated.  It is.

As I was writing this, I started thinking about what would be my favorite in the sense that it is worn a lot.  It came to me that I wear this bracelet more than any single piece of jewelry I own.  It's not a complicated design; simply some beads strung on beading wire, but the beads are so colorful and cheerful that it just cannot be ignored.  It always makes me happy to wear it whether I'm out and about or spending the day at home.

It's interesting to see all of these favorites together; all so different and treasured and special.   I'm sure I'm not alone in finding myself gravitating towards the same items over and over as I think all of us have our favorites that are very meaningful to each of us for a variety of reasons.

To see what the other participants of the March Blog Carnival have to say on the subject of favorites, please click on the links below:

Echoes of Ela

Cat's Wire

Violetmoon's Corner