Adventures in Handmade Jewelry

I have been ignoring this blog. Yup. Bad blogger. So sue me. I've recently upped my jewelry game to the space I've always wanted to play in - I have progressed beyond wire - to sheet metal and other stuff. Real metal work and soldering.  It's what I've always wanted to do, but haven't. I'll keep the reasons why to myself because it doesn't matter. I'm equipped and practicing and soon I can produce something that I hope won't be awful. So what did I buy to round out my kit? Here we go. Stating with the lower left corner and going clockwise we have - Bezel wire (three sizes) Citric acid pickle Third hand Pickle pot (tiny crock pot) Copper tongs (not required for C.A. pickle, but that's ok) 3M polishing pads Tripod Copper sheets Saw blades Cuprinol anti-firescale spray Handy flux Flux picks Sheet solder and cannisters More brass and nickel silver sheets Burnisher (for bezel setting), gorgeous #4 file, and twe...

Recently I listened to a one of the Create & Thrive podcasts  that talks about procrastination and the excuses we have for it. They are legion, but fear is probably the biggest one. Fear of failure. Fear you won't be perfect. Fear of rejection or losing face. Fear of ridicule. Even someone who believes in her work and talent can fall into this trap. Ahem. So I got over myself. For literally years I have had a very good video camera in my possession. It isn't some fancy deal, it's just what my regular camera is capable of. I've been a photographer for more than 1/2 my life and you'd think I'd have jumped right into making videos, but I didn't. Or rather I did very sporadically. All my amazing vacations - Grand Teton , Big Sur , Argentina, Belgium, Netherlands , Oregon - very little or no video at all. All my time in the woods, on the water ... practically zilch. And I didn't do much with what I did shoot. Most of it is sitting on my hard drive...

No lines No hassle Just gorgeous handmade jewelry that will make your day a little nicer. Head over to shop now before your favorite goes home with someone else.

Welcome to part two! Recently I've begun working with my stylist, J, to sell jewelry in her brand new salon. In the last post I wrote about the more creative side of a venture like this; packaging, branding, whether to create an exclusive line or not and understanding the clientele of the business you want to work with. This time I'm going to cover the business end - Paperwork Pricing Inventory Your presence and online sales Papers, business papers Even if you've known each other for ages, be sure to get a wholesale or a consignment agreement in place before you place your products in the space. It should cover things like who is responsible for shipping inventory to them, what to do when things don’t sell, how you’ll be compensated for theft or breakage and of course, how much money each of you will get from each sale. Oh and sales! Can the retailer put your items on sale at a discount? If so how much, for how long, and who gives up the revenue? And how ...

Just looking at my newest batch of pendants makes me smile. I said I'd let my own style guide what I make and damn if this isn't dead on - Going from left to right there's a Swarovski crystal, a matte finish carnelian rondelle with gold beads, also wired in gold, a malachite bead wired in gold and a turquoise rondelle wired in brass with a little square bead on the front as a button to secure it. I wired it in brass just to see if the technique would work and I think it will. It adds a bit of a steampunk feel to the piece. And I LOVE the red leather cord. I knew when I found them that I'd pair them with turquoise. The malachite is on a sterling box chain, but I think it's a little too thick for the pendant so I'll swap it out for a smaller one the next time I put in an order. The carnelian is on some faux leather and the crystal is on some silk. All the frames are pure silver and are fused and shaped rings. So that's what I've been working on ...

Creating a jewelry line for beauty retail Recently I’ve started making jewelry to sell in a salon in town and it’s been a while since I’ve sold this way so I made myself a little checklist! Hope you find it useful, too. This post focuses more on the creative side of things - What I'll be creating How it will fit into the Wire Smith as a whole Branding in a retail space The next post will be about the business end, consignment agreements, inventory and pricing. Understand your client and her clients When J and I met she had a chair at another salon, but her personality was too big to hide and I got a really good sense of who she is. Now she has her own place that personality has room to spread out and I paid attention to exactly how she presents herself and why her clients love her. And, for that matter, why I do. We talked a bit about what she’d like and after listening to her suggestions I found some beads that are PERFECT. After I made a few items with those I...

Most jewelry artists are known for a specific look. Think David Yurman and you know there will be twisted sterling silver involved in every piece. Bankable and something customers come to depend on. But what about an artist just starting out? Should you stick to a particular look or design or should you branch out and have a wider field of possibilities? This is something I'm working through myself. In the early 2000s when I first started making jewelry, I followed the herd. Doing the easy stuff - the stuff I saw on other shop sites and at craft fairs. The problem is, I don't want to be known for stuff you can get at craft fairs. I don't buy or wear that kind of jewelry and making it doesn't appeal to me. So. I need to define my style and therefore my customer. In doing so, that means I can jettison some of the fussy/cutesy stuff that used to be in my line at first. Also, I can identify a particular type of jewelry that will help bolster that style to the cu...

Now if that doesn't date me nothing will! But I'm not going to write about soda. I'm talking about knowing when to take a little break if things aren't going well. So here's the thing. I had an idea rolling around in my head. It often goes this way when I wake up in the night and don't get back to sleep right away. Design ideas occupy my thoughts and most of the time I try them at the bench the next day. All well and good. But this particular design was really fiddly and difficult. I had to wear my 2.50 magnification glasses just to see what I was doing. Then I had to use a loupe to see the really fine detail. Crazy!! And it wasn't working. I messed up something and got quite frustrated at my inability to make it work. Rather than force it and continue on, feeling bad the whole time, I put it down and walked away for a little while. I can't remember what I did, but it had nothing to do with the business or the bench. Not every idea is g...

A quick story (with video!!) of how one necklace got made. I imagine this happens with other artists, not just jewelry makers. You buy materials that you love right away, but don't use right away. You keep hoping an idea will come to you. If none do the item sits. Waiting. Especially if it's something really stunning - a one-of-a-kind piece. Will you do it justice? Do you dare? Is your work good enough for that marvelous thing? Well this is the story of one such item. Here it is, along with the things I'll use to make the finished product. Next to the beads. That's it. A handmade glass pendant, 2 1/4 inches across. It's basically a long tube with a bend in the middle, but the colors are amazing. And the depth of the texture just knocks me out. I've had it for like 10 years. Picked it up at a bead show when I lived in New Hampshire. Loved it, but hadn't been brave enough to come up with a way to wear it. It was like when my mom gave me beads fr...

Since I'm going to be gone during the last part of April, I'm running a Mother's Day Sale now! While supplies last, I'm giving away free jewelry items from my secret stash. Things I've had for a while that I liked and didn't put up for sale, but hadn't worn either. It's the way of it with making jewelry. And now you benefit! Head over to www.thewiresmith.etsy.com before your favorites slip away. Oh and take a look at my latest shipment! Starting on the left, the straight up and down bracelet is made of some gorgeous barrel boro beads, handmade by an artist in Texas. The design is one I'm tinkering with and it's just done in craft wire to test how wearable it is. Not especially so I'll be remaking it in a different way. Still with those double hinge links though, just not as many of them. Moving on and taking it from the top I got - faceted peridot (5 mm) faceted iolite (5 mm) star cut agate (6 mm) tumbled aqu...

There must be a torch! UPDATE - this baby is sold! Gone. Woo hoo! Spent a few hours at the bench today. For a while now I've been wanting to fire up my torch and see if I could still wield it with any skill at all. Before I went on hiatus I had just begun fine silver fusing and found I really liked it. But I was hesitant. I hate wasting wire and I hate disappointing myself. I finally got my butt in gear and here's the result! Amazonite & fine silver bracelet I'm sort of amazed at how well it turned out. Oh sure, I have a few goofed links, but not as many as I feared. With each dud I learned what I did wrong and fixed it though, so it wasn't a total waste. The ones I used are nearly all perfect. One or two have a bit thicker side to them, but not so awful that I pitched them. That's the beauty of handmade, right? It's the thing we're all going for. At least what I'm going for. Quality pieces, even fine pieces, but without that assembly lin...

As you develop your craft, brand and artistic style, tailoring and refining designs is as important as coming up with new ones. I have a small library of wire jewelry making books and sometimes I use a design straight out of those pages. Often I make it as is, using the materials and measurements specified by the author. Sometimes it works perfectly like that, but sometimes I need to modify it to meet my own standards.  Recently I went through a few different variations with one bracelet trying to make it more wearable.  I love the smooth ribbons of sterling wire, but the original specs just didn't lay right. At least not on my wrist, which admittedly, is pretty small. It's possible that the piece with the longer ribbons would work on a larger lady and for that reason I have it in the shop (bottom one with the orange beads). But as I played with the pattern, I found that flat beads work better because they don't break the plane of the wires. They help t...

Partly a sneak-peek at what will be in the shop, partly a wrap-up of what's already there, I'm pleased to bring you a little Spring Collection showcase! Click the picture for a larger view It's a little hard to do with an Etsy shop, so I set up this curated selection to show how beautifully coordinated these pieces are. Plus I had a lot of fun setting things up in my travel jewelry case. Don't you just want to take them all home??!! Very hard for me not to just keep everything. That's totally my fault though. I don't make jewelry I wouldn't wear myself, or, for that matter, wear with my "good jewelry". Handmade doesn't have to be cheap or tacky and we all know that when we see it. My work is different if I do say so myself. Yes, as the name states, I use wire, but I work hard to produce high quality pieces with designs that stand out and wear well. I'm too darn picky to do it any other way. Lots of pearls up there, and kyanite, am...

My husband said something that stuck with me. Yeah, go figure. Seriously. He said the last bastion of good packaging is in luxury goods. Remember your first iPod...or iWhatever? The box, the way it was placed inside the box which was heavy and beautifully made. The accessories were cleverly placed and the whole look and process of discovering your new toy was pretty special. It helped you feel good about buying such a spendy item. The presentation reinforced the luxury status of the Apple brand. It's exclusive, but in a good way. The receiving should be a continuation of the joy of purchasing. I had a similar experience when I ordered a camera tote bag from a small, specialty designer. It came in a lovely presentation box with tissue, ribbon and a note. By extension I felt privileged and appreciated. And who doesn't love that? As part of any business that sells a tangible thing, I needed to plan my packaging strategy. I looked at lots of pictures. Evaluated options. W...

Let's talk about burn out. I've been there. You've been there. I think every one has, but especially a home business person trying to sell online in a very crowded space. At first you think you make the best things ever. You can't wait for everyone to see what an artist you are. They'll be beating down your door in no time. You post and promote and create like crazy.  Then reality sets in. You start to skip days in the shop or at the bench. You ignore twitter. Let your Facebook page languish.  How do you keep up your positive attitude and enthusiasm? Diversify! You have other stuff you like to do, right? Do it. Yes, you need to focus on your business quite a bit, but you're allowed to have hobbies. If I spend time doing other things I enjoy, I find going back to the bench refreshing. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and it works for your love of your art, too.   Set time limits! Don't spend all day, every day a...

the Wire Smith boutique Do I have to say anything else? New items added daily!

You know that feeling when you know you've done something good? Maybe your best? It's really too bad that most of us, women especially, feel like we should be ashamed of feeling proud of ourselves or our work. Like it isn't "seemly" or "ladylike" or even just plain polite. But it is, darn it. It's a positive emotion. It feels good. Why shouldn't we let ourselves indulge in it when we deserve it? Men don't seem to have a problem with feeling like they're the best. Recently, I think it was on Lindy West, I saw a t-shirt that read something like "Please give me the confidence of a mediocre white man". And how. So I'm going to toot my own horn a bit.  There.  I love this piece. I love that I made it. I love the bright, 16 gauge sterling silver, the smooth little washer beads (which are REALLY hard to find), my hand hammered clasp. I love the blue lampwork beads. It's all I can do to keep from licking...

Branding is important. Having a consistent look and feel to your work, your identity as an artist and in how you present your work is part of having your own business. It can be a little tough, but once you've got your logo and colors and associated motifs, that's enough, right? Maybe. Lately I've been trying to develop a routine with my business - to do at least one thing a day to promote or create or interact with other people in craft or home businesses. The other day I decided to work on packaging since what I had was running low and I wanted something more distinctive. That led me down a tangent, let me tell you! Part of what I need are stickers and while looking at my current logo documents, I did a bit of a refresh. Nothing too drastic, but definitely an improvement. Check it out! became  It's subtle, but I think it's important and I didn't catch it in my first go-round with logo design. A professional probably would have, but 'wh...

Shopped at my "local" bead shop today. It's 45 minutes away, but what can you expect when you live in the middle of nowhere? There was a trunkshow recently and while I couldn't attend on the day, I got some lovely gemstones and some lampwork glass beads. Take a peek! Starting with the yellow strand by my pliers - 10 mm matte finish citrine wheels 12-15 mm polished barrels in what I think is a jadeite or similar. I forgot to ask and they weren't labeled. 10-12 mm polished aquamarine pebbles (I love these!!) 9-10 mm freshwater pearls in pink (Spring here we come!) 6 mm matte magnesite (they have a very slight veining, but are basically white) 1 x 1.5 cm matte lampwork beads 1 x 1.5-2 cm shiny lampwork beads (so gorgeous, made by a Wisconsin artist, too) 5.5-6 mm round faceted strawberry quartz No two are the same shape!!  With some of the wire, findings and other stuff I just ordered (some in rose gold!) I should be able to make some...

Remember when you were in school...did you LOVE getting new school supplies? Oh me too! Lucky for me I still get that thrill when I get new jewelry-making supplies. Woo hoo! That's it there by the vise. I have a few projects in mind and so look out for new items in the shop !