Playing Blog Post Catch-Up

Another post within two days!  This must be a new record.  I had trouble uploading pictures to the last post, so I thought I'd give it another try, and chronicle some more recent activities.

On a recent business trip (unfortunately, not related to jewelry making) I made time to visit two bead stores in two different cities -- Beadaholique in Spring, Texas, and Bead Attic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  At both I was reminded of how gracious and friendly bead lovers can be!  The shop staff in both places greeted me as I came in and were extremely helpful pointing out specials and helping me find my way around all the lovely beads and findings they offered.  

One of the reasons I made a side trip to the Spring store was to visit another trunk show by the Texas Hot Flashes.  These ladies are very talented, and I was anxious to see what new goodies they were offering.  And, of course, I came away with yet more lovely glass beads. 

Of course, those weren't my only acquisitions, and as soon as I got to my destination, I unpacked my tool box -- which I've started taking with me wherever I go! -- and whipped up a necklace and earring set using the lovely light amethyst rectangles I had also purchased at Beadaholique.  I needed something dressy to go with a purple print blouse I'd brought to wear to one of the conference events.  The large amethyst beads mixed with crystal pearls, Swarovski bicones, small amethyst chips, and tiny pewter spacer beads fit the bill perfectly!   

I can now say that I am in the business of making and selling jewelry.  A couple of weeks ago I took a small selection of horse-themed items to a horse show in Fort Worth.  I had only a couple of sales, but it marked a significant milestone for me.  Here's one of the pieces I took for sale. 

My daughter and I went out to eat at a Chinese restaurant a few nights ago.  I found the message in my fortune cookie particularly appropriate:  "Life is about making some things happen, not waiting for something to happen."  

That's my goal over the coming years -- to make some things happen!

New Acquisitions

Once again I've gone too long without posting.  But in the interim, I've been "gathering" new goodies to play with! 

A couple of weekends ago I went to a trunk show held by the "Texas Hot Flashes" (love the name!), a group of lampwork glass artists.  I bought some lovely beads to incorporate in my work.  Some are large focal beads, but I also got a couple of sets in graduated sizes.  I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can come up with to show off the new pretties.

After trolling the message archives for a couple of Yahoo groups, and looking at photos of various jewelry artists' work spaces, I "borrowed" the idea of getting an old desk to use for creating jewelry.  I love the idea of not worrying about ruining a costly piece of furniture with clamps and the inevitable mis-strike with a chasing hammer.  Our local Junior League chapter hosts a sort of community garage sale every year, and I was able to find a great desk combo for $30!  The desk is actually a computer desk, but I can remove the keyboard tray fairly easily.  It has drawers to hold tools and materials, and a hutch for extra close-at-hand storage.  It's quite sturdy; it didn't shift at all even when I leaned my considerable weight on it! 

Now all I have to do is find time to clear off and move out my temporary work area (a folding table), and get the new desk into place...

Taking the Plunge

It may be a bit premature, considering that I have only a small stash of finished pieces so far, but I took another few steps out on my career change limb.  I've gotten a sales tax ID number, and I set up a PayPal business account specifically for Zephyr Creations.  My goal now is to have some work up on either Etsy or Artfire by the middle of March.  (A birthday present to myself!)

I'm also going to a hobby-related show in March, and I'll be taking some small items (probably earrings and a few simple necklaces) to display and sell there.  Most of the attendees will be more interested in models and miniatures, but they're mostly women who also like "pretties." 

Now I have to light a fire under my sister and get her to finish designing my business cards and a logo I can use when I set up my e-commerce site -- wherever that ends up being!  I still have the original designs she did for an earlier attempt at home-based business, but they need updating.  And I want to establish my "store" before the cards go to print so I can include the web site.

This endeavor is getting real.  It's getting scary.  It's getting real scary! 

Notice that it didn't take long to shatter that resolution I made back at the end of January -- the one about posting at least once a week.  Here it is two weeks later.....

I'm having fun following the posts on two wire jewelry lists I joined recently, and checking out the photo albums from the various members.  There's so much talent out there!  I have to admit, it's a little intimidating.  Eventually I want to be able to sell my jewelry creations, but with so many jewelry artists already producing and selling, I worry that I won't be able to find my own niche in an already crowded world.  Oh, well.  I'll just keep creating for the sheer joy of it, and if that leads to success, that will just be a bonus!

Interspersed with practicing the art of making "pretties," I'm trying to gather as much information as I can to help me take better photos.  I'm not happy with the pictures I've taken up to now.  But before I go out and invest in a new camera, I'm going to try making a light box and see if I can find an inexpensive tripod to improve the stability of my shots.  I had been taking pictures on a cloth-covered tabletop, with a couple of task lights shining over the area I was photographing -- which created some terrible problems with glare.  I should have known from my student days when I took a "regular" photography class (LOL -- no such thing as a digital camera back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth!) that would happen. 

I have now been working on this post off and on the entire day!  (Of course, I'm at work, so this is being done piecemeal as I have a few spare moments.)  My immediate goal is to finish the lightbox and take some new pictures this weekend.  The results of that experiment will be up as soon as possible.

Till next time ~

Resolution for 2011

Once again time has slipped away faster than expected, and it's been months since I last posted.  I suppose I could blame it on the holidays, work, etc., but the truth is I just didn't take the time to update.  Bad me! 

So, my resolution for 2011 (coming at the end of January, no less!) is to try to post something at least once a week. 

I haven't been completely idle all this time.  I made Christmas gifts of jewelry featuring wire-wrapped focals for both my mom and my sister.  The one for my sister featured an African "turquoise" cabochon -- my first cab wrap! -- wrapped in sterling silver and strung with glass beads and fire polished crystals.  The matching earrings are a single glass diamond-shaped bead on wire. 

Sadly, I don't have a picture of the necklace I made for my mom -- a large free-form wrapped agate slab.  That one has hand-forged wire links attaching the focal piece to strands of amber chips mixed with Swarovski crystals and seed beads.  It also has a hand-made clasp, larger than most clasps to make it easier for arthritic hands to manipulate.  I didn't have time to take pictures before Christmas, and when I went back to visit her after the holidays, I didn't have my camera with me.  I'm going to start carrying the camera wherever I go! 

Since the holidays I haven't made any new finished pieces.  I've been reorganizing my jewelry supplies, experimenting, and making test pieces from different gauges of wire and creating a reference file of spirals, links, and individual components made from pre-cut wire of different lengths.  I don't like wasting wire -- especially the more expensive precious metal wires! -- by overestimating how much I will need for a specific component. 

Till next time....