Artist: Irene Lenihan
Blog: Flights of Fancy Creations

I take a lot of photos of things. Indoors and out. I love to try and duplicate the color combination that I find in the photos. I am attaching a photo I took (I scrapbook them) and the jewelry piece it
inspired.

No trees were killed in the making of this email…however, a large
number of electrons were horribly inconvenienced.

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Andromeda's Pearls, First place winner in Pearls category

If you buy supplies from Fire Mountain Gems, then you should seriously think about entering their contest! I did for the last three years, and won a first, second, and third place in three different categories. Not quite as nice as being the grand prize winner, but hey!  The closing date is April 15, so get moving. And beading! Here’s a link to all the information available.  Check out the brand new categories!

From the website:

Gold medal winning designs in each category will go on to compete for the Grand Prizes and may be showcased in the following:

* 2010-2011 Jewelry Maker’s Comprehensive Catalog
* On our website
* Full Page ads in top industry magazines
* Supplemental catalogs

Your designs will be seen by hundreds of thousands of beading enthusiasts, along with your name and contact information, if you desire.

Oh, and monetary prizes too, good towards FMG products. That’s good too!

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

As part of our on-going emphasis on education this year, I want to share some previous posts that may help you fill in some gaps! From creativity to color, from design elements to jewelry school, these resources can point you in the right direction.

Do you want to design for yourself?
This is the conclusion of my series of articles, with links to all the previous articles

Beadwork basics online

Dictionaries, glossaries, and encyclopedias of jewelry making info online

Creativity online

Color training and tools online

Jewelry design tools and articles online

Jewelry class listings by geography

Beading shows with classes

Design school directory

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

It’s not that easy to do ugly. I mean to do really gut-twisting ugly.

It’s easy to make a necklace that isn’t that great, but how about to make one that breaks all the rules of good design and leaves your viewer feeling squeamish? I can’t show you a picture of my entry from two years ago here, because I used plastic vomit as the base. If you’d like to see it, it’s on their website as a semi-finalist from 2007. It’s called “Queasy”, and you’ll have to scroll down just a bit. You’ve been warned!

The Land of Odds has been sponsoring this contest for 7 years now, so there are plenty of…wonderful?…examples of ugly art to look at to inspire you. But please, enter this fun contest and see how hard it really is to do ugly! All the information you need is here.

The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2009. Here’s last year’s winner to get you going:

Julia Vogl

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Artist: Jamee Jones
Business name: Jonara Blu Maui
Location: Makawao, Hawaii

Websites & Blog:
http://www.jonarablumaui.com
http://jonarablu.etsy.com
http://www.jonarablumaui.blogspot.com/

How do you describe your work, Jamee?
Fresh and Funky with an island twist. I also create romantic, feminine beach bride jewelry that has a beachy-organic appeal.

Originally my sister Kimberlee Aihara partnered with me before she became a wedding photographer here on Maui and so Jonara is a mix of our last names: Jones and Aihara. Add the Blu to represent the blue ocean that surrounds us and we’ve got ourselves a cute little name for our jewelry business!

What is your creative process like?
I think creating is quite emotional for me..I really have to be in the mood to design my most favorite pieces that I’m extremely proud of. At times like that it’s usually late at night when I’m way over tired and I become inspired by color and the music on one of my playlists. I find putting together a piece to be sort of like a puzzle…finding the right balance between color and shape is very exhilarating and leads to more creative ideas. It often takes me from days to weeks to complete a piece as I come back and rearrange beads until it finally looks right to me.

When in that ‘design mode’ you will find bead containers stacked all around me and probably 20-30 different strands and little piles of single beads strewn across my beading area. I end up using not even half of them when I finally make a decision. Usually whilst in the middle of deciding on what looks best for one idea I had..I often get inspired by the beads themselves and stick aside my original idea for another time because the excitement from the new idea is begging to be done right then and there.

Of course being surrounded by such amazing beauty here on the island of Maui goes with out saying..it’s a constant inspiration that is always there for me to pull from. The many brightly colorful flowers are a big inspiration, the ocean and it’s sea life and especially beach weddings. They really inspire me and have allowed me the opportunity to create jewelry for many of Maui’s blushing brides as well as other beach brides around the world.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I started creating my first jewelry pieces when only 9 years old. I had this babysitter named Jenny who watched me and my brother on Monday nights while our mom and dad were at lamaz classes preparing for our little sister Kimberlee to arrive. Jenny would bring this shoe box over full of little bottles of beads and findings and she would teach me how to make necklaces. I was in heaven! At the end of the last day she watched us she gave me the whole box of beads! I still vividly remember the excitement I felt as the new owner of those tiny colorful candy-like wonders and I often pull that memory out when my hobby has started to feel a little too much like work.

And I am both happy and proud to say that is exactly what my hobby has become…my job! In 1996 I started working for a local Maui ceramic jewelry artist. Having taken many art classes and having the knack for painting, I picked up right away on how to paint intricate designs on ceramic beads for this artist. I was also trained how to string the very well made heavy jewelry designs that this artist sold in local galleries. Having learned a little about the business side of jewelry making and being constantly inspired with new ideas for my own line, in 2002 along with my sister Kimberlee (because of course I taught her all about beading as a kid), I branched out on my own, selling at local craft fairs. May of 2003 I launched my online shop through RubyLane and since then I have added my Etsy shop and have enjoyed becoming part of the Etsy community. My sister Kimberlee left the world of jewelry making a few years ago to pursue her very successful wedding photography business.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
I cannot imagine living without pearls…they really speak volumes of time and natural beauty and are a lovely reminder of the sea. My other favorite is Hill Tribe silver sea creature and ocean themed beads and charms.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
Besides what I mentioned above..just remembering my original excitement for the craft and fascination of beads themselves..some of the other things that inspire me to keep going is seeing what others have created, hearing how much people enjoy my pieces, the friendship it’s brought me from meeting fellow beaders and getting to know special customers, and also the ability to help my family out financially. Sometimes when I need a real kick in the pants I look over my work and accomplishments as a reminder to what I am capable of.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
Well I am kind of all over the place and have a hard time focusing when it comes to learning new things. So I would have to say take a class if you can..it helps you to focus. I collect tutorials and purchase videos and can’t seem to ever actually sit down and do it. A class has set a definite appointment for you to spend time on that new aspect of your craft..plus it’s fun and inspiring to spend a few hours w/ others interested in the same thing.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
I would have to say my family and spending time with them. While creating it’s easy to bury myself in my studio and not come out for hours..but I have made it a point to always spend family time throughout the day. Family time is addicting..so I often find that I have to pull myself away from them to get back into beading mode again!

What are some of your other favorite things?
Comfort food: Chocolate…Dark…always gotta have dark chocolate! My favorite color believe it or not since I was 5 years old was black. I used to get teased in school about coloring w/ the black crayon and told that only boys liked that. I liked other colors too, but I liked the way black made the color look. I remember my kindergarten teacher showing my mom a picture I colored. We all had to color a star…my star was black with multiple colored flowers growing out of it and evidentally the teacher thought it was pretty nifty. Since then my tastes have changed and I can’t say I really have a favorite color…I love them all and how each one can have an effect on the other. One of my favorites to work with though is brown…I like to put it along with a bright color combination.

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Back a couple of years ago, Tammy Powley wrote about a bad experience she had in sharing information with a “friend”. We can probably all relate to the feeling that someone else has used you…it stinks.

My personal feelings on sharing and copycats have always been mixed. On the one hand, I do write about making jewelry for a living, so when I’ve put a tutorial out there, I expect to answer questions about it, including sources, and I obviously want people to feel free to follow my instructions and make a piece for themselves. On the other hand, I don’t really want to see copies of my work knocked off and sold by the hundreds at flea markets And when it comes to my personal work, I don’t necessarily feel that I owe it to anyone to tell them everything about the how and the what. But in general, my bottom line has always been, “Copy if you must…I’m moving on!”

Recently though, the lovely Jeri England wrote a comment about the topic, and she had a completely different slant on the topic that she gave me permission to share with you all. Jeri wrote:

I helped my husband grow & run a business for several years back in the early 1980’s. In 1991 he sold out to his partner of two years. I think you could say that they agreed to disagree. He hesitated in taking a partner in the first place but our company was growing so fast he needed a money partner. It served a purpose and they stayed together until his partner bought him out in.

The business was heavily based on sales and I had zero experience. In order for my involvement to benefit the business I needed training. The two most important things my husband taught me have stayed with me and served me well all these years. The lessons are so specific and yet so nonspecific that anyone can apply them as I have across many areas of my career & personal life. I would like to share them with readers.

One lesson was that I should not choose the jobs to bid on based on size and/or the competitor bid list. I was afraid I would get us into a job larger than we would be equipped to run. He told me that my job was sales and his job was making sure that jobs were done and run well. He told me to let him worry about the “how”. Until we had a contract there wasn’t a “how” to worry about.

So, I simply stopped worrying. We reviewed the bid list for the upcoming week on the Friday before. I focused all my energy in getting contracts. I did my job and he did his. We quadrupled the sales of the first year in our second year of business. The third year we doubled sales of the second year. The last year I worked with him, I outsold the other two salespeople and I had sold a little over 1/2 million during the first 5 months of the year. That was incredible when one realizes that the company consisted of my husband, one helper for him, and myself. We added employees the end of the secondyear. He hired 2 experienced salesmen.

The second lesson came very quickly after I started working with him. I kept worrying about what our competitors were doing. I worried about what jobs they were bidding and what contracts they were being awarded. I worried that our price might be out of line.

He told me not to spend time focusing on our competitors. For every minute I tried to check them out, see what they were doing, maybe even mimic them somewhat, was time lost in our sales momentum.

He reminded me that if we just kept moving forward they would play “keeping up with the Jones”. If we were getting contracts that were profitable, it did not matter what they were doing. He told me that it was human nature to try to outdo your competitor and that they would begin to get distracted by us. As long as they watched us and we took care of ourselves, they would be in the dust, so to speak, and we would be the forerunners and trendsetters. We would lead and they would follow.

Guess what? It played out that way. Time spent copying others sucks your creativity away. I will always be grateful for the things my husband shared with me. So, two very important lessons: don’t impose barriers. When real ones come up just ask yourself “What do I need to do to remove this barrier and make this happen? As you determine the answers just proceed to move forward.

That takes you straight to the next step. Don’t look back to see who is watching and/or what they are trying to do. Stay focused forward. As you become more of a contender in the market place, your competitors often spend precious time trying to watch, second guess your next move, and perhaps try to copy you. It will be your gain and their loss.

I say – keep your eyes forward. Build the marketplace, don’t wait to see what everyone else does and then react. If you do you will always be toward the rear of the pack.

I wish everyone a successful endeavor-no matter what it is.

I know that was a long story but I have found that it works. With those two simple yet powerful lessons I developed confidence. Confidence in what you do is a terrific tool in a sales environment. I owe my husband a lot. We have been together since 1978. He continues to share his knowledge freely. I hope those two lessons will speak to the needs of someone out there.

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Artist: Phaedra A. Torres
Business name: Lluvia Designs
Location: at a bead show, preferably, but in West Covina, CA when not.

Website:
Lluvia Designs

Phaedra, how do you describe your work?
I usually like to say that I specialize in “unwearable” jewelry. Mostly because it’s the easiest way to describe it, and partially because I just like to see people’s reactions to that. When I tell people I make jewelry, I usually add the disclaimer of “but not normal jewelry” because I can see the pictures forming in their heads of the jewelry they think I make. If I don’t steer them away from that image, they usually don’t know what to say when they actually see some of the junky crazy stuff I make. I spare us both the pain.

Lluvia Designs was born because I always liked the name and decided that if I had children, one would be named Lluvia, which means “rain” in Spanish. Well, I decided not to have real & human kids, so the name was adopted by my jewelry.

What is your creative process like?
I sometimes have an idea for a piece of jewelry rattling around in my head, but mostly I just pull out beads and they magically arrange themselves. I’m not that disciplined and very rarely plan and sketch out an idea. I grew up in a loud family and am loud myself, but strangely, when I’m being creative I like silence, so I usually don’t play music. I like working at night while everyone else is sleeping, and I talk to my dog (and myself) about what I’m making.

What kind of training did you have which helped you achieve your current level of artistry?
I really haven’t had any formal training, mostly informal “on the job” training! I’m not a very good student, unable to sit still in jewelry classes for long periods of time, so I’ve mostly learned by myself, and by trial and error.

I remember making jewelry “to sell” and I felt very much under pressure, always wondering if it would sell, would people like it, is it fashionable right now, etc. A little over 4 years ago I took a big risk and quit my comfy, familiar full time job, traded it for a part time job and began making jewelry full time. I knew I had to stand out, so I challenged myself, and I saw my jewelry morph into what it is today. I stopped making jewelry “to sell” and started making jewelry that came naturally from me.

Is there a tool or material that you can’t imagine living without?
Beads, of course! I use a lot of suede lace, so I’d be hurting without it. If I couldn’t fish through my boxes and boxes of found items, collected over the years or handed over from my mom, I would seriously be hurting…like “I need a margarita” hurting.

What inspires you to create?
I can’t pinpoint what inspires me to create, only that something leads me to my workspace in my garage and holds me captive there for hours on end. I’m very drawn to things I find in the street. I love to look on the side of the road for discarded gems. A simple bottle cap will inspire me and a necklace will be born around it.

I still remember what initially inspired me to make jewelry. When I was about 15 years old, my mom, who makes quilts and other sewn objects, had a booth at a small craft fair – and I was recruited to help her. There was a girl in the booth next to us selling jewelry and my mom bought me two pairs of earrings. After taking them home and inspecting them, I decided I could do it myself. And the rest is history.

What inspires you to keep going when the work gets frustrating or tough?
The beaded jewelry business can be tough, because there are so many of us out there. I focus on what pleases me. It’s very selfish, I know, but it works.

What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?
Challenge yourself. Take a step back, look at your work, does it “wow” you. Are you amazed? Forget about what you think will sell or please the masses, challenge yourself to make something above that, something that takes your breath away, something that you can’t stop looking at, something that you are truly EXCITED about, something that doesn’t let you sleep at night. Use materials that you wouldn’t normally use. Sometimes we buy materials and supplies we’re familiar with and it leads to the same types of designs over and over. It wasn’t until I stepped away from certain items I used over and over again that I was able to really experiment and develop my style.

What takes up the majority of your time besides your art?
I’m lucky that I only work part time right now, it leaves plenty of time to wander the world. I work in my garden, take my dog on hikes and walks, and travel. I took a 3 week trip to the Yucatan with my sisters this past summer. I always read voraciously and I like to grill things.

What’s your favorite comfort food?
I love traditional homemade Mexican food (believe me, it’s not the stuff you’re eating in restaurants!). There’s an Indian place I crave on a regular basis, which requires a drive through L.A. traffic, but so worth it. I’m lucky to be surrounded by so many great Asian restaurants here, so I have my choice of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Malaysian, Vietnamese, etc.

I love my job, my dog, my tortoise, my family, public transportation, and playing with clay.

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Read her excellent article here: What to do when your handmade jewelry isn’t selling

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Best described as a season of change, fall ’08 is defined by rich, elegant hues that offer a vibrant selection. New York’s fashion designers emphasize cooler blues, greens and purples in the top five tones used in their collections, followed by variations of warm red, orange and yellow.

Zac Posen for Pantone

Post from: Jewelry and Beading

Most of us who’ve been in the business awhile can relate to the pain of this stage. Keep plugging!

Post from: Jewelry and Beading