.

Working With Glass.

2008-06-22T11:10:00.001-07:00

Many people have said to me over the course of my jewelry making career, “I’d love to learn to do that”. So flattering! And, I always try to be encouraging, because working with glass is amazing.

So I thought that I would dedicate this post to getting started working with glass.

1. If you live with children, pets, the blind or are extremely accident prone think about WHERE you will be working with glass. You will need to dedicate a non-carpeted area to glass.
2. If you cannot stand the sight of blood, this is not the material for you. If you cannot afford the economy pack of bandaids and burn cream, this is not the material for you.
3. If beauty is a priority in your life, this is not the material for you. Not only will your hands rival those of your 5th grade shop teacher, but your new scent will be reminiscent of something found under your kitchen sink.
4. Learning to Solder is like learning to play an instrument. (Unless you are some kind of idiot savant). It takes time and practice. Many of my early days were spent weeping over my soldering.
5. Working with glass is expensive. Especially in the start up phase. Take a class at your local art center to see if this is something you would like to pursue before making the investment.

She Works Hard For The Money

2008-06-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

Today marks my 2 week mark on Etsy. I must admit to my own naiveté by saying that I didn’t think that it would be this hard.

And the chorus goes “Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!”

Sure there is the Economy working against us. Damn you Economy! But, I had an ominous warning my first day on Etsy when I was told “You make Jewelry, oh. Don’t bother.”And it’s true that the market is flooded with Jewelry makers, but I also think there is an issue that needs to be addressed specifically within the Jewelry community. Not all Jewelry is created equal.

Because Etsy isn’t regulated (which is both good and bad) anyone can go to Walmart and pick up a jewelry kit for 5.99 and turn around and post their creations on Etsy. Will they make sales? Debatable.But it completely floods the market, when people search for Earrings as of today there are 214, 926 items. That’s 10, 235 pages of Earrings! So, my question is, in a world of instant gratification, how many people are going to search through the infinite pages for a jewelry designer?

The person who sits down and actually designs the jewelry? Who uses high quality stones and components? The person who meticulously creates their jewelry with their own inspiration, love and creativity? The jewelry that takes hours vs. minutes to make?

:::Throws hand dramatically to forehead:::With that said, I got some rather good news this week. I was invited to participate in a local artists festival at the end of the month. I’m pretty freakin’ excited about it. I’ve been busy busy (yep, that’s double busy) getting together more inventory for the festival.

Much thanks to LookingGlassJewel’s new shop VarmitsAttic for some fantastic new stuff in which to create! All you Jewelry makers should take a look, seriously, you should.

Meet Me!

2008-06-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

As my first post, I thought I’d do a little introductory number. (10 numbers actually)1o things you don’t know about me and might wish you didn’t.
1. I speak two languages
2. I’ve eaten Horse, not the whole horse. They claimed it was steak. It was chewy.
3. When I laugh hard, people have been known to hear me across a building.
4. I cry at movies.
5. I love to read books. Mysteries are my fav.
6. I listen to country music when I cut glass. I’m not sure yet if this helps or hinders.
7. I met my husband on a MMORPG. (Yeah, I’ve got Nerd Cred)
8. I have a pajama addiction.9. I can’t dance, sing, or sew.
10. I can write with my toes.