Friday... nothing but work... but TOMORROW... now that's another story

So… here it is… Friday. The kids are at their dad’s and all the teams are preparing for their finals so I am not even going to hockey until Monday night.

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the first time I want to Hadar’s studio for a class. I hope to go back someday soon. For now I’ll have to be satisfied with her latest book… and a vial of bronze clay. :-)

Tomorrow is my first full day off. I want to do two things (go to the gem show in San Mateo and go to the Botanical Garden at UC Berkeley), then I’d like to actually do something creative. At the moment, I have no clue. Metal clay, polymer clay, enamels, wire-work, beading???

Oh, wanna see one of the reasons I stopped listing on ArtFire?



BTW, did you know I offer a gradient background (just click here) for use with bead and jewelry photography? Just print it out on glossy photo paper and voila.

So… hopefully, starting tomorrow I’ll have more interesting things to show you… or at least to talk about.

Oh… I do have something new to put up on Etsy, but it’s not jewelry. Hee hee

Wire-Wrapping Attempt, Inspiration, Fear of New Things

Fear of New Things

Me? Not usually, but I seem to have a problem with certain jewelry making techniques/tools.

I bought some Art Clay Silver when it was first coming into the main stream and I didn’t open the package until four years later. How pathetic is that? Ha ha ha!

I had a flexshaft that I didn’t even take out of the box for nearly a year. As it is, I think I’ve used it once since then (and that was about six months ago).

I have a jumpring maker and a bead liner… both of which I really want to use… but it’s like… well, it’s so complicated to figure out how to use them and what all I need to order to make them work.

Maybe if I start doing beady nights once a month or so, I’ll come across someone who can show me how to use the tools I have. The jumpring maker REALLY needs to be learned because I am in serious need of jumprings. Ha ha ha! Please, don’t tell me how much easier and cheaper it is to just saw them on a wooden down or something like that. I can’t. Okay?

Well, maybe I could… but I just don’t have the desire to do that and end up with raggedy edges and have to file them, etc.


Photoshop

Speaking of technology… I have Photoshop Elements at home and just got Photoshop CS4 at work. Ack… it’s like two different languages. I am totally lost in CS4. Totally.


Time for Jewelry Making

So, starting tonight, I have no hockey games/practices to take anyone to for several days. Fancy that. Easter, I believe, is the first day I’ll have to take someone to hockey.

So…. I’d better be ready to use my time wisely. Can’t waste it sitting there going, “Hm… now what should I make?” :-)

I may leave the beads aside for a bit and concentrate on wire and metal clay.

Okay, several hours later… I didn’t do any jewelry. I decided to finally list some more estate items. I took photos. They should be up in a few days.


Comments on Comments

BTW, I stand corrected on my opinion about not using “objects” in photographs of beads or jewelry. I still agree with my original opinion for 99% of what I see, but every once in awhile I run across some photos that are just beautiful and there is a subtle piece of rock or branch or leaf in the photo.

One of the artists I want to feature in an upcoming blog entry uses just such a technique for her exquisite photos. I hope to be showing you her work very soon.


Inspiration

Here’s a photo I took (with my phone) as I was walking through Oakland the other day. Something about the red tape on the monotone building really struck me as … a usable jewelry inspiration.



I’ll let you know if I do anything with it. If YOU do, show me!


Jewelry

Another phone photo (sorry).



With all the hockey activities lately, I’ve been going through jewelry-making withdrawal. So I grabbed some wire and tried to entertain myself.

The first thing I made was a disaster. Not in looks, but in practical use. It was a completely wire-wrapped bracelet, but my little wrist hairs catch in it when I tried it out. Ack! And ouch!

The second thing (these earrings) came out better, but still fairly unimaginative. I’m thinking I’ll patina them and then maybe do a quick eBay listing.

Here is a REALLY bad photo of a really cool magnifying glass I gave my mom… made with Alex Spinglaschell beads.




Anyway, it’s 9:30pm and I’m getting tired so will call it an evening now. Mon and I are gonna go spend some quality time together now vegging on the couch (and I get a foot rub!).


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March-something

Well, I didn't drop off the face of the planet... just been doing kid hockey... non-stop for a week or so.

Mon's team finished the NorCal finals and is moving on to States (including preparing like there's no tomorrow). Same thing for Gabe's team, which has moved on from States and is now going to the Nationals (in Rochester, NY).

Gabe also has driving lessons, goalie sessions, driving tests, school finals, high school hockey, night school and tennis.

It's 12:13am... we just got home. TTYL!


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Necklace Photos on the Website

So, based on MY preferences as a customer (which I mentioned in last night’s blog), I have changed the look of my website a bit. Small changes can take a LOT of time.

I changed my necklaces thumbnails to all show the piece as worn. Yes, in some photos that makes it hard to tell precisely what the piece looks like, but I want the necklace section to be somewhat uniform and I feel what a necklace looks like on is one of the most important views possible.

A necklace can look fabulous as a bunch of beads all wadded up on a reflective surface taken with a great camera and an odd angle… but if I’m going to be wearing the thing, I’d like to see what it looks like when worn. Sometimes things just don’t do well once they are put into action… they were better as a piece of photo art. Know what I mean?

Anyway, here's the finished product.

And wow… I actually have to do some stuff then go to bed… getting up at 5am tomorrow… so my plans to blog more will have to wait (heard that before?).

Okay, have a great weekend and I’ll try to check in again before Monday.

TTYL!


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Things to do and not do when posting jewelry photos

LISTING PHOTOS

So… as a customer, here’s what I want to see:

A website that loads fairly quickly. This usually means small photos of the pieces (thumbnails images) that I can click on if I see something I want to get more info on and larger pictures of.

I *think* I’m more attracted to some sort of uniformity (although still THIS side of a mass-produced look) in the listings. Similar size thumbnails, similar background color(s), similar settings (all thumbnails of necklaces on model or on flat display… not a mix), similar distance from object (all pendants should either be close up or distance shot… not a mix).

I know I’m not fond of “stuff” in the photo along with the item. On occasion, I even find myself having to DISCERN what in the photo is the item for sale. Ugh! No leaves, no books, no cats, etc. Very rarely, a photo works well with something simple and innocuous that serves a purpose… like leaning a bracelet against a large, smooth rock in order to show a particular angle… or draping a necklace half over a plain square (like a box) in order to show the draped effect. Those photos, however, should NOT be the thumbnails. They should only be on the individual listing itself and used WITH the other (standard) photos of the item.

Same thing for colored backgrounds. Sometimes they really make a piece pop… but that should only be a photo within the listing… not the thumbnail photo.

You must have some contrast. I see too many jewelry photos where the piece on display blends in horribly with the backdrop. This is a hard one to explain, but it’s like trying to read teal text on a royal blue background. It’s just NOT happy-making.

Now, just so you don’t think I’m being overly critical, let me add that I see a TON of absolutely fantastic photos. I’m in awe.

I’m only mentioning these other things because they are among the things I want to work on and change within my own store. (Stay tuned for upcoming changes.)

Oh, speaking of changes… if you buy something from my shop, that’s one less item I have to change. :-) Send me a note and I’ll give you a promotion code for 10% off your entire order (good until March 31st).


HOCKEY

Tomorrow morning Gabe leaves for Valencia again. This weekend is the State Championships for them.

Saturday and Sunday I’ll be in Vacaville watching Monica’s team at the NorCal Championship games.


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