This is my yappy place. Sometimes I share my workshop experiences in jewelry-making; sometimes I talk about other things that interest me. I have created tabs along the top of my blog (next to the word home, below this msg) so you can select certain categories if you like.
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To see what jewelry creations are currently available Click here!
So here we are, lazing about in the hotel room, watching Game One between the Flyers and the Blackhawks. At the first intermission, we'll go across the street for some Quiznos... her game is at 8:30. We got to be lazy all day.
Last night Mon made me a Wedding Knot chain maille bracelet. OMG, I love it. Can't wait to show you.
Oh, so they had their first game last night. We won. I think the rest of the competition is going to be tougher. Hopefully I can get at least a couple minutes of good video footage of Monica. She's very into getting some video of herself playing because she's very seriously looking for schools.
It's pretty cool here this weekend. Every where I turn there's someone we know. It's like a huge family reunion.
I went through some emails and responded where I thought I hadn’t, noted things of interest, and deleted the inbox as I went through it.
ETSY SEARCH
Tried to learn a little bit more about Etsy today. Went to the “Time Machine” for the first time ever.
There, you can scroll through different things… like everything that’s just been listed… or (something I’m much more interested in) everything that’s just been purchased.
I flipped through about 20 pages of “just sold” items. Hardly any of it was jewelry. Ha!
Later, I was looking at some searches to determine if I wanted to renew any of my Etsy listings.
My last batch of photos went like this: I took only one shot of each bracelet in each of my required settings. They all came out great (well as great as I can get them, anyway). Then in photo-editing, I do practically NOTHING… color-corrected on white then cropped. Whoohoo!
BTW, if you want to know what my “required settings” means…
I want one photo on gradient background. This can be angled… it’s the “beauty” shot.
I want one on my model. This shows size reference.
I want one on white background. For this one, I usually do a straight overhead shot, so the customer can see the whole piece. Not very aesthetically pleasing, but practical.
NEW JEWELRY
Anyway, got the listings up. Click a photo for more info on each.
And I like to do one “advertising” auction... so starting at $9.99…
Well, Monica’s practice got switched to tomorrow night, so I’m free to create now. Going to take advantage of it.
One of a Kind Interesting. Today I came across a website where the first sentence declared that everything on this page was one of a kind. But then the next sentence said that if an item is sold, just contact the artist and she will re-create the piece.
Um… doesn’t that null out the fact that the first purchase was sold as “one of a kind”? Not that customer “A” is going to be running across the customer who had the recreation made, but if I’m buying “one of a kind” jewelry, perhaps part of what I’m paying for is that privilege. Know what I mean?
And for the record, as a jewelry BUYER… that IS my preference… to purchase one-of-a-kind jewelry.
The Seed Bead Progress
Well, Mon and I have our first two seed bead bracelets done. Except that Mon thinks one is dreadful. I’ll have to show the photo and see if others agree.
We don’t have much under our belt yet, so not worth hauling out the photo gear. I hope we have enough by tomorrow or Sunday.
Gabe’s D.C. Trip
Gabe texted me today.... they're in New York. I'm guessing they bussed there from DC, but I didn't ask him. Not sure what they're doing other than they just finished seeing the broadway play version of Mama Mia.
On Wednesday, his group got to ask congresswoman Barbara Lee some questions. He said that was neat.
They also went to Ford Theater (where Lincoln was shot) and saw a live version of "The Little Shop of Horrors".
New Listings
Forgot to show you the new listings for the week (click a photo for details)…
Okay, I will spill my guts about something I’m not fond of. I’m ALL in favor of repurposed and upcycled art. But why are jewelry parts being CURRENTLY MANUFACTURED to imitate bits and pieces of things (like old watches, etc) so that someone can make a (fake) repurposed piece of jewelry?
I don’t want to seem snobbish, but there is something about this that bothers me.
This weekend’s project/s
I told Monica I wanted to do some polymer clay. She jumped right on that.
Polymer clay, though, is one of those things I’ll have to have a plan formulated prior to jumping in and creating.
So I’ve got two days to think about what I want to try. And since I have no skills… it’s got to be a fairly easy project. And yet, something that appeals to me. Hm… I’m not asking for much. :-)
Currently working on
So I mentioned the other day about that new technique Monica and I wanted to learn… tube netting, or something like that.
Anyway, here’s what it’s SUPPOSED to look like (btw, you can click on the photo to see the listing):
So last weekend, Monica worked diligently… (btw, we’re doing bracelets… no patience for the lovely, long necklaces). So what do we have at home now? Six Viagra-style bracelet components.
Monica weaves these SO tightly, they have zero bend in them. Eek! I’m sorry sweety, but dead straight doesn’t work on a bracelet. Sigh…
After much sadness, we both (simultaneously, I might add) came up with a brilliant solution. Monica is now making much smaller sections, calling them “beaded beads”, and we will use them as such in our bracelets. Yay! Can’t wait to show you a finished product.
In the mean time, here’s a pic of the one and only beaded bead made by me. I got the instructions during the last BABE show and sadly had time to work on it last November while Gabe was in the hospital.
I have no clue what to do with it and I seriously doubt it’s a technique I’ll ever use a lot (or even ever do again), but I like to learn everything I can. And this technique was on my list.
